Review: Double Back

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POSTED: 13 NOVEMBER 2009

Mark Abernethy, Double Back

(Arena; 448pp paperback; $32.99)

If you're on a train to the city for an important appointment, and you're so absorbed in reading that you miss the stop, then you know the story is a good read. And that was the case with Double Back by Mark Abernethy, a fast-paced novel with enough closely described fight scenes to satisfy the most demanding "action" buffs — and maybe a little too much information for the rest of us.

The hero is Alan McQueen — 'Mac', an Australian intelligence agent with an unorthodox history and a loner's approach that is bound to keep getting him in trouble, with his own side as much as the enemy. After an unusual response to an explosive situation in West Papua, Mac finds himself unexpectedly assigned to East Timor just before the vote for independence from Indonesia ... with a dangerous and delicate assignment, and where risks just keep on mounting.

Mac co-opts Bongo, an old comrade gone native, to cover his back in a world where he can trust neither side. The ride they take is dramatic and thrilling, with callous villains to out think, and unexpected discoveries that challenge their strength and wits. Along the way Mac meets Jessica, the romantic link, but don't worry boys, there's little distraction here from the main game — mighty deeds and reckless exploits.

As the location darts between Australia and various points around South East Asia, and Mac encounters double and double-double crosses, the reader is engrossed. Just the sort of novel to take on a trip where you want a distraction from the question "are we there yet?"

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