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When an individual is so determined to create change, even if it means having to topple the British monarchy, there will undoubtedly be ripple effects and unanticipated ramifications. Stanley Groom, an American by birth and criminal by action, is exactly such an individual—one who goes through life neutralizing obstacles with surgical precision and simultaneously using the art of persuasion to gain the approval of those in high-standing positions. Though hardly a protagonist, Groom is still the star of Cumiskey's novel and the driver of an electric, action-packed plotline that features backstabbing and murder around every corner.
From the opening scene of a train heist, the tone is set. There will be action and bloodshed, and all will move like pieces on the chessboard, with Groom on one side and his destiny on the other. On numerous occasions throughout the novel, his character seems invincible, slated for a takeover of epic, unprecedented portions in Great Britain. Even among criminals, Groom's appetite for death and wreaking havoc in his wake is unprecedented. However, what is most astounding is the personnel he is determined to wipe out: Britain's criminal underworld. The message he has his associates send is quite simply, "join us or die." And in some cases, the latter is the only option.
On the one hand, there is Groom, and on the other, there is the law. In this cat and mouse chase, Detective Chief Inspector John Roberts watches as a successful raid that captures a group smuggling in AK-47s and heroin turns into the tragic death of his colleague. Determined to hunt down the killer, Roberts enlists his old mentor, Godfrey Bas. When the duo stumbles upon a face in the water, they embark upon the grandest of conspiracies leading directly to Groom, the Church of Scientology, and a grand vision to simultaneously exorcise a litany of public figures and, in essence, an entire way of life.
Whether it is Groom's upbringing from utter poverty as Stanley Kenneth Ritter or his shortcomings with being sexually intimate, the narrative dives deep into his backstory to provide a snapshot as to his motives in the present day. In fact, the backstories of the many characters ranging from the rags-to-riches tale of crime lord Henri de Gannas and henchman Martin Connolly to Hilda and John are what keep the plot flowing. While the personal histories of these characters are certainly redeeming factors, the story unquestionably unfolds in Groom's universe. His motives for creating mass panic, committing regicide by bringing down the monarchy, and ultimately completing a massive takeover operation hint at a far greater existential question in today's modern-day society. For a person with the means and connections in the right places, what is to keep them from creating destruction at such mind-boggling levels?
Cumiskey's exploration of the Church of Scientology as an alternative institution of faith that would allow people to free themselves from the fear of judgment and improve their lives is an engaging aspect of the novel. Nevertheless, it functions as little more than a veil behind which Groom is able to bring his plans closer to fruition. When Godfrey gets a whiff of Groom's plans, it's a race, on a universal level, between good and evil. Trusting anyone (including one's colleagues, or at times, especially one's colleagues and superiors) is a certain death sentence. The drug trade, arms dealings, manipulation of the church, politics, vendettas, and incessant bloodshed that pave Groom's path are front and center, offering up a stark reminder of how tapping into the deepest and darkest recesses of the mind can threaten even the strongest of infrastructures.