A very gratifying write-up here for The Knives – under the headline ‘Tackling terror, battling betrayal - a British
politician's fate’ – by Vikas Datta, under the banner of the IANS (Indo-Asian
News Service). Datta gives a very astute summary of the novel's main 'argument' from the get-go:
"There
is no shortage of security challenges - terrorism, radicalism, illegal
immigration (and the backlash it causes) - for modern nations,
particularly in the West. Now imagine you had the responsibility to
tackle these. How effective could you be against a backdrop of budgetary
cutbacks, political intrigue and a sensationalist media ready to pounce
on any lapse?
In
the hot seat as Home Secretary, British soldier-turned-Conservative
politician David Blaylock discovers being tough himself is not enough,
his ministerial colleagues - who include two of Indian-origin - and
his bureaucrats can be as devious and covert as his adversaries,
whatever he does or doesn't will invite criticism and there are no easy
or evident choices. And his fierce temper that is never below the
surface isn't really helpful."
This is the conclusion:
