Book Review: Whorl

posted on June 14, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
whorl_lede.jpg

James Tarr’s engaging and well-paced thriller, Whorl, revolves around Dave Anderson, a reluctant but gifted pistolero who possesses a physical trait that would turn the modern, science-based legal system on its head—his fingerprints are not unique. After a well-meaning FBI forensic tech discovers the anomaly, all bets are off for Dave as he finds himself hunted by government agencies and mercenaries in the name of national security. 

Despite being nearly 500 pages, I devoured Whorl over a weekend and found two major characteristics that made the novel impossible to put down. For one, the plot is incredibly interesting. We are all brought up knowing that an individual’s fingerprints are unique, and so deeply held is this knowledge that we use fingerprints for identification, biometric security, and in the legal system fingerprints are held as a irrefutable piece of forensic evidence. But, with more than 7.5 billion people in the world, not to mention the countless generations that came before, isn’t it possible that somewhere, somehow, a print could be shared?

The second defining factor is this book’s authenticity. Despite being a “high thriller,” featuring three-letter agencies and government intrigue, the story is rooted on the streets of Detroit and in characters who are going about their daily lives in that deteriorating cityscape. These are people and places the author is intimately familiar with—Tarr has spent most of his life living and working in the Detroit area, and has paid the bills working as a police officer, a private investigator, and even as an armored car driver. Too, when it comes to the gun play, Tarr is masterful, and he should be, being himself a well-respected gun writer and a serious competitor—to the tune of being a USPSA Grand Master.

For firearm enthusiasts, there is a lot to like in Whorl. The descriptions of the guns and their use are accurate, and there is even some good information to be gleaned about competition shooting, good practice techniques, and key skills for personal defense. There is even a cameo appearance by famed firearm competitor and Hollywood trainer Taran Butler.

I gauge my personal enjoyment of a book by how quickly I read it, and I devoured Whorl with a voracious appetite, and, indeed, I’m still left wanting more.

Whorl by James Tarr is available from Amazon. Price: $18, paperback; $3, digital edition (Kindle).

Latest

Hammerli Arms Force B1 Rifleman Review 1
Hammerli Arms Force B1 Rifleman Review 1

Rifleman Review: Hammerli Arms Force B1

The Hammerli Arms Force B1 is one of the most versatile rimfire rifles on the market, providing room for accessories, allowing for a personal stock fit and even offering caliber-interchangeability.

New For 2025: CZ Scorpion 3+ Magpul Edition

CZ-USA has enhanced its Scorpion 3+ pistol-caliber carbine yet again with a slate of factory-installed Magpul components and accessories.

Summer Suppressor Deals On Now

Whether it is a BOGO deal from SIG or free tax stamps from Guns.com and Silencer Central, there's plenty of hearing-safe savings to be had this summer.

Rifleman Report: Defending Freedom For 250 Years

"Anyone who claims not to understand the plain and simple intent of the Second Amendment—especially if that person happens to be a constitutional law professor, Supreme Court justice, congressman, senator or president—is likely hiding nefarious intent: to strip individual liberty from American citizens for the express purpose of making them susceptible to a tyrannical government."

Book Review: 2025 Traveler’s Guide To The Firearms Laws Of The Fifty States

Newly updated for 2025, the 29th edition of the Traveler’s Guide To The Firearm Laws Of The Fifty States is packed with all the need-to-know information for cross-country trekkers seeking to bring their arms along with them and remain legal in all localities.

Springfield Kuna: A PDW For The Masses

Small, yet fierce, the namesake of Springfield Armory’s latest large-format pistol is a revered forest dweller in the land of its Croatian manufacturing partner, HS Produkt. The new Kuna is poised to be just as welcome in America.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.