A Private War
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $3.99
Publisher Description
In the tradition of Nelson DeMille comes an electrifying new military thriller from Patrick Sheane Duncan, author of the "extremely impressive" ('Detroit Free PressJ debut, Courage Under Fire.
As the new chief law-enforcement officer of the soon-to-be-closed Fort Hazelton, Lieutenant Colonel Meredith Cleon expects to deal with nothing more challenging than a few petty thefts. But the quiet of the small post is shattered by the brutal murder of a young woman—the aide of the base's general—found tied to the back of a target on the rifle range.
"Director and screenwriter Duncan (Courage Under Fire) returns with an effective tale about murder on a military base...Practically begging to be made into a film, this succeeds as a novel of intrigue on its own merits." —Publishers Weekly
"A Private War takes no prisoners. Everyone is either a suspect or a target...Patrick Sheane Duncan creates a fascinating story line, which enables the readers to see what happens during a military police investigation. This is an excellent story created by an expert writer." —BookBrowser
"The noted screenwriter's second novel [is] a perfectly entertaining military thriller with an appealingly strong female protagonist." —Booklist
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Director and screenwriter Duncan (Courage Under Fire) returns with an effective tale about murder on a military base in a time of downsizing. Lt. Col. Meredith Cleon, a career army officer with her eye on a general's star, is handed a crummy posting as the new provost marshal of Fort Hazelton, a decrepit Indiana base. Her first day on the job is an unusually full one: someone has brutally murdered the aide of the base's general; a smuggling operation has been uncovered; and hate-crime graffiti is turning up around the base. The latter is of particular annoyance to Colonel Levy, with whom Meredith has a sordid history. Marshaling her troops (which include a plucky female sergeant, a quasi-civilian investigator and the world's most efficient secretary), Meredith attempts to solve all the crimes at once. This is made particularly difficult by a second murder and the discovery that weapons are being stolen, possibly by a local militia. Duncan doles out Meredith's background, her reasons for staying in the military after reaching the 20-year mark and the difficulties of being a female officer. But his most pointed observations are those of a military run like a corporation, with cost-cutting measures hamstringing officers while giving tyrannical power to the managers who control the purse strings. The state of Meredith's base (and the army as a whole) is nicely summed up by one of her overworked subordinates: "We're understaffed, overextended, and shortchanged but we manage." Practically begging to be made into a film, this succeeds as a novel of intrigue on its own merits.
