“You know, I’ve never been crazy about you, Payne. You’re sloppy, undisciplined, and you think you walk on water because you ate some snakes in the Army.” — Mitch Bauman to Eli Payne in “The Body Man”
I’ve really enjoyed following new and aspiring novelists on Twitter the past several years.
When I started reading “grown up” thrillers in 1989 (the result of a high school literature class assignment where we had to review a book by either Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum), I never imagined I would have the ability to directly interact with authors of that ilk.
The closest I came during those years was a book signing by Robert Ludlum in support of his 1992 novel “The Road to Omaha” at Omaha’s Read All About It! (one of my hometown’s great independent bookstores during that time).
The interaction with Ludlum basically involved him signing the book and me telling him “thank you.” That’s about the most you could hope for during that era.
As a fan of the genre, I would put those scribes on pedestals. There was a certain air of mystery to what they did. I would envision those grizzled writers sitting in front of an old school typewriter — bourbon in hand and cigarette dangling from their lips — pounding out those thrilling tomes.
It’s been fun the past five years to review a number of books by the current crop of writers. Not only are the writing journeys inspiring, connecting with those individuals on social media has helped demystify the writing process for me.
The newest author I’ve had the good fortune to read is Eric P. Bishop. I just finished his debut novel, “The Body Man,” and am excited to share my thoughts.
The story in “The Body Man” centers around a mystery man who is a Body Man. The Body Man is “tasked with protecting the office of the presidency, which is more than one man’s or, one day, one woman’s well-being."
The Body Man is a fictionalized construct by Bishop, but the concept has its roots in real-life individuals who have worked for presidential administrations.
In a recent interview with David Temple on “The Thriller Zone” podcast, Bishop talked about his inspiration for “The Body Man.”
As Bishop explains it, he was trying to come up with a hook for a novel (while working an office cleaning job several years ago) and had the thought: “There's always someone who knows where the bodies are buried” — i.e. the “body man” would know.
“The next thing that popped in my mind was a news story I saw,” Bishop told Temple. “President Obama had a man that worked with him named Reggie Love. I actually know someone who interacted [with] and knows Reggie, which was quite ironic. Years later I found that out. But Reggie was referred to by the media as the ‘body man.’”
In the novel, the Body Man is an individual who is pulled from the Secret Service ranks, but his role is much different than that of those who serve on the president’s protective detail. The character is essentially “a cleaner for the office of the presidency” (far different from the cleaning work Bishop was doing when he had the idea for the book).
In the early passages of “The Body Man,” President Charles Steele’s Body Man is abducted.
When the Body Man’s retired neighbor reports him missing to the FBI, Agent Eli Payne and his newly minted partner Agent Kat Stone are sent to visit the woman.
As Payne and Stone delve into their investigation (reluctant though they might be), the duo systematically unravels a political conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of power.
Bishop juggles multiple plot threads (with various characters in different locales) during the story. While each thread seems unrelated at first, the author does a nice job weaving them together (a structure employed to great effect by the late Tom Clancy).
I enjoyed the characters in “The Body Man” — who move deftly across Bishop’s fictional chess board. The story’s antagonists are particularly well-drawn for this type of genre story.
In particular, I thought Merci De Atta (a great name for a femme fatale assassin) brought a certain spark to the narrative. She also seems like she would be comfortable sampling un pinot noir — and sharing trade secrets — with Vince Flynn’s freelance assassin Donatella Rahn.
I also enjoyed Peter Casha. A criminal operator since high school, Casha’s relentless nature makes for compelling drama as events unfold in “The Body Man.”
At the heart of novel are Eli Payne and Kat Stone. I’m a fan of detective fiction — both written and filmed — and I thought the dynamic between the two FBI agents worked well.
I’ve been rewatching the 1980s police drama “Hunter” on the Peacock streaming service. As I read Bishop’s novel, Payne and Stone’s interplay reminded me of Det. Sgt. Rick Hunter (Fred Dryer) and Det. Sgt. Dee Dee McCall (Stepfanie Kramer).
I hope we see the two agents featured in a future novel.
Bishop sprinkles several pop culture “Easter Eggs” throughout the pages of “The Body Man.”
Those who follow Bishop on Twitter know of the author’s fondness for the TV series “Magnum, P.I.” (the Tom Selleck version). It is a fondness I share. His love of that show is evident in the “The Body Man.”
Bishop also manages to work in nods to iconic TV series like “Seinfeld,” various movies from the 1980s and ’90s, and Tom Clancy’s “Clear and Present Danger.”
Speaking of “Clear and Present Danger,” President Steele refers to another character as a “junkyard dog” during a heated exchange in “The Body Man.”
I dunno if it was intentional or not, but it reminded me of an outburst (aimed at Jack Ryan) seen here in the 1994 theatrical trailer for “Clear and Present Danger”:
But of all the various pop culture references in the book, I have to give Bishop credit for having the cojones to include the “Easter Egg” he offers up in Chapter 67. It comes from one of my favorite TV shows as a kid, and was a fun surprise. It proves the author doesn’t take himself too seriously (and understands his target demographic).
Overall, I had a terrific time reading “The Body Man.” The well-crafted plot kept me guessing throughout. The novel recalls classic political thrillers like David Baldacci’s “Absolute Power” and establishes a firm foundation for future stories.
I’m excited to see how Bishop’s novels evolve from here.
If you’d like to learn more about “The Body Man” and author Eric P. Bishop, I encourage you to visit his website at www.ericpbishop.com.
To order a copy of “The Body Man,” click here.
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