A review by texreader
The Deserter by Alex DeMille, Nelson DeMille

adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Venezuela is a very bad place to be for Americans, if this book is to be believed. Based on my other readings about the country, sadly I do believe it. Once a thriving country, rich because of its oil and a thriving economy, it is now a solid dictatorship rife with corruption and crime. So, Caracas is the perfect place for an AWOL’d soldier escaping the Taliban to be found. But what is his real motive and what is America’s for Venezuela? CID officers Brody and Taylor are sent first to Caracas to find and apprehend him and they follow his tracks deep into the jungle—both places, Caracas and the jungle, are characters as much as the people and as likely to kill them. Action-packed but also a lot of “telling” about back stories and repetition that gets a bit numbing. Still a good read that likely accurately portrays a country in serious distress. 
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