The Authorities™ by Scott Meyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The first non-SF book from Scott Meyer solidifies my belief that he’s an author to watch. While my favorite genre always has been and likely always will be science fiction, it’s nice to see him step outside of that comfort zone and try on a story in the “real” world. (Of course, his long running comic series Basic Instructions lives in this same space.)
The Authorities follows protagonist Sinclair Rutherford, a meticulous and sturdy police officer who succeeds at cracking a case despite the subtle indifference and outright hostility of his “superior” detectives. While the collar is a credit to his methodical mind and good instincts, the details of the case are embarrassing and the arrest he makes unfolds publicly and draws the type of attention he’d rather avoid.
His awkward public splash, however, is what draws the attention of an eccentric billionaire (are there any other kinds?) whose latest lark is creating a team of private Authorities (trademark pending) that will assist the police with high-profile crimes where they can generate publicity for the group. The team members have been selected for their marketability as much as their skill set, and Rutherford finds that in order to get the chance he’s always wanted, he’ll need to act the role of a loose cannon…
The premise is entirely believable, even probable. The idea of privatized police forces is the province of many stories and in point of fact, some reality. And of course they would be reality TV fodder.
The characters are intentionally diverse and interesting and the protagonist is very likable. There’s a slight over-emphasis on the characters – how they are all “characters” – and the story itself doesn’t quite distinguish itself as much as a result. I choose to believe this is because Meyer is setting the table for a series, and a certain amount of foundation work is needed.
I very much hope the author does develop The Authorities into a series. The whole thing feels like a TV series in many ways. (Not cinematic, but “tv-matic”? I know, you thought I’d say telematic, which sounds much better, but that’s an actual thing.)
If that’s how this plays out, then this first novel is really just a pilot, and virtually every TV pilot I’ve ever seen has the same characteristic as this book; great character introduction leading to little time for storyline. You have to wait until the show gets picked up for the good stories. I’m happy to wait…
