A couple of peculiarities distinguish RISK, Colin Harrison’s latest thriller, without even reading a word. For one, it’s a trade paperback original, rather than a hardcover. Also, it’s about half the size of THE HAVANA ROOM, THE FINDER or any of the other previous novels that established his reputation.
Both of these characteristics stem from the fact that the story first appeared as a 15-part weekly series in THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE, and was then slightly re-edited for book publication. But neither of these should prevent anyone — Harrison fans included — from enjoying this little gem.
“In my line of work, I’ve been asked to do a lot of unpleasant things over the years, and I’ve performed these tasks more or less without complaint.” That opening line could come from any classic or contemporary hard-boiled P.I. But George Young, the first-person narrator here, is not a detective. He’s an attorney for a huge, New York-based insurance firm, and it’s his job to track down suspicious claims.
One day, George is summed by Mrs. Corbett, the elderly, near-death wife of the firm’s late founder. Corbett’s son, Roger, was killed when hit by a garbage truck several months ago. Now Mrs. Corbett wants George to investigate the circumstances of her son’s death. It was the rich and eccentric Mr. Corbett who first brought George on board at the firm several years ago, so he accepts the assignment solely out of devotion.
Before long, George meets Roger’s Czech mistress, Eliska, a successful and stylishly jaded hand model. It was Eliska who got Roger mixed up in a clandestine smuggling scheme, the details of which Roger was never fully aware, but might have gotten him killed. That is only one part of the tangled past that George discovers about Roger, Mr. Corbett and the firm that employed and supported George for most of his adult life.
Like all of his previous excellent books, RISK is played out against the shimmering and shadowy background of the Manhattan financial world. But you don’t need an MBA to follow the details, because again, as in the past, Harrison populates his story with fascinating, fully drawn characters that provide the insight into all the professional and personal transactions.
Don’t let its apparent brevity (under 200 pages) fool you. It’s a surprisingly complex and completely satisfying tale with a nice balance of action and introspection. RISK is a perfect introduction to those unfamiliar with Harrison’s fascinating urban nightmares. His followers who missed the story in its serial publication — or read it that way and need to clear out all those ponderous back issues — will find more than enough to enjoy here while waiting for his next work.
Size doesn’t always matter, folks. —Alan Cranis
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Harrison writes in a high-falutin’, morally ambiguous style that leaves me cold.