.com Barry Eisler on Inside Out Black ops soldier Ben Treven is back, and I have to tell you, I love what hes been up to. What really fires me up about Inside Out--apart from the characters, the action, and (naturally) the sex--is the timeliness and relevance of the story. The ninety-two interrogation videos the CIA confessed last year to destroying, and which form the foundation for the books plot, are back in the news now, as independent prosecutor John Durham concludes his two-year obstruction of justice investigation. And the other subjects at the heart of Inside Out--torture, ghost detainees, renditions, the real nature of Americas Establishment--continue to be the most profound and controversial political issues of the day. Various interviewers have asked me, "Do you really believe in the oligarchy you write about?" Its a strange question, suggesting as it does that the oligarchy is in the same category as, say, the Loch Ness Monster or UFOs. In fact, as one of the characters in the book explains, The oligarchy is right out in the open. Its just a collection of people in business, politics, the military, and the media who recognize their interests are better served by cooperation than they would be by competition. MIT professor and former IMF Chief Economist Simon Johnson has written about the oligarchy in the Atlantic; Matt Taibbi has written about it in Rolling Stone. After Enron, the subprime meltdown and bailout, the lax oversight of BP that led to the Gulf oil spill--to name just a few--youd have to be in fairly significant denial not to notice the oligarchys insidious presence, if only by its disastrous effects. Ive never written a book that so perfectly synthesizes my interests as a thriller writer and my concerns as a political blogger, or one that draws so heavily not just on my obsession with current events but on my background as a CIA intelligence officer. More than anything else, Inside Out is a reality-based thriller--as demonstrated by the list of sources and the bibliography I include at the end. Its emotional impact doesnt derive from Jack Bauer fantasies, but rather from real people caught up in the real political machinations of the day. For me, the most gripping thrillers are always the ones that hew most closely to reality, the ones that leave you feeling, Good God, this could really be happening! Thats the kind of book I set out to write with Inside Out, and the kind of experience I think it delivers. I hope youll enjoy it. From Publishers WeeklyEisler's rock-solid sequel to Fault Line finds black ops spy/assassin Ben Treven dealing with anger management problems that have landed him in a grim Filipino jail. To the rescue is his old boss, Col. Scott Hort Horton, chief of Ben's secret unit, the absurdly blandly named Intelligence Support Activity. Hort tried to have Ben killed in the last book, but no matterin exchange for his release, Ben must hunt down fellow agent Daniel Larison, a rogue who's demanding $100 million worth of uncut diamonds in exchange for 92 secret tapes showing extreme torture, instigated and sanctioned by the office of the U.S. vice president. Caught in this rapidly escalating disaster are various high-level government officials, all of whom are willing to do whatever it takes to keep the tapes from being revealed. The open ending promises to unite Ben with Eisler's other series hero, John Rain, a matchup that should prove to be thriller gold for anxiously awaiting readers. 10-city author tour. (July) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.From BooklistEisler continues to rest John Rain, the character who made him famous (in novels such as Requiem for an Assassin, 2007). This second adventure starring black-ops agent Ben Treven is based on real events involving the disappearance of videotapes documenting American torture of suspected terrorists. In Eislers fictional handling of the story, Ben is tasked with finding out who has the tapes and is now blackmailing the U.S. government. But hes not the only one looking for the tapes, and he soon discovers that finding them could mean walking the thin edge between life and death. This is a good novel, solidly written and hard edged, but fans of Eislers Rain series will sense something missing. The Rain novels were taut thrillers that compelled readers to stay bolted to their chairs until the end. This one, despite some very good moments, doesnt have that feel, perhaps because Treven is not as compelling a character as Rain. For thriller fans unfamiliar with the Rain novels, Inside Out will prove perfectly entertaining, fast moving and skillfully plotted. Rain fans, though, will long for the drought to be over. --David Pitt what do you talk about in a book club Inside Out (Ben Treven series)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Eisler returns to formBy PBIHaving been rebuffed by the mother of his child when he attempts to reconnect with his daughter, black ops specialist Ben Treven finds himself in a Manilla jail after severely injuring two men in a bar fight. Scott Horton, his one-time commanding officer, arrives to spring him, and Ben, with no other options for release, is once more in the employ of the commander who betrayed him. Now, he's on the trail of another one-time employee of Horton's - a man named Larrison, whom many thought dead - who has possession of top secret information that could ruin a number of highly placed individuals in Washington, DC.Not only does Larrison have video tapes showing the gruesome torture of detainees in the "war on terror" by U.S. military and intelligence personnel and a paper trail of authorizations, he's got additional information on a group of people known only as "the Caspers", which is potentially even more explosive. Larrison, one of the very torturers on the tapes, is demanding $100 million in uncut diamonds in exchange for the recordings, with the goal of not only disappearing and starting a new life, but getting the nightmares that constantly haunt him to stop.Treven soon finds himself with an unwelcome partner, FBI Special Agent Paula Lanier, and both are in pursuit of Larrison to Costa Rica. As the risks and the danger escalate, Ben is increasingly uncertain whether he can trust Lanier or Horton, or if Larrison is even the villain he appears to be. Meanwhile, those in danger of exposure from the missing tapes are closing in from all sides, and it may not matter who trusts whom, as they are all in the crossfire.With "Inside Out", Barry Eisler returns to form with his follow-up to the subpar (by Eisler standards) "Fault Line", which introduced Ben Treven. Treven remains a conflicted and still-maturing characater and like the first novel, this one is recounted in the third person, but gone are the adolescent histrionics from the protagonist and over-explication in the narration. Eisler touches on some of the most pressing questions surrounding the compromises America has made with itself in the name of "keeping ourselves safe" in the wake of 9/11, but does so without heavy-handedness. The pace, as one would expect from having read the author's previous work is propulsive, the characters are well drawn, and the story is ripped from real world events. Although Treven remains a second-tier creation next to Eisler's character John Rain, he starts to stand on his own with "Inside Out", and while the ending is not neatly tied in a bow, it should be noted that this book is, in essence, a bridge to "The Detachment".0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Give Me MORE of Ben Treven!! INSIDE OUT is GREAT!By BobEisler never disappoints. Ben and Larrison are two interesting and well developed characters who Eisler weaves together for this tale. More detail than usual - and technical information make this installment even more realistic, and make the reader "believe" these events as they develop. The emotional make up of the characters contributes so much to the overall tone and feeling of this book - the main characters are so believable and the reader is lead into the makeup of their characters until you can almost predict the decisions or outcome of the issues they face. You get to know these guys, except perhaps Hort, who remains mysterious to me. I have already started the next installment and am already hooked. Thanks for these interesting and compelling books!2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Fails the reader in the endBy AndersThe story was pretty good, as were the characters. Both story and characters felt a bit weak a couple of times, the characters did a couple of this that felt out of character for them, from my point of view, and some times the politics in the story was a bit foggy. I don't mind politics in thrillers, but it has to be consistent and clear, especially when it comes to cause and effect.The book ended with too many loose threads for my taste. Even if you are writing a sequence of books I think you should not leave this many issues hanging at the end of the book. For me it spoiled the experience of the book to some extent and I will not buy the next one, as the author will probably do the same thing in that one.Please, write books as stand alone works. It is fine to carry things over to the next book, but don't finish the book with more questions than what it started with. That is failing the reader, in my opinion.