MICAH DALTON

Micah Dalton is a "cleaner" for the CIA.

Attached to the Agency's Clandestine Services, it is his job to come in and clean up after the mistakes of others. He is very good at his job but, as the series opens, he is suffering from a personal tragedy that has him drinking far too much, smoking too much, and not really caring about himself. As yet his work has not been affected but the rest of his world has suffered and it appears just a matter of time before his demons get the best of him.

Dalton is not a maverick per se but he is fiercely self-reliant, an attitude that took into the military's Special Forces and then into the CIA. He is comfortable working along but on his own, his actions can be confusing to others and sometimes give a false reading. It is not something that Dalton cares about but something he has to deal with.

As the series progresses, the friends that Dalton makes stay active participants in his adventures, making for an excellent continuity. These people first ponder his sardonic sense of humor, then look at the level of violence he routinely causes, and eventually come to their own understanding of Dalton. And still like him. They may not want him around at times but they still like him.

The enemies that Dalton makes, if they remain alive long enough, learn that Dalton has a very good memory and little compunction about going after them. When they need killing, Dalton usually accommodates them. This does mean he is rash, however. He thinks quickly and thoroughly and then reacts quickly and deadly.

One final interesting point about Dalton is that, due to an attempt on his life very early in the first book, he is prone to seeing mirages for a while. This clears up except for the repeated appearance of his old friend and teacher, Porter. Porter is dead. Dalton knows that well having discovered his mutilated body. But Porter shows up on occasion with a drink in his hand and an attitude. He jokes with Dalton and hassles Dalton and helps Dalton work things out in his head. Dalton is quite open with a few friends about seeing Porter and admits that while he does not believe in ghosts, he is not 100% convinced that Porter is not really there. Certainly Dalton enjoys the chats.

The books in the series I have read so far are totally separate adventures. If a reader had not read the first, it would be easy to jump in and get going with the second, and so on. But it would not be nearly as much fun as when read in order. The second starts right after the first ends and the flow is smooth and even. The third is the same way.

When I started the first book, within twenty pages I was wondering who was the crazy person - the character or the author. Things got really strange really fast and I gritted my teeth for a hairy ride. Notice I didn't say anything about putting the book down as it was just too darned interesting to think of doing that.

After another 20-30 pages, I knew the author wasn't the crazy one but my verdict wasn't in yet on the character. That took another 40 pages but made me a die-hard, in-it-for-the-long-haul fan.

The books are violent. That is an important caveat. The world in which Dalton works is extremely deadly and he has to give as good as the bad guys to survive. But the horror that some people can do and others have to deal with is not gratuitously presented. As I read the events, I shuddered not at the terrible things that happen but at the thought that they are too likely real and that without men like Dalton doing what he does, they could be happening to me.

That is how good Mr. Stone is at his craft. Thank you, sir, for your work.