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Payback (Paul Richter, #5)

James Barrington

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Nov 21, 2019 Samuel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

WELCOME TO DUBAI

"Ten years have passed since a perfect blue sky morning turned into the blackest of nights. Since then, we've lived in sunshine and in shadow, and although we can never unsee what happened here, we can also see that children who lost their parents have grown into young adults, grandchildren have been born and good works and public service have taken root to honor those we loved and lost." - Michael Bloomberg.

While the Middle East has been better known for anarchy, strife and ge WELCOME TO DUBAI

"Ten years have passed since a perfect blue sky morning turned into the blackest of nights. Since then, we've lived in sunshine and in shadow, and although we can never unsee what happened here, we can also see that children who lost their parents have grown into young adults, grandchildren have been born and good works and public service have taken root to honor those we loved and lost." - Michael Bloomberg.

While the Middle East has been better known for anarchy, strife and general humanitarian misery, parts of the region have become modern, developed and civilized. One major example is the United Arab Emirates and its crown jewel, Dubai. Dubai with its vice, sin and gleaming glass pleasure palaces is an anomaly in the Middle East. But it's a brittle anomaly as well. Built on shady financial arrangements and human rights abuses in the form of the army of workers from South and South East Asia who keep the place running, there's also the matter of the alleged gentleman's agreement the UAE hashed out with Saudi Arabia and Iran, the two biggest sponsors of international terrorism in the world. This agreement is said to have ensured Iran and Saudi Arabia not launching terrorist attacks within Dubai and make the city rare neutral ground in a war wracked region. But what if someone decided to break that agreement or didn't even have a stake in maintaining that agreement? It's the shattering of this truce that is the center of PAYBACK, the sixth book in James Barrington's Paul Richter series. Set in 2011 on the eve of the Arab Spring insurrection the novel concerns two conspiracies to throw the Middle East into a final apocalyptic chaos. Standing in the way of success is a British Government Agent who is far more dangerous and capable than anyone expected him of being. Now to the review. What happens when payback is a long time coming?

The novel begins in Syria. A Islamic terrorist is sitting in a Toyota Land Cruiser in the middle of Damascus. He is given his marching orders and heads into the Damascus Bazaar to die from the suicide vest he is wearing. Completing his task with aplomb, the white, American men who were sitting around him congratulate themselves and drive off. Somewhere in the British countryside, Paul Richter is conducting an evasion exercise with a large team of SAS troopers who are hunting him down, when he receives a phone call that takes him back to London and his masters at the Foreign Operations Executive, the true black ops arm of British Intelligence. There, he's asked to participate on a raid against an Al Qaeda cell in the middle of London and given strict instructions to shoot a particular terrorist. Richter does so much to the shock of the London Metropolitan Policemen. It's soon revealed that Richter was sent to fake the death of a deep cover informant and our hero is soon given a more pressing assignment. A mysterious English Expat in Dubai claims to have predicted the Syrian bombing and is asking for money. In Russia, the most secret WMDs are stolen with the collaboration of some bribed officials to the horror of the GRU. In Egypt and Portugal a shell game involving private jets and CIA officers ends in a multiple homicide. And in Arabia, two homicidal Saudi Extremists commit a shocking massacre at one of the most renowned Horse Ranches on the peninsula. It's these events which Richter finds himself trying to connect over a hectic few days in the run up to one of the most hotly anticipated social events in the Middle East where the fate of Dubai is up for grabs. And only one question will remain as Richter races to stop a cataclysm. Is payback really worth it even when time doesn't heal all wounds?

In terms of plot, Payback is a good, straightforward techno thriller novel. It consists of two conspiracies that are independent of each other and only linked geographically. It's the methodical nature of how these conspiracies come about and the efforts of Richter to try stop one after the other before it's too late is the highlight of the story. We take a journey around the contemporary Arabian Peninsula which in the 2010s has been transformed beyond recognition due to the riches that have been lavished on it. But it's these riches which have put a bulls eye on its back and in this story, someone with a dead eye, steady hand and smooth trigger has the most decadent, magnificent city in the Arab World in its sights.

Action and setting? Not too shabby. We get a decent amount of action in this novel. From high stakes interdictions with Kamarov Attack helicopters in Southern Russia, to a brutal raid on one of the finest Horse Stud farms on earth, to a terrorist attack on the Dubai Cup and a final climactic helicopter chase along the length of Dubai's airport as an experimental Gulfstream Jet flees the city, PAYBACK is a slow burn but once it nears the ends of its fuse, it begins to speed up rapidly to a satisfying conclusion. The setting of Payback also isn't too shabby at all. Dubai is a fascinating place and we get to see everything from the luxury hotels, to the desert countryside outside and even have some detours to part of the Arabian Peninsula that few non Muslims have ever been to.

Research? Excellent. James Barrington is of the old school tradition of British thriller novels. He is meticulous with the real world detail he gathers to at times overwhelming but always compelling degree. From a crash course on how exactly nuclear bombs work to the feasibility of suitcase nukes, we even get some interesting tibilits about Dubai politics like why a certain Horse Racing Meet is one of the most important social events in the entire Arab world and one of the most tempting untapped terrorist targets in existence. We also get some other smaller details like the ins and outs of fast rope rappelling, the limitations of helicopter capabilities and even a dirty little secret about one of the most awe inspiring hotels which the managers would not want people finding out.

Characters? Well, I'll focus on one standout, Richter. Paul Richter is one of the great contemporary 21st century British thriller fiction characters. A Royal Navy Aviator veteran, he was a jobless nobody on civvy street when a mysterious Whitehall Bureaucrat gave him a job offer to be an SIS asset. Several violent, nasty adventures across France and Italy later and Richter finds himself the first agent in a new Paramilitary organization called the Foreign Operations Executive. Given carte blanche to do whatever is required to defend Britain and further the interests of the UK, Richter has found himself at war with Islamic Terrorists, Russian spies, and even the CIA itself over the past decade. In this story, he's dealing with a mysterious non - state actor that doesn't play by the rules and has a more blunt objective than murder for a political purpose. A very sardonic, snarky fellow who proudly wears his contempt for unworthy authority on his sleeve, Richter is also very competent at his job in destroying whoever tries to get in his way or stop him as seen in the very satisfying climactic scenes where the smug antagonists to their horror find themselves in Paul's gunsights.

Constructive criticism? Well there wasn't quite enough action in the middle of the story, a noticeable slump. in the pacing.

Overall, PAYBACK is a easy read, but one which isn't lazy slop dolled out for the masses. While the plot is straightforward and stock, the points in between are a fascinating blend of real world detail, some very fast paced bursts of action and a cast of cool, competent professional covert operatives going about their dangerous work with consummate skill.

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Oct 29, 2016 Garry Thompson marked it as to-read

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