"A novel distinguished by its many rich characters & the size of its vision"

• ASIN: ‎ B07934JXS1
• Publisher: ‎ AuthorHouse (August 28, 2002)
• Publication date: ‎ August 28, 2002
• Language: ‎ English
• Print length: ‎ 444 pages
• Genre: Espionage Thrillers

The BookViral Review:

With its rapid pace, smart plot and top-notch characters Sutter’s Odd Man Out is not only appealing and compelling but one of those rare literary commodities these days: an intelligent read that leaves you deep in thought.

A mercilessly intense read the atmosphere remains highly charged from beginning to end. It’s a novel that regards combat from ground level, initially from the infantryman’s point of view, and unlike the vast majority of today’s war fiction with its energy and sense of adventure, that end up making combat look like fun, Odd Man Out tells it how it really is.

Given the backdrop to Sutter’s novel, you would expect there to be tangible pain and suffering and he certainly doesn’t sugarcoat it but it comes from a cerebral core and doesn’t rely wholly on dialogue to convey sentiment. His narrative broadly focuses on the lives of Mathew, Luke and Mark whilst at its heart lies the fundamental changes within Mark as, in time, his conscience comes to struggle with the machinations of politics and war. His mindset and personality are at odds with Matthew’s visceral approach to violence, which has always set him apart and Luke who is in constant pursuit of recognition.

Sutter isn’t the first author to tackle his subject and he won’t be the last. And whilst there are countless traps similar authors have run into Suter falls into none of them. His story sneaks up on us with a series of poignant incidents from life as three decades progress – incidents that together blindside us with their cumulative emotional impact as he gives us a big novel, dealing with big issues, written on a grand scale.

As a former Captain in the United States Marine Corps the sense of realism he brings to his narrative lies in the mass of vivid detail he imparts whilst his descriptions of the Vietnam War possess a dark disturbing quality which sets the senses reeling. And on this level, it’s not only a story about wounds or recovery but about people coming to terms with loss and change, expectations and familial bonds.

A novel distinguished most by its many rich characters and the size of its vision Odd Man Out comes vividly to life and leaves an impression that lingers long after the last page is turned. It is recommended without reservation and is a Golden Quill read.