Joseph Garber (1943–2005)

I read Vertical Run twenty years ago or so when it first came out in paperback, and I just discovered that it still has a space on my bookshelves. It is entertaining, but for the most part it is an uninspired rehash of Die Hard with some Rambo mixed in for good measure, with lead character Dave Elliot arriving to work one morning to find everybody - up to and including his boss - trying to kill him. A cat-and-mouse game in a fifty-story high-rise ensues as Dave tries to stay alive while trying to find out why no one wants him to succeed at staying alive.

For a book written in the mid-nineties, parts of the novel have a distinct eighties feel to them, including Rambo reminiscent war flashbacks and a glimpse into what the author considers "looking gay" actually entails. There aren't many surprises in Vertical Run, and plenty of plot holes and dubious events, but like any B-list action movie, it delivers what it promises. Of course, the large Clive Cussler blurb on the front cover of the paperback should immediately curb the expectation for anything above average (Clive Cussler fans please ignore the previous statement).… (meer)