Rangers at Roadsend by Jane Fletcher

Rangers at Roadsend by Jane Fletcher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Two years before being published as ‘Rangers at Roadsend’ via Bold Strokes Books, this book had been published under the title ‘The Wrong Trail Knife’ via Fortitude Press, Inc. I mention this specific factoid for one specific reason – the book description for ‘Wrong Knife’ is either written somewhat poorly, or if accurate, then implies that the book followed a different plot-line than the one I read in ‘Rangers’ (either more straight forward with less flashbacks, or . . . well ‘[Chip] knows trouble is on the way; [b]ut Chip wasn’t expecting murder’ implies murder will occur, not that a long ago murder was revealed).

I’m traveling down this specific path for the simple reason that I probably would have liked this book better if it had followed a more straight forward plot line. Instead the book, in part one, presents us, the readers, with Sergeant Chip Coppeli accepting a new private, Katryn Nagata, into the 23rd Ranger squadron as her underling. Then shows us them circling each other, getting close, darting back, getting close, then . . .. Then, suddenly in Part Two, we are way back in time when Katryn Nagata first joined the Rangers and the 12th Ranger squadron (the same squad that was in ‘Shadow of the Knife’). And I personally found myself accidentally skimming. Because I didn’t care – I already ‘knew’ Katryn had a fucked up existence in her first posting, had been accused of murder, had the accusation dropped but left in a way that rumors still follow her, etc. etc. I’d already learned of that in part one. I wanted to ‘rush forward’ back to the present. I didn’t want to cover ground that had already been covered. Except . . . the flash back was really really long. And more that Part One was a foreshadowing of Part Two . . . or something like that. Foreshadowing isn’t the right word. Hmms. No matter.

Right. So.

(view spoiler)[Katryn Nagata was a member of the Militia on this vaguely fantasy/science fiction planet of only women. She had a partner, Allison, and a good job (Sergeant in said Militia). Then her sister fucked her partner, and Katryn fled to the Rangers. Except she entered a long time after others did – most apply the first day of eligibility. Katryn applied 9 years after having been in the Militia – after having risen up to Sergeant – a position she’d have lost if she transferred over to another military service (the Rangers).

Katryn then, after a hard training regime, joined the 12th Squadron as a really old new recruit. Had a very crappy hard ass, borderline insane sergeant as her ‘boss’. Then that boss was murdered. And everyone thinks that Katryn did it. ‘They’, as in the Militia as the Captain of the squad turned over the investigation to the militia, couldn’t line up the evidence in a way that would find Katryn guilty (there were very important reasons why). But the captain couldn’t leave her in the squad, so had her transferred. (This part here was told in Part Two).

Where-upon Katryn arrived as a transfer really old Private to the 23rd Squadron. 1) she’s really really old to be a) a private (promotion to the next level up is basically automatic except in rare cases); b) and a transfer; 2) looks both despairing and fearful. ‘Obviously’ she was court-martialed to end up being ‘demoted’ to Private. She must have fucked up – at least that’s what her new Sergeant and those above her assume/suspect. (This part here was told in Part One).

Then in Part Three – Sergeant Chip investigates the mystery of ‘who murdered Katryn’s Sergeant’. Hampered by the fact that 99.9% of the people who came into contact with Sergeant Ellis hated her and wanted her dead, plus almost everyone had alibis. (hide spoiler)]

Interesting story. The investigation/mystery that unfolded, the mystery of the murdered sergeant, was quite interesting to watch unfold. The fact that the actual murderer was blindingly obvious (so much so that I knew who the murderer was even before the murder occurred), and that ‘everyone’ had trouble putting the facts together is not as irritating as it might have been (I knew because I saw things unfold; the people investigating didn’t have the facts I did until much later and didn’t normally investigate murders (not sure how often Militia lieutenant’s investigate murders, I know she did a bit of investigative work in the Shadow of the Knife book, but not a murder investigation – also she kind of got things wrong in that investigation (to a certain extent . . . arguably . . . ).

Rating: 4.24

December 21 2016




View all my reviews