The narrator was OK, but the story itself was simply idiotic. The author relies on “knocking someone out” as a plot device. This is lazy writing because it beggars belief.
In reality, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible to knock someone unconscious the way they do it in the movies or in this novel. If you don’t believe me, watch some boxing matches on YouTube. You’ll notice that boxers are very rarely knocked out, and when they are, they are down for maybe a few seconds.
But in Hard Road , Reznick knocks out a supposed super-soldier with one punch, then drags his unconscious body around like a rag doll. This is stupid nonsense.
Reznick also drugs another character with a spray to the ear in one instance, and an injection in another. I have a friend who is a medical professional and he has told me that putting someone under is a very tricky business. If not done correctly it can kill the patient. (This is why you need an anesthesiologist present during surgery. This M.D.’s sole purpose is to make sure the patient gets the correct dose of medication so the patient stays under and doesn’t die from an overdose.)
Yet Reznick walks around spraying and injecting people like a seasoned medical doctor, never worrying about the victim’s weight or medical history (which are key considerations for any anesthesiologist). He also seems to know exactly how long his victim will stay under, which again strains belief.
One character, which Reznick keeps bound and gagged in a trunk for long stretches of time (sometimes unconscious, sometimes apparently simply awake and suffering) never soils himself or has to relieve himself. This is another unbelievable detail which ruins the story.
I wish J.B.Turner well and hope he makes a lot of money writing, but he really needs to step up his game. He needs to do his research. Is this truly how “black ops” soldiers operate? Are they actually capable of doing what Reznick does? I don’t think so.