Fearless by M. W. Craven

 

Ben Koenig has been on the run for six years. When he's finally arrested it's because a friend needs his help. His daughter has been kidnapped and Koenig has the kind of skill set needed to track down the people responsible. Another useful trait is that Koenig is fearless.

M. W. Craven is the author of one of my favorite police procedural series, the Washington Poe books. When I heard that he had written a book about a vigilante drifter dealing with criminals I just knew Fearless was going to be special.

Firstly, let's deal with the elephant in the room, Jack Reacher. I've been a fan of the Reacher series for over twenty years, buying many of the books on the day of publication. While I've enjoyed the last few, I've felt that they were a little lacklustre and questioning if it was time for Jack to retire and settle down. The only problem with this is that there would be a gap. Quite a few authors have tried to emulate the series. I've tried a few but none has really hit the mark for me, until now.

From the outset, M. W. Craven acknowledges the comparisons with Jack Reacher by referencing the character, "You didn't have to go all Jack Reacher on us". There's also a dig at the drifter lifestyle, pointing out that to stay off the grid you need more than a fold-up toothbrush. There are lots of similarities between Jack Reacher and Ben Koenig, but there are also enough differences to make this series stand out.

Ben Koenig is a US Marshall who has been on the run for the last six years. Initially, it would seem that Koenig simply went AWOL and is on the run from the authorities, however, as we learn about his background we discover that there is much more to his disappearance. 

Delving into Koenig's background we discover the reason for the title. Following an injury it was discovered that Koenig has a degenerative genetic disorder which makes him immune to fear. Although this could be dangerous in his normal role as a US Marshall, some realise that he could be an asset and send him to train with a variety of specialist units around the world.

When Koenig is arrested his ex-boss reaches out to request his help. His daughter has gone missing and despite a month of searching is presumed dead. Koenig is asked to find out who took her and deal with them. With the aid of allies, old and new, the trail leads to Texas and a solar energy plant. Early sections of the novel show some of Koenig's skills, but it is only once he arrives in the town of Gauntlet, Texas, that we learn what he is really capable of.  The action just doesn't stop, however, it's more than brute force. Ben Koenig isn't a huge man, but he is very intelligent and highly trained, so we see a variety of tactics used to reach his end goal. 

A satisfying conclusion, with a high body count, sets up what could be a long-running series. It's hardly surprising that a major streaming service is considering a TV adaptation.