Above Ground.

Henry G. MacLeod teaches sociology at both Trent University and the
University of

Waterloo.

For undercover cop Corporal Jack Taggart, staying above ground means being alive at the end of the day. Don Easton’s second novel, based upon his real-life experiences as an undercover RCMP police officer, opens with the dramatic professional murder of a person who happens to share the same name as his protagonist. Suspicion falls upon the Satan’s Wrath biker gang because of Jack’s role in several drug raids, but he points out that they would not have executed the wrong man.

The novel brings to life the cruelty and viciousness associated with drug trafficking. Often stories involving drugs and undercover work sanitize the violence, but there is a griping realism to Easton’s tale. We feel with Jack as he struggles to stay undercover rather than preventing a brutal mugging. The story captures Taggart’s motivation when he is forced to cross the line between right and wrong in order to serve justice and then has to deal with the consequences of his actions. The reader is also forced to wrestle with his/her own standards about how far the police should go to deal with organized crime.

There are several plot lines running through this highly suspenseful novel. Taggart becomes a pariah in his office when a letter is sent threatening his fellow officers and another hit is directed at the family of his partner Danny O’Reilly. He is under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Unit for past and current actions.

Easton has written a terrific sequel that is hard to put down. The characters are strong and well developed. Readers will happy to know that at the end of the day Taggart stays Above Ground.