By Dahl Botterill
Operation Angus is my first Terry Fallis book. I've never read his work, so I was a little hesitant about diving into an established series. The novel primarily follows Angus McLintock, recently re-elected Member of Parliament for Cumberland-Prescott, and Daniel Addison, his Chief of Staff, as they prepare for a brief post-G8 meeting between the Canadian prime minister and the Russian president. While in London to discuss the plans for said event, they are contacted by a clandestine agent looking to recruit their help investigating a potential assassination plot. Unfortunately, partly as a result of events outlined in previous books, they don't have many friends among the branches of government they most need help from. So, our unlikely heroes are obligated to go it alone, investigating with the help of Daniel's partner Lindsay, her grandmother Muriel, and Muriel's friend Vivian, a former CSIS official living at the Riverfront Seniors' Residence with Muriel.
My concerns about stepping into a series already underway were unnecessary. Fallis does a great job at providing just enough information at pertinent moments that I felt neither lost nor bogged down by excessive retelling. Finding a balance between enough and too much can be tricky sometimes, but I had no issues with Operation Angus. The characters aren't tremendously complex, which made stepping into the already-established world of said characters as a novice much easier. This simplicity could be an issue in a meatier book, but Operation Angus is a fairly light romp at heart, so it works. The author's prose is comfortable and easy to read, the story was fun and often amusing, and the sizeable cast of characters was enjoyable and easy to keep track of.
The book also strikes some profoundly Canadian chords and contradictions, from the very particular nature of the politics to the gentle nature of some of the roadblocks faced by Angus and Daniel. Their enemies, political and otherwise, undermine their efforts without stooping to full-blown impropriety, guided by but never driven by personal vendettas. The Ottawa they inhabit includes both beautiful locations and unfortunate building projects, often in close proximity to one another. Even our heroes find themselves walking a fine line between their motives and responsibilities.
With all this said, Operation Angus won't be for everybody. Readers generally drawn to heavier fare may find themselves a little underwhelmed, but it certainly doesn't do anything wrong. For folks that enjoy a bit of Canadian humour with a playful attitude and a dash of politics, this might be just the ticket.