Sutherlands Rules by Dario Ciriello

Sutherlands Rules Reviews

• 
  Jon

  First, I'm on the Panverse Street Team, which just means that I get free EARC's in return for an honest review. (free books for something I was already doing? Sure, you bet!) Anyhow, I'd burned through all the advance release books so now I'm working through the previous titles. (btw, if you haven't read "Channel Zilch" by Doug Sharp, find it! It's great!)
  
  So! This book really is a fun, fast read. I know I'm repeating the official jacket blurb but they nailed it. It's fun with the juxtaposition of these two borderline Senior Citizen hippies suddenly doing something so out of the ordinary, like making an industrial-sized drug deal in the middle of a war zone. And it's definitely fast...I hit the last page and, although it wrapped up nicely, I was left wanting more, lol. But beyond the drugs (of which there are many), the core of the story is about loyalty...to your friends, your spouse, your ideals. Who is your oldest friend? Would you drop everything and go halfway around the globe for them? Would you kill for them? Would you -be- killed for them? How about your spouse? Would you let them go? Would you go with them into that long night?
  
  Finally, I liked seeing Afghanistan written from the insiders view...stereotypes are made to be broken, and Mr Ciriello does a great job on just that subject. The world would be a much better place if we all had a bit of Billy and Christian in our lives.
• 
  DivaDiane

  Loved this book. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting (Science Fiction), but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable. Two “mature” gentlemen (and later one’s wife) go on a last hurrah of an adventure to smuggle hash back from war torn Afghanistan for personal use.
  
  Engaging writing and excellent narration.
• 
  Anirudh

  Sutherland’s Rules is the first thriller novel, or, in fact the first work of fiction written by the author Dario Ciriello. This story features Christian White and the character after whom the book is named after, Billy Sutherland, who are very close friends and are in their sixties now. Christian is leading a relatively peaceful life, running a legitimate business in New York but is threatened by the new regulations imposed by Food and Drug Administration (FDA). But, things change, when he is invited by Billy Sutherland to join him in one last mission, a highly dangerous one. An IOU that Billy signed with an old farmer at Mazari Sharif, Afghanistan, forty years ago was about to mature and was for 250 kilos of hash (cannabis). Despite all the perils at going for it, the two decide to take the change to ‘reminisce the days of their youth’ and they’re to bring the stuff back to the United Kingdom, against all odds.
  
  The best part about the book was Billy Sutherland himself – a person with a very high IQ but has used it all along only to smuggle drugs, that too not usually for sale; made his profile very interesting. The way in which Billy planned the entire operation was the highlight of the novel. The friendship between Christian and Billy was brought out well and I was also pleased with the character building, even with that of the antagonists – the immigrants serving for the British Police force – Detective Inspector Amir Khan and his sidekick, Vladimir. The element of ‘unseen character’, often used in sitcoms although I’ve seldom seen it being used in a book, was used well in this novel – fitting Barraclough into that role, Amir Khan’s superior. Although Barraclough was never involved in an actual conversation, I believe the reader could still easily make out how he’d react in either of the cases – Khan’s success / failure in nabbing Sutherland and his friends. The tiny sub-plot was also a useful digression in the story, that being Christian’s discussions with the CEO of his firm regarding the new FDA regulations. The global element of the novel was enjoyable, with the story going through three continents over two hundred pages and – particularly, the part where it takes place in Afghanistan was my favourite which brought out the author’s diligent research on Afghanistan, their culture and their current plight. I enjoyed the description of Afghanistan and also the author’s take on some of the issues – two which I believe are worth sharing in this review:
  
  ‘The terrorists had won. No two ways about it: when a handful of semi-literate cavemen several thousand miles away could upset the lifestyle of an advanced society of hundreds of millions of civilized people, they'd won. Game over. And how? Because we'd become so soft, so afraid, so dependent on faceless structures and institutions to tell us what to do, how to act, what to think, that we actually deserved to lose’ – Page 25
  
  ‘”I think (there) will come the day when there are no foreigners, and Afghans rule all Afghans, But, peace, I am afraid that we will not have. For peace, we need more than democracy – we must all be beyond the tribe, beyond religion. This is why the Europeans no longer fight wars against each other. Until we overcome these thing, there cannot be peace”’ – Page 95
  
  This is one of those very few books where I loved both the protagonists and their counterparts; while the former had not been doing anything so honourable, the way in which they approached the same was what made it special. Even the two police officers were good and totally workaholic and took lots of effort in the Sutherland case despite their boss being more concerned about some Estonian gang. A pity that you can't have both the sides winning.
  
  I had wanted to read Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner for two reasons: one being the author’s citizenship – for the reason that most books in my shelf are that of the authors from the British Isles and I wanted to add variety to it by adding books of American authors; and the other one being that I wanted to read a story that takes place in Afghanistan, even if only a part of it takes place in that location. This book, satisfied both those intentions of mine even before I got my hands on to The Kite Runner although as far the first reason is concerned, it is a little complicated in this case, with the author of Sutherland’s Rules being London born, currently living in US and of Italian descent.
  
  To sum it up, I had a thoroughly enjoyable experience reading this book and I’m sure most thriller lovers, too, would love this book. It had a well-written story, moving at the right pace and with a fitting end, which, in my opinion, are the most important aspects of the thriller novel. Going by that, I’d give this book a rating of five on five.
  
  Have a nice day,
  Andy
• 
  Bonnie Randall

  Sutherland's Rules chronicles the last hurrah of two sixty-somethings who, instead of purchasing the Penis Car or shagging the buxom redheaded twins (as most of their contemporaries would do in a last bid to clutch youth), embark on an international quest that will see them score a staggering amount of high-grade hash from Afghanastan, through Europe, and back to England where the larger-than-life Billy (a maverick thinker and tinkerer who colours outside the lines) lives. Billy plans not to traffic the hash but hoard it, gift a little bit of it, and smoke a whole lot of it.
  
  Billy's balance come in the form of his long time friend and currently common-sense partner-in-crime, Christian White. And although I appreciated Billy's ingenuity and that the character was constantly thinking (as opposed to scheming - although his thoughts typically quickly became schemes) Christian, for me, stole the show and this story was truly his: Now living the last chapters of his life, Christian clings to his (so-called) Hippie world view while also firmly embracing (often unbeknownst to him) deep-seeded conventions. (Case in point: Christian accepts the terms of his lovely and over-sexed wife when she informs him she needs a 'long leash' and therefore indulges her bi-sexuality through an open relationship. BUT he also MARRIES her, thereby succumbing to the convention of 'Holy Matrimony' - despite the fact that his life philosophy would assume that he's far more suited to a 'common law' co-habitation. He's a contradiction who does not even know he's a contradiction). In his heart, however, Christian shuns 'The Man' and all the Man's moral-inspired rules. His dream, as innocent and naive as it is at times conveyed in the story, is that we should adopt the philosophy of freedom in its truest sense - meaning we would live with our own consciences and morals as guides. It is this governing belief - plus a decades-old loyalty to Billy -that allows him to be part of this grandly detailed and often ingenious caper.
  
  So do they get the hash in the end? Or does Khan the Cop (another oldster, also looking for a last hurrah as a law enforcer - and preferably a hurrah that will echo the adventures of his rock star, Sherlock Holmes) foil the operation and bring down slippery Sutherland? I'm not going to reveal a spoiler but I am going to tell you that if you loved the movie 'Secondhand Lions' you will love Christian & Billy, and if you read the novel Shantaram and fell in love with Gregory David Roberts' vivid and often breath-catching descriptions of India, then you will similarly love the landscape, language, sights, sounds, and smells of Afghanastan Ciriello deftly captured in Sutherland's Rules. (In fact for the Afghanastan scenes alone this novel is well worth your time).
  
  Sensational debut novel. I'm recommending it to many.
  
  
  
  
• 
  Edith

  This is the first book by this author I have read and I enjoyed the story and the writing. There is suspense, great descriptions of parts of the world I have not seen but can now imagine and characters that are human and engaging. It's an interesting look at loyalty, growing older and making peace with one's self. Hope you will enjoy it as much as I did!
• 
  Andrea Cunningham

  From the very first chapter I was sucked into the plot, the characters and the adventure. I gave this book 5 stars because any story that can make me STOP reading because I don't want it to end is TOPS on my shelf. Kudos to the author for telling a gripping tale with some funny moments too
• 
  Lynette Aspey

  
  Reading this book felt a little like being a backseat driver in a vehicle with Tom Clancy at the wheel, Jeffrey Archer doing the fast deals and Robin Cook bankrolling border control. They're all having too much fun to keep to the speed limit, while you've got the window wound down yelling into the slipstream, "we're SO GONNA GET CAUGHT!"
  
  Dario Ciriello, with many years of editing and publishing under his belt, has produced a humdinger of a debut novel. Part hippy reminiscence, part Robert Ludlum-on-speed, "Sutherland's Rules" brings two old friends and a gang of unlikely sort-of-heroes together on a drug run below the surveillance radar. Moreover, Dario has done his research and thinking ... I would not be surprised if MI5 have already read this novel and is in the process of closing the loopholes. Pity. These are good-bad guys, challenging the monolithic apparatus of modern policing on a mission to keep a promise and to just ... do it.
  
  Like teenagers who believe they are immortal, that they can run all the lights, cause no harm, have a thrill, and because of the type of friendship that we all crave -- the "I'll be there, no matter what" sort -- two over-sixties friends embark on a final drug run from Afghanistan back to the UK. The motivations are complex but really don't stand up to too much considered thought. If you start thinking about it too much, you'd not do it, which is the problem for poor Christian when his best friend calls him from London and drags him into an escapade that will, in all likelihood, end in incarceration or death. That's the crazy underpinning to this plot; that the characters risk everything for old promises, love, friendship, and the thrill. I don't want to ruin the story by divulging too much but if Mr. Nice met Robert Ludlum, drank too much coffee and got stoned, they'd imagine writing something like this.
  
  I enjoyed this story very much. Nothing supernatural here but a certain "high" that I found immensely appealing.
• 
  Mark Horowitz

  About fifty pages into this book, the words "ripping yarn" came to mind. Not that there's anything old-fashioned about this tight, colorful tale about two old friends who embark on a last, crazy adventure to Afghanistan to retrieve a large shipment of hashish. The relationship between the two lead male characters (one a lifelong adventurer, one a former adventurer who's settled down but misses the thrill) beautifully captures the dynamics of longtime male friendship, and the woman that one of them loves (and who accompanies them on the mission) is equally vividly portrayed: strong, rooted, practical but up for anything. The book works in a lot of local color and detail, and sometimes the historical and political references packed into the dialogue slow the action down a little. But the book features several hair-raising scenes of suspense and action, and the ending (in which the fate of the whole operation is in the balance until near the very end of the book) is one that you won't soon forget.
• 
  Ann Meier

  Sutherland's Rules is a fun caper read, but it's more than just a caper. Yes, it has guys attempting to get away with breaking the law, but these guys are aging boomers. Their caper is more about living life than about getting away with something. The characters are likable, their actions plausible, and you'll root for them to succeed in bringing their hash into England. The major action takes place in England and Afghanistan. Both are richly drawn. The author treats Afghanistan with respect. One of the characters says he'd like to return, and the author sets it up so that you can understand why. I'm not the target audience for this book, and I frequently find male-action stories cartoon like thinly discussed male fantasies, but I thoroughly enjoyed Sutherland's Rules. It's well written with good pacing. There's just the right amount of tension. Fun characters and the action is embedded in a well drawn world.
• 
  Diane

  Well. That was fun :D The review by Lynette is spot on. I can say there is nothing wrong with this book. There is plenty right though. The characters, the locations, the details, the excitement...whew, what a good time! I love a book that leaves me at the end wanting it to go on and on. A really great story, that I recommend for everyone to read. You won't regret it! I received this book from the author after being selected a winner in the Goodreads First Reads giveaway. Yay me !
• 
  Joy

  Solid and fun adventure novel. Engaging and well-paced; perfect light entertainment for airplane, pool-side or commute reading. Bonus points for older protagonists with realistic issues that inform the story but don't hold them back.