Review: Overlook, by Jon Mollison
Set in the Heroes Unleashed universe, [easyazon_link identifier="B07ZPCNWT1" locale="US" tag="upstreamreviews-20"]Jon Mollison’s Overlook[/easyazon_link] delivers an exciting thriller with one of the most interesting and original heroes I’ve ever come across.
The story
Joe Smith has an unusual talent, almost no one ever notices him. While the talent is innate due to Joe’s being a Prime, he has also cultivated it, adopting every bit of tradecraft that he can to make himself virtually invisible to the casual observer. Not truly invisible, just part of the background noise of life. Joe has put his skills to good use, first as a military sniper and more recently as a freelance investigator and security consultant. It’s also something that comes in handy when he needs to take down a trio of thugs harassing a convenience store owner in Serenity City. Joe doesn’t much like drawing attention to himself like that but when the owner’s kid is threatened, a guy has to do what a guy has to do.
Joe’s life gets a lot more complicated when a beautiful woman in a red dress named Celeste waltzes into the diner Joe is having his quiet dinner in. She does the highly unusual act of walking right up to Joe and addressing him directly. Joe is even more intrigued when Celeste recruits him to help find the murderers of a an old student of Joe’s, a student who had been working with the woman as part of Sonlight Inc, a private investigator firm.
Eager to avenge his friend, Joe accepts and gets involved in more than just a murder mystery. Before Joe can begin to wrap his head around what is happening, he is getting stalked by the mysterious Phoenix Ring, who seems to know exactly where Joe will be, which again, is something Joe is not used to. Before the end of the book Joe is wrapped up not just in seeking vengeance for his friend but in a battle for the fate of western civilization.
The characters
Joe Smith is a simple man. He prefers to keep his life uncomplicated, something made very easy by his natural ability to not be noticed. He can’t even turn it off. Just going about his own life the way most people do, he tends to escape notice. In most books with a similar character, he would be plagued with angst, anger, and probably crippling depression. Mollison fortunately does none of that. Joe is in fact well-adjusted and surprisingly comfortable with his life. He also is happy to put his skills to good use, making a good deal of money and helping people out at the same time.
Celeste is an enigma. Able to not just find Joe but also to actually keep her attention on him, Joe finds her naturally appealing. The fact that she’s an attractive blonde doesn’t hurt either. However, she is no mere love interest as she is clearly able to operate off the radar and utilize a lot of tradecraft to keep her activities secret. And of course there is her driving that would make any stunt driver proud.
The Phoenix Ring in Serenity City is run by the Director. We don’t get to know him terribly well, but he is exactly what you would expect, mostly. He is confident, dedicated to the Ring’s nefarious mission, and charming when he isn’t ordering your death. He also has a couple of unexpected surprises up his sleeve.
The world
Overlook is part of Silver Empire’s Heroes Unleashed series. It’s a world in which big cities like Serenity City are heavily populated with costumed heroes and villains. Unfortunately, most of the heroes are usually out drumming up social media clicks and advertising sponsorships instead of fighting crime. That means there is always plenty of crime operating just under the surface, the kind of crime that won’t be uncovered by the livestreamed nightly patrols. That’s where the low key Primes like Joe come in. Not concerned with the glamorous lifestyle of would be comic book superheroes, Joe can slip in and out of places and take the time investigate the web of connections between the various crimes in the city, a web with the Phoenix Ring at the center.
The Ring isn’t the only secret society in this world. Opposing them is the Order of St. Hadrian, for which Sonlight is merely a front. Existing for hundreds of years, the Order has been a thorn in the side of the Ring, slowing down their plans to tear down civilization so they can remake it in their own image. Unfortunately, most of their efforts in Serenity City have been relegated to dropping tips to the media and the police. The Ring of course has enough agents placed in both places to stop the tips from really going anywhere. With Joe on the team though, the Order can finally go on the offensive, assuming Joe survives.
The politics
The Phoenix Ring operates not just outside the law but largely above it. Their extensive vault of blackmail material and control of the media and many in law enforcement make it necessary for Joe and the Order of St. Hadrian to take matters into their own hands. In short, the politics of Overlook are basically Batman.
Content warning
There is mention of many horrible activities the Ring is involved in but they are almost entirely off page.
Who is it for?
If you like a good cat and mouse story with a healthy dose of pulp, this is for you. Joe and his adventures remind a bit of Jason Bourne, James Bond, and especially Mission Impossible. If you are a fan of any or all of these franchises, then Overlook is right up your alley.
Why read it?
Because Overlook’s hero isn’t constantly questioning his decisions or his worth or anything like that. He has an unusual set of skills that he willingly accepts while using them to fight the bad guys. In short, Overlook is a refreshing return to stories where the hero is happy with who he is while not being much different that you and me.