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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
Captain Kyle Mercer of the Army’s elite Delta Force deserts in Afghanistan, is captured by the Taliban and held for almost two years. He escapes, makes his way to Venezuela and does his best to avoid the authorities seeking to bring him back to the U.S. But once he is spotted by someone who served with him, the order is issued to bring him in. Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor, investigators with the Criminal Investigation Division, take off to Venezuela and go to great lengths to bring Mercer back to the U.S. for justice.
I’ve read a few of DeMille’s books over the years, and have really enjoyed them. The script that works for him is the arrogant, smart-alecky hero who defies authority at every chance. The characters are sometimes shallow, but I have found that I learn so much about the circumstances where DeMille has placed his subject (Viet Nam in Up Country, Cuba in The Cuban Affair, or Plum Island in, well, Plum Island). This book is no different, and I learned much about Venezuela, a country that has collapsed so completely that I don’t see how it will rise again.
The story is captivating, and there are many questions that need answers. Did Mercer desert before he was captured and, if so, why? Why did he renounce his commission? What does he know about a secret mission? What’s the secret mission and who wants to know what he knows? And why? Why is he in Venezuela?
While the marketing info calls this “a taut, psychologically suspenseful military thriller” I classify it as a military adventure thriller and can see this coming to the big screen soon. The dialog is scripted as such, the visuals are described as if it is a movie and the ending is a big bang. While enjoyable, there are two areas of the book that I didn’t care for. First, Brodie’s wisecracking is over the top to the point of irritation, and second, the sexual attraction between Brodie and Taylor just really isn’t believable. While I have never been in the heat of battle, I think that when your life is really on the line, maybe sex isn’t the first thing you are thinking about? Or do you really want to sleep with someone you don’t like? Hard to believe Brodie’s a principled man as that’s all he thinks about.
I’m a little disappointed as it isn’t quite up to DeMille’s better books, so my advice is to wait for the movie.
https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/
I’ve read a few of DeMille’s books over the years, and have really enjoyed them. The script that works for him is the arrogant, smart-alecky hero who defies authority at every chance. The characters are sometimes shallow, but I have found that I learn so much about the circumstances where DeMille has placed his subject (Viet Nam in Up Country, Cuba in The Cuban Affair, or Plum Island in, well, Plum Island). This book is no different, and I learned much about Venezuela, a country that has collapsed so completely that I don’t see how it will rise again.
The story is captivating, and there are many questions that need answers. Did Mercer desert before he was captured and, if so, why? Why did he renounce his commission? What does he know about a secret mission? What’s the secret mission and who wants to know what he knows? And why? Why is he in Venezuela?
While the marketing info calls this “a taut, psychologically suspenseful military thriller” I classify it as a military adventure thriller and can see this coming to the big screen soon. The dialog is scripted as such, the visuals are described as if it is a movie and the ending is a big bang. While enjoyable, there are two areas of the book that I didn’t care for. First, Brodie’s wisecracking is over the top to the point of irritation, and second, the sexual attraction between Brodie and Taylor just really isn’t believable. While I have never been in the heat of battle, I think that when your life is really on the line, maybe sex isn’t the first thing you are thinking about? Or do you really want to sleep with someone you don’t like? Hard to believe Brodie’s a principled man as that’s all he thinks about.
I’m a little disappointed as it isn’t quite up to DeMille’s better books, so my advice is to wait for the movie.
https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/
I had been searching for a book like The Deserter for a long time. I started reading Tom Clancy and got hooked on the thriller, spy fiction, crime fiction, and thriller genres. Then I moved on to Don Winslow’s series starting with the Power of the Dog which is followed by the Cartel and the Border. I find a lot of authors try to write these epic novels but miss the mark. The DeMille’s nailed it.
The novel is hard to put down because the storyline is gripping and moves at a quick pace. The two main characters - Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor - are well developed and believable. The DeMille’s paint a very visceral picture of the political and economic conflict brewing in the background which allows you to feel like you are right there along wider Scott and Maggie. The only thing I didn’t like was the ending, I felt like I wanted more. Nevertheless it is a series, and I cannot wait for the next Brodie and Taylor instalment. I would highly recommend this novel if you want to get your heart pounding, a juicy storyline, and a faced-paced read!
The novel is hard to put down because the storyline is gripping and moves at a quick pace. The two main characters - Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor - are well developed and believable. The DeMille’s paint a very visceral picture of the political and economic conflict brewing in the background which allows you to feel like you are right there along wider Scott and Maggie. The only thing I didn’t like was the ending, I felt like I wanted more. Nevertheless it is a series, and I cannot wait for the next Brodie and Taylor instalment. I would highly recommend this novel if you want to get your heart pounding, a juicy storyline, and a faced-paced read!
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This level of physical heroics and blood and guts is a little over the top.
This is my favourite Demille book so far!!
Scott Brodie, and Maggie Taylor are sent you Venezuela to find intel on an ex Army Delta Force officer, Kyle Mercer who deserted his post. Deserting is a highly punishable act. It’s Brodie and Taylor’s mission to find intel, and at best arrest and being Mercer back to American soil.
With help from a few locals, the pair are able to locate where Mercer was last seen. Brodie and Taylor soon learn that Mercer has a camp set up somewhere in the jungle. But first a shoot out occurs at the last known place Mercer was spotted, and the two are ordered to abort their mission and come home.
While Taylor and Brodie are working together, he has some suspicions about his partner and who she may really be working for. The truth about their “allies” in Venezuela are also revealed and the mission to capture Mercer isn’t just what it seems. One official, Worley, wants Mercer killed so he cannot reveal some buried truths that would put him in a compromising position.
Brodie and Taylor are disguised as Clark and Sarah Bowman, Canadian bird-watchers, as they enter Kavak the location they believe Mercer has his camp. Quickly, their cover is blown and they become the captured. Brodie is determined to escape because he knows a future for Taylor at that camp would be exploiting, and scarring. He plans their escape by taking out their guard, and heading for the river.
The pair successfully make it to the river when they spot Mercer. The believe they have a chance to take him captive, because they saw no weapons on him unlike his men, when they were being interrogated. Brodie approaches Mercer, and shots the man he was speaking with. He attempts to make Mercer surrender but it quickly turns into a rundown into the river. Luckily, Mercer didn’t see Taylor who Brodie gave the gun to, and she picked up their stat phone that was confiscated. Mercer did have a weapon, when Brodie caught up with him and Brodie only had a knife. However, because Mercer didn’t see Taylor, she and Brodie have the advantage and are able to make him surrender. They tie Mercer’s arms behind his back, and gag him and get him into the boat they were able to steal.
After speaking with two of their leaders they are headed to a deserted runway where they’ll be picked up and flown to an unknown location before going to the States. However because the truth about Worley was told, Brodie and Taylor are half-expecting the pickup to be a hoax. Sure enough it was.
With Mercer’s help, when the getaway plane arrives they have to injure Worley because he intended to kill all three of them.
The three await a different, and real getaway plane where they’ll be safe and out of the Venezuelan jungle.
Scott Brodie, and Maggie Taylor are sent you Venezuela to find intel on an ex Army Delta Force officer, Kyle Mercer who deserted his post. Deserting is a highly punishable act. It’s Brodie and Taylor’s mission to find intel, and at best arrest and being Mercer back to American soil.
With help from a few locals, the pair are able to locate where Mercer was last seen. Brodie and Taylor soon learn that Mercer has a camp set up somewhere in the jungle. But first a shoot out occurs at the last known place Mercer was spotted, and the two are ordered to abort their mission and come home.
While Taylor and Brodie are working together, he has some suspicions about his partner and who she may really be working for. The truth about their “allies” in Venezuela are also revealed and the mission to capture Mercer isn’t just what it seems. One official, Worley, wants Mercer killed so he cannot reveal some buried truths that would put him in a compromising position.
Brodie and Taylor are disguised as Clark and Sarah Bowman, Canadian bird-watchers, as they enter Kavak the location they believe Mercer has his camp. Quickly, their cover is blown and they become the captured. Brodie is determined to escape because he knows a future for Taylor at that camp would be exploiting, and scarring. He plans their escape by taking out their guard, and heading for the river.
The pair successfully make it to the river when they spot Mercer. The believe they have a chance to take him captive, because they saw no weapons on him unlike his men, when they were being interrogated. Brodie approaches Mercer, and shots the man he was speaking with. He attempts to make Mercer surrender but it quickly turns into a rundown into the river. Luckily, Mercer didn’t see Taylor who Brodie gave the gun to, and she picked up their stat phone that was confiscated. Mercer did have a weapon, when Brodie caught up with him and Brodie only had a knife. However, because Mercer didn’t see Taylor, she and Brodie have the advantage and are able to make him surrender. They tie Mercer’s arms behind his back, and gag him and get him into the boat they were able to steal.
After speaking with two of their leaders they are headed to a deserted runway where they’ll be picked up and flown to an unknown location before going to the States. However because the truth about Worley was told, Brodie and Taylor are half-expecting the pickup to be a hoax. Sure enough it was.
With Mercer’s help, when the getaway plane arrives they have to injure Worley because he intended to kill all three of them.
The three await a different, and real getaway plane where they’ll be safe and out of the Venezuelan jungle.
Excellent book. The main idea and the first draft came from Alex DeMille, screenwriter son of Nelson. In this collaboration I could definitely hear Nelson's input because the humor/character of Scott Brody actually reminded me of Nelson's series character, John Corley. Although it was a toned down a bit for Scott. There will be a follow up book with the two main characters working together on another case. Looking forward to it!
I really enjoyed this ripped from the headlines book. CID Warrant Officers Scott Brodie & Maggie Taylor are tasked with going to Venezuela to find deserter Kyle Mercer who has been spotted there. From the beginning Scott has concerns about the case. There are many questions without good answers. He also believes that his superiors have not told him all that they know. Venezuela is a political mess and very dangerous. Maggie has some insight into the case which she shares with Scott. They make an excellent team. He is brash and sarcastic. She comes off as a rule follower. But, we learn that each of them have been changed by war. This case will also change them. I could not put the book down. I hope that these father and son authors give us more of this interesting pair.
A new series from the author of the John Corey series and his screenwriter son Alex. John Corey fans will not be disappointed by the banter between Scott & Maggie. It's a younger protagonist and his new CID partner sent off to find a deserter. But the story is complicated. Interesting twists & fast-paced if a little predictable.
In this debut father-son collaboration, Nelson and Alex DeMille present a novel that takes the reader into the depths of South America on the hunt for a renegade army officer. While serving in Afghanistan, Captain Kyle Mercer is captured by the Taliban and paraded before the cameras, only to slip out of their grasp and disappear entirely. His desertion is made clear, though he refuses to elaborate and remains on the lam. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) receives a substantial lead and decides to send two of its own, Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor, out to capture Mercer and bring him back to face court martial. It would appear that Mercer was last seen in the seediest part of Caracas, capital of the increasingly unstable Venezuela. Brodie and Taylor prepare for their mission, knowing little about one another, but keen to bring Mercer to justice. When they arrive, both CID agents use a cover story to allow them the chance to investigate a little further, though this will mean bending all sense of reality, as they enter brothels of the worst kind. While Brodie is keen to crack a joke at every turn, Taylor cannot stomach the depravity that is presented to them, hoping to locate Mercer and depart swiftly. When one of the prostitutes tells a detailed story of Mercer having left the city for a jungle camp, Brodie and Taylor must prepare for new adventures, learning also about a ‘Flagstaff’ mission, which might be key to the desertion. They are also made aware of a competing American group seeking Mercer’s head, though they will likely kill him and ask questions later. Armed with little more than a flimsy cover story, Brodie and Taylor must locate and capture Mercer without him finding out, which is sure to be harder than it seems. A great joint effort that pushes the DeMilles to the edge of their capabilities as they pen a great thriller peppered with off-hand humour. Recommended to those who have long loved the elder DeMille’s dry wit and detailed stories, as well as the reader looking for something set in a newer locale with great description.
I have seen readers all over the map with this piece, so I was slightly apprehensive about wanting to tackle it. Knowing the caliber of Nelson DeMille’s writing, I could only hope that Alex would be able to keep pace and help create a stellar piece of fiction. I did not feel let down and wonder if the harsh critics were perhaps too wrapped up with some DeMille perfection that they did not permit new approaches to thriller writing. Scott Brodie is the usual DeMille protagonist, whose love of his job is balanced out with the need to crack a joke while plotting how to get inside a woman’s pants. Brodie offers much to the story, lightening the mood when needed, but also keeping the reader on their toes with his antics and leadership qualities. There are some breadcrumbs of a past where Brodie was reprimanded or at least criticized for his machismo, but he is also focussed on the job at hand, including how to get out of tricky situations. Maggie Taylor is still coming into her own throughout this piece. A soldier turned CID, she is used to taking orders, but not necessarily handling the brashness of someone akin to Brodie. Eager to please, she has her limits and will not simply let her superior toss her into danger without challenging the decisions. She’s also privy to much, including the aforementioned Flagstaff background, which could come in handy for her and the larger mission, should she tell what she knows. Others provide both humour and action throughout this piece, providing the reader with some entertainment value, as well as a few chills, depending on the point of the story. The premise of this piece is strong, taking the reader out of their usual reading haunts and into Venezuela. A great deal of research surely went into creating this setting and ensuring that at least most of it was plausible. The DeMilles keep the story clipping along, even though it is a long novel, with numerous tangents that serve to enrich the hunt for Kyle Mercer. I was eager to learn that there is more to come, both with the Brodie-Taylor team and collaboration between Nelson and Alex DeMille. This is a new series in the making that has the building blocks for success.
Kudos, Messrs. DeMille, for a great joint debut. I loved the humour, the education, and the entertainment you provided me. Don’t let the critics get you down.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
I have seen readers all over the map with this piece, so I was slightly apprehensive about wanting to tackle it. Knowing the caliber of Nelson DeMille’s writing, I could only hope that Alex would be able to keep pace and help create a stellar piece of fiction. I did not feel let down and wonder if the harsh critics were perhaps too wrapped up with some DeMille perfection that they did not permit new approaches to thriller writing. Scott Brodie is the usual DeMille protagonist, whose love of his job is balanced out with the need to crack a joke while plotting how to get inside a woman’s pants. Brodie offers much to the story, lightening the mood when needed, but also keeping the reader on their toes with his antics and leadership qualities. There are some breadcrumbs of a past where Brodie was reprimanded or at least criticized for his machismo, but he is also focussed on the job at hand, including how to get out of tricky situations. Maggie Taylor is still coming into her own throughout this piece. A soldier turned CID, she is used to taking orders, but not necessarily handling the brashness of someone akin to Brodie. Eager to please, she has her limits and will not simply let her superior toss her into danger without challenging the decisions. She’s also privy to much, including the aforementioned Flagstaff background, which could come in handy for her and the larger mission, should she tell what she knows. Others provide both humour and action throughout this piece, providing the reader with some entertainment value, as well as a few chills, depending on the point of the story. The premise of this piece is strong, taking the reader out of their usual reading haunts and into Venezuela. A great deal of research surely went into creating this setting and ensuring that at least most of it was plausible. The DeMilles keep the story clipping along, even though it is a long novel, with numerous tangents that serve to enrich the hunt for Kyle Mercer. I was eager to learn that there is more to come, both with the Brodie-Taylor team and collaboration between Nelson and Alex DeMille. This is a new series in the making that has the building blocks for success.
Kudos, Messrs. DeMille, for a great joint debut. I loved the humour, the education, and the entertainment you provided me. Don’t let the critics get you down.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
Absolutely loved it! I think it's my favorite fiction book of the year--I literally could not put it down. I'm just glad to be done with it so I can be productive in other areas of my life.
Very interesting story, humorous, and great characters. Highly recommend!
Very interesting story, humorous, and great characters. Highly recommend!