Ben Koenig is a ghost. He doesn’t exist any more.
Six years ago it was Koenig who headed up the US Marshal’s elite Special Ops group. They were the elite unit who hunted the bad guys – the really bad guys. They did this so no one else had to.
Until the day Koenig disappeared. He told no one why and he left no forwarding address. For six years he became a grey man. Invisible. He drifted from town to town, state to state. He was untraceable. It was as if he had never been.
But now Koenig’s face is on every television screen in the country. Someone from his past is trying to find him and they don’t care how they do it. In the burning heat of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a town called Gauntlet, and there are people in there who have a secret they’ll do anything to protect. They’ve killed before and they will kill again.
Only this time they’ve made a mistake. They’ve dismissed Koenig as just another drifter – but they’re wrong. Because Koenig has a condition, a unique disorder that makes it impossible for him to experience fear. And now they’re about to find out what a truly fearless man is capable of. Because Koenig’s coming for them. And hell’s coming with him . . .
Ben Koenig faces six adversaries at the start of Fearless but his first thought when he realises the cops have come to arrest him is that they're going to need a bigger boat. The famous line from Jaws might seem out of place in a bar in small town America but he has a point; they are out of their depth. This is the introduction to a new series by M.W. Craven and comparisons to Washington Poe are inevitable but while there are some similarities between the two men – perhaps most obviously their tendency towards a blunt disposition, especially in the presence of authority – this is not Poe in the USA. Koenig is almost the ideal action hero; ruthless, astute and very, very capable. However, as we find out in the first few chapters, he is also a wanted man.
Most of the narrative is told in the first person, present tense from Koenig's perspective but there are a few scenes set in the past, as well as the occasional chapter narrated in the third person, and the combination works well, giving readers a good sense of who this former US Marshall is, his challenges and what troubles are awaiting him. After managing to successfully disappear for six years, he is tracked down with disconcerting ease but while some people would flinch at what that potentially indicates for their continued well-being, his reaction is more pragmatic. Having the rare genetic disorder, Urbach-Wiethe disease, which means he is unable to feel fear, might seem to be an advantage, particularly in Koenig's world but even though it allows him to fully commit to scarily dangerous situations, the condition has its drawbacks too. The moments where he is forced to remind himself of the cost of his actions on others ensures he remains believable and relatable despite his superior skillset and the violence he perpetrates.
His services are called upon by his old boss, who has a very personal reason for wanting Koenig at his most merciless and the stakes couldn't be higher. Ben Koenig is an excellent character, his dry sense of humour, impressive physical capabilities and intellectual prowess means he is a hugely entertaining protagonist. His perceptiveness, sharp ability to formulate and adapt his plans and his evident moral compass all contribute to this propulsive action thriller but although he is the undoubted hero, he is joined by some other notably memorable characters.
Jen Draper proves to be the perfect foil to Koenig and is equally as proficient. Their relationship never becomes predictable and fizzes with energy throughout Fearless. Meanwhile, the friendship he strikes up with former Chicago cop, JT is brilliantly realised. The antagonists he confronts are fascinating, well-rounded and numerous, and consequently the tension builds relentlessly as the key players are brought together in the small town of Gauntlet, in Texas. It's no surprise to discover M.W. Craven is able to evoke the simmering heat and isolated majesty of the Chihuahuan Desert as vividly as the desolate beauty of Cumbria and I was gripped by the almost oppressive, often perilous sense of place as well as by the blisteringly paced plot.
Fearless is a superbly intense and entertaining read; shocking, brutal and utterly compelling. Thank goodness there's more to come! Very highly recommended.
Fearless is published by Constable, purchasing links can be found here.
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