The Enforcer omnibus is another book I vaguely remember reading and enjoying as a teenager. Having just re-read the novels, it seems that I mostly remembered the start of the first book, as that is definitely the strongest point of the series.
The first book begins really well (for a Black Library novel, at least). The world building is intricately detailed, with the most attention lavished on it I have encountered in a Warhammer novel; there are so many little details about the culture of the Hydraphur system that the setting feels like a living and breathing world, rather than a overtly dramatised propaganda story that is usually the case. The prose flows beautifully and the cast of characters are diverse and interesting, if a little under fleshed out at times. Sadly, what begins as a promising blend of grimdark sci-fi with whodunnit, is let down a little by a villain who doesn't seem to have any strong motive and things get a bit muddy towards the end, but it is still a fun and enjoyable book.
The second book is a significant step-down in terms of quality. It's still an enjoyable read, but it feels like events happen somewhat arbitrarily, without any real reason behind them. Some of the side characters are interesting and the plots and machinations over a Rogue Trader's succession could have been fascinating, but it almost reads more like a series of vignettes stitched together than a continuos story.
The third book had loads of promise, and could have been a return back to form, but seemed somehow unfinished. An interesting setup and setting, it had the potential to be a more in-depth murder mystery crossover than the first book, with a strong psychological element and lots of background political intrigue. Unfortunately, it felt more rushed than the others, as if the author only had time for a first draft before publication and never returned to refine things. None of the suspects were given strong motives and the whole book reached like the author was deciding how the plot would develop as it was being written. There were quite a few mistakes, and 'hints' were dropped that seemed illogical, or didn't make any sense in context with what had been revealed up until that point. The plot twist at the end felt like it should have been foreshadowed throughout the story, but seemed a rather arbitrary choice; as if the book had reached its word count and a murderer had to be found from the available characters.
Overall, the omnibus wasn't a bad read when taken in context with other Warhammer fiction, but it did feel like it could have been something far greater with a little more attention and time to develop.
