Deadlock

January 5, 2009
The violent duel between idealistic journalist John Hutchinson and insane, megalomaniacal military industrialist Brendan Page continues in Liparulo’s formulaic sequel to 2007’s Deadfall
. During their previous clash, Hutch killed Brendan’s son Declan, who had used a laser cannon to terrorize a small town in Saskatchewan. Unable to convince the authorities in the U.S. and Canada that Brendan was behind the attack, Hutch has recommitted himself to getting the goods on his mortal enemy. When Brendan’s forces abduct Hutch’s young son, Logan, from Hutch’s Colorado home, the reporter must battle hordes of foes in an attempt to rescue Logan. Fans of James Bond movies may appreciate the bad guy’s grandiose schemes and the hero’s many hairbreadth escapes, but readers who want more than clichés in their action fiction will have to look elsewhere.

September 10, 2007
Utilizing more than a few narrative elements from James Dickey’s 1970 classic Deliverance
, Liparulo sends a quartet of middle-aged Colorado buddies on a 10-day vacation in the remote wilds of northern Saskatchewan in this slow-moving techno-thriller. Journalist and avid bow-hunter John “Hutch” Hutchinson and his fellow urban professionals are all tired of dealing with their own personal adversities and looking forward to a few idyllic days of hunting and fishing. When they encounter crazed millionaire Declan Gabriel Page and his plan to obliterate an entire town and its 242 residents with a space-based laser, their wilderness retreat turns into a nightmarish battle for survival. The implausible technology and all-too-predictable ending will leave readers longing for a few guitar-banjo duels.