Will Staeger, Painkiller

Will Staeger, Painkiller - In the peaceful British Virgin island of Tortola, burned out Agent W. Cooper heads the local field office, consisting of one person - himself. Cooper got this gem post where his job is to drink rum cocktails and chase women by blackmailing the agency's Deputy Director Peter Gates, who is pleased with the arrangement because this wild card has been removed from the deck without exposing or embarrassing him.

Royal Virgin Islands Police Force Captain Roy Gillespie known locally as "Cap'n Roy" risks a beating by waking up Cooper at 6 a.m. Roy is fortunate as Cooper takes his ire that his beauty sleep aided by rum cocktails was interrupted out on a window. The cop wants Cooper to dispose of a battered, burned corpse that washed ashore on the beach. Cooper reluctantly gets involved, especially when he sees the odd tattoo on the male body. He begins digging until he uncovers proof that a massive increase in weapons in China has occurred. Fellow CIA Agent, Julie Laramie, finds similar evidence, but Gates warns her to cease and desist and remain silent or face more than just a firing for insubordination. She refuses and Gates paints her has a failed malcontent. Cooper and Laramie serendipitously meet to continue the inquiries as they realize something global is at stake.

PAIN KILLER is a wild espionage thriller starring a retired on the job antihero and the woman who inspires him to get back into the game. The storyline is action-packed, but has a tongue in cheek quality to it because of Cooper's attitude. Fans of Clive Cussler will want to read Will Stager's action-packed tale, but just go easy on Cooper's PAINKILLER, Pusser's Rum Cocktail.

Pinnacle, Jul 2005, $6.99

ISBN: 0060765860

Harriet Klausner