The Recruit: Book 1 (CHERUB)

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This socially complex police procedural, with its issues that remain all too relevant today, deserves a wide audience.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) Extraordinary! I can think of no other thriller that portrays its vital themes—all relevant to our times—in such a riveting and up close and personal way.”—Jeffery Deaver, author of The Bone Collector There were definitely a few points in this show where I've found myself saying, "Oh man, this is so good," but a few places -namely in the last two episodes- I thought it felt strained by some script choices that were not greatest or most sensible. After basic training, James is given a mission alongside Amy. The two pose as siblings visiting their aunt at a hippie camp called Fort Harmony. The government suspects some of the hippies are working with an extremist group called Help Earth. A nearby resort is planning a conference that police fear Help Earth may target. Amy and James befriend the other children at Fort Harmony and search for information. James falls for a girl named Joanna who sometimes visits Fort Harmony. The kid was 11. Actually, except for like two other minor characters, everyone was under the age of 12-13. And if that isn't enough, they're way more worldly than preteens. They're cursing, drinking, smoking, fighting, partying, and overall way too mature in adult situations to be taken seriously as little kids.

Alan Drew creates a thoughtful mystery with multiple viewpoints in The Recruit. It’s set in 1987 and happens around a small city in Orange County, California. Drew uses a smart approach to his suspenseful story. He’s unafraid to confront the big issues of the day, like refugee realities, white supremacy, Christian nationalism, and how the police interact with the disparate communities they serve. As you can see, the topics are equally relevant today.I kept thinking of Eric Hoffer while reading this book. Although there are murders, (this is a real police procedural), the overarching theme of the book is about organized white supremacist terrorism. There are evil leaders of the movement, just as in real life, but there are legions of followers, dedicated to the cause, true believers to the last man. The recruit of the title is the archetype of Hoffer's philosophy.

I gave the first of this series a pass since it was, well, the first. But this one is no improvement, and is in fact rather amateurish. The plot and general writing are OK. But the author would have done well to hire a professional editor who could catch the glaring technical and other errors.Crime: Mum runs a shoplifting empire. Ron and James both steal money from her. Kyle tells James he stole an expensive pair of shorts. There were multiple characters and storylines that were a little confusing at first, but I enjoyed how they were brought together throughout the story.