Popular British author Callison (The Judas Ship
) is unlikely to attract much of an American following with this unpleasant military thriller that's heavy on gore but light on suspense. In 1957, Royal Military Police Sgt. Bill Walker is stationed in Cyprus, where the British forces are under fire from local terrorists. After narrowly evading death from an attack that claimed the life of a brother NCO, Walker stumbles across a war crime committed by his superior, Major Steadman—the execution of a young child whom the major claimed was a hostile. Later, the action shifts forward a decade to Germany, where more brutalities afford Walker the chance to try to bring Steadman to justice. Awkward prose, an anticlimactic denouement and Walker's levity in the face of horrific violence limit this one's appeal. (Nov.)
