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Revenge, according to the Chinese proverb, is a lunch best eaten cold. It can take many forms. A well-known attorney in San Francisco, after the particularly acrimonious dissolution of his law partnership, trained his dog to leave a daily deposit each morning on the steps of his former partner's office. The other end of the spectrum is documented in Max Alan Collins's THE ROAD TO PERDITION. Tim Green's latest novel, THE FIFTH ANGEL, definitely runs toward the Perdition end of the spectrum.
The title refers to the fifth angel of the apocalypse, the angel who will bring the vial of pain and death to the throne of Satan and who will pour the contents on Satan's tongue. Jack Ruskin is the fifth angel and his self-appointed mission is to bring an end to child molesters who have gotten less than their just deserts. Ruskin, a respected partner of a prestigious law firm, is a somewhat unlikely candidate for the position. He is, however, uniquely if unfortunately qualified: his daughter is slowly recovering from an abduction and abuse by a molester, whose sentence amounts to a relative wrist slap. Ruskin snaps and begins to plan his revenge. He is a former prosecutor and, as a result of his background, knows exactly what forensics is capable --- and incapable --- of doing in detecting and proving guilt or innocence.
Ruskin embarks on a program to do the job that the courts could not do and rid the world of criminals like the one who so irrevocably damaged his daughter. He carefully researches each of his victims and brutally dispatches them, seemingly leaving no clues. Part of the brilliance of Ruskin's plan is that he has absolutely no connection to his victim; he simply identifies them through public records and enacts his plan in different parts of the country. When an obnoxious but brilliant detective figures out what Ruskin is doing and begins to close in on him, Ruskin's mission of vengeance appears to be over. But not everyone wants him to be caught. And the reader won't either.
Green paints Ruskin as a wholly sympathetic character and it is hard to disapprove of Ruskin's mission or methods. And when the family of an FBI agent, assigned to find Ruskin, is targeted as well by a molester, the rightness of Ruskin's mission is all but vindicated.
Green is a member of the James Patterson literary school, combining exciting plotting with rapid pacing to keep the reader involved and turning the pages rapidly. THE FIFTH ANGEL is far and away Green's best work. And, though you'll be sorry to see the book end, its conclusion is surprisingly satisfying. If you've never read Green before, THE FIFTH ANGEL is the one to start with.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
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