No Man’s Land
Ugh! One day away from retirement!
It’s a common enough joke that we’ve heard it in a bunch of movies and series (television or streaming), but this was a new way for me to get hooked. Apparently, an FBI agent is barred from resignation or retirement if there is a threat to national security.
So begins the mystery of No Man’s Land.
Set in 1963, FBI Agent Collins – on the day he decided to deliver his resignation letter – is called by the director to assist in solving a strange case. The body of a woman is found in the middle of an ice bridge that connects the USA and Russia (the Diomede Islands); no clear jurisdiction has been established. The bridge lasts for about three months of the year, and Agent Collins is suddenly forced to solve a murder mystery. Can he and KGB agent Fiodrow work together to tie up loose ends? The clock is ticking. Not just because the ice bridge will soon melt, but also from the tense and fragile relationship between two nuclear superpowers.
This is an excellent, almost noir-y kind of book and it’s just the first one! The illustrations are lifelike and gritty with minimal color and a smart use of inkblots, perhaps to evoke bureaucratic paperwork or blood stains (or both). The writing lives in the dramatic close ups of the eyes and faces of the characters, evocative and emotional. The images as a whole are very painterly with many opportunities for dramatic lighting and sunbursts. The author/illustrator even put in some cover variations that pay homage to many famous movie posters, so that was a fun bonus at the end of the read.
Like a lot of thrillers, the story is dense, but I feel that’s warranted by the narrative. The reader can do their best to follow along and sort out the facts in a way that makes sense, or just keep reading forward with anticipation to see what comes next.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and I hear there’s a movie deal in the works. This is not a book for young children, certainly. Though there is nothing particularly graphic depicted in this installment of the series, there are a few corpses and war and violence continue in the background.
Folks who enjoy True Detective, the Fargo series, and The Terror will likely enjoy this as well.
No Man’s Land
By Szymon Kudranski
Image, 2025
ISBN: 9781534333604
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16)
Creator Representation:Â Polish,
Character Representation:Â Russian,
