The book begins with General Alphonse of the Force Publique, one of the vilest villains in my recent memory, arriving at a small village in the Congo Free State. They begin a brutal slaughter and systematically begin raping every female. A young American girl named Kristine is there working as a nurse to assist Father Julian. She is raped repeatedly by Alphonse's men and left to die. Thankfully, she survives and manages to crawl to a river and get help from an old man.
The book's protagonist, Hugo Norcott, arrives outside of this terror zone to interview for a mercenary job. The Province of Katanga, an independent state, is expecting an invasion by General Alphonse and Force Publique. They want Norcott to lead a group of mercenaries into a nearby province to retrieve four trucks filled with weapons and a few armored cars and jeeps. This equipment will be valuable to them and can help repel this anticipated invasion alongside the mercenaries assistance. Norcott signs the dotted line because he's there for cash. No allegiance – just the cabbage.
Congo proves to be a reliable action-filled narrative that reads like a slightly more technical version of a Ralph Hayes/Peter McCurtin Soldier of Fortune installment. Norcott gets the gig and begins to whip up his mercenary force – the unexperienced – into a formidable fighting unit. The mission eventually spins back to Kristine's survival as she is caught in the crossfire between the arriving Force Publique rapist madmen (again!) and Norcott's saving grace. The goal to get to the weapons and get back is a perilous road trip packed with adventure.
The most interesting aspect to Congo is the book's central purpose – the question of divinity. There's an amazing subtext concerning a village priest and his staying power to remain with his people as as the slaughter descends. There's heinous torture involved to provoke the priest to denounce his faith. The priest and Norcott have a number of conversations around God and why things like the Force Publique even exist under His watchful eyes. The book's final chapters has one of the most unique endings I've experienced in a men's action-adventure novel. Norcott is forced to make a crucial decision based on the priest's unwavering faith. At times these scenes remind me of the real-life events documented in John Foxe's excellent Book of Martyrs (1563).
Congo is an excellent book that not only entertains but also leaves you questioning a lot of things. A book that makes you feel something is always a good read. This one is recommended.
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