Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Publication Date: January 2012
Reviewed by: Melody Ballard
Geiger is like no man you’ve seen or will ever see again. No one really knows who he is, or where he’s been, or where he’s going; even he doesn’t know. He is focused and unemotional, there is no warmth, there is no joy, there is no anger. Some may know what he does, but the man himself is a mystery. Geiger just is. Geiger is the Inquisitor.
Geiger’s specialty is Information retrieval; he has his own brand of torture. His job is to get answers, and he always gets what he wants. His strength is his extraordinary ability to gauge and interpret every movement, and nuance and movement of his victim. He can reach into depths of their soul without maiming their body. Geiger is a living lie detector and he is totally focused.
When Geiger refuses to extract information from a twelve year old boy his own world changes. His is given an ultimatum – extract the information himself or the boy will be turned over to Dalton, the torturer who’s brutality is legendary. Dalton’s specialty is pain and mutilation. Unlike Geiger’s victims, many of Dalton’s do not walk away in one piece, or alive.
This fast-paced story is filled with action, twists, suspense and a host of unlikely characters. There’s Geiger’s psychiatrist; he’s working with Geiger to find the cause of his debilitating migraines and to uncover the mysteries of Geiger’s past. He is also going through a painful divorce. There’s Harry, Geiger’s business partner who arranges Geiger’s contracts and who deals with his own demons. Lilly is Harry’s schizophrenic sister and Ezra is the twelve year old boy who is kidnapped. Smith has done a masterful job of blending together these implausible characters.
The Inquisitor is one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time. The plot is filled with unanticipated twists and turns, the characters are vivid, and the suspense builds to a crescendo then climaxes to and unsettling end. I hope this review peaks your interest and allows you to embark upon a whirlwind journey into the world of The Inquisitor. To tell you more would only spoil the surprise. I will tell you this, I have read that there is talk about making a television series based upon Geiger. I highly recommended this novel to anyone with a penchant for action packed thrills a minute.






































































































