MICK PIERCE

Mick Pierce is an agent with the CIA.

At least sometimes he is. Most times he is but a couple of occasions during the series he takes great exception to the way things are done, or in one case, not done, and quits. He does not stay quit for long before situations force his return. He comes back disgruntled and ticked off but still resourceful and more than a little capable.

The son of a Native American Pueblo woman and a Caucasian man, Pierce grew up independent and capable of looking after himself. His mother was a powerful influence on him and her strength in adversity guided him throughout his adult life. She could and did look after herself and he learned to do so as well.

As the series opens, Pierce is just reaching the 40-year age and is on one of his "sabbaticals". A major blow-up in the ranks over the mess in the crumbling mess that was the Yugoslavian breakup was the reason for his retirement especially when the violence that was happening everywhere in the Balkan land claimed the life of fellow agent and half-brother, Alec Pierce.

Married for several years to the lovely and highly intelligent Natalie, a woman who had risen through her talented work in the State Department to be able to command any number of positions. She had been stationed at the embassy in Belgrade when the trouble happened and when her husband left in disgust, she elected to join him. As the series progresses, she plays a major role in the events that surround Pierce, often coming to his aid.

Another major player in the adventures is the half-brother, Alec, who was not dead as thought but off on his own mission of revenge. Alec would return to the CIA and continue to operate as an agent, often in the same regions as his older brother and often getting into scrapes that cause anxiety for Mick. Alec is a very capable agent but while Mick Pierce is a thoughtful, analyzing operative, Alec is an impulsive, act-first kind. It shows from time to time that it is a good thing they have great filial love for each other or else one would strangle the other.

The action in the series moves around the world a bit with the initial adventures in the Mediterranean but later books in Taiwan and India.

I made a mistake when first trying this series over a decade ago and my mess-up tainted my attitude towards the character. I misunderstood the sequence and as a result got very confused as to what was happening and what had happened. Hopefully the order I present here is the correct one because it makes the most sense to me as well as matches the order the author uses and I figure he knows best. Still, looking again at the books as I write this, I have to wonder.

Mick Pierce is a capable, solid agent and might have faired better in my mind, especially with his highly capable wife playing such a good role, but when put up next to his more energetic but impulsive brother, it is hard to decide which to like. Mick is going to get the job done. Alec is likely to but not a certainty. Mick is often slow and plodding which Alec is rambunctious and exciting.

I guess for someone I would prefer to watch on the screen, Alec would win but if I needed someone to have my back, I'd go with Mick. And if really pushed, I likely would go with Mick's wife. She is a diplomat on paper but I would not want to face an angry Natalie, well, anywhere.