The Deserter
A Novel
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4.2 • 2.5K Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
*NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*
An “outstanding” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) blistering thriller featuring a brilliant and unorthodox Army investigator, his enigmatic female partner, and their hunt for the Army’s most notorious—and dangerous—deserter from #1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille and Alex DeMille.
When Captain Kyle Mercer of the Army’s elite Delta Force disappeared from his post in Afghanistan, a video released by his Taliban captors made international headlines. But circumstances were murky: Did Mercer desert before he was captured? Then a second video sent to Mercer’s Army commanders leaves no doubt: the trained assassin and keeper of classified Army intelligence has willfully disappeared.
When Mercer is spotted a year later in Caracas, Venezuela, by an old Army buddy, top military brass task Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor of the Criminal Investigation Division to fly to Venezuela and bring Mercer back to America—preferably alive. Brodie knows this is a difficult mission, made more difficult by his new partner’s inexperience, by their undeniable chemistry, and by Brodie’s suspicion that Maggie Taylor is reporting to the CIA.
With ripped-from-the-headlines appeal, an exotic and dangerous locale, and the hairpin twists and inimitable humor that are signature DeMille, The Deserter is the first in a timely and thrilling new series from an unbeatable team of True Masters: the #1 New York Times bestseller Nelson DeMille and his son, award-winning screenwriter Alex DeMille.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
You don’t normally pick up a military thriller expecting a steady flow of droll, deadpan humor. Or maybe you do if you’re a Nelson DeMille fan. The best-selling author is all about combining edge-of-your-seat suspense with dark wit—and this novel, about the global search for a Special Forces soldier who went AWOL in Afghanistan, nails that combination perfectly. He’s teamed up with his son Alex, and they manage to turn up the heat in just the right places, loading a twisting narrative with juicy behind-the-lines details to set the scene. Readers with a passion for both breathless action sequences and sharp, witty prose will love this one.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This outstanding thriller from bestseller DeMille (The Cuban Affair) and his screenwriter son centers on a search for an Army deserter who has fled to Venezuela after escaping duty in Afghanistan under strange circumstances. On the hunt for Delta Force Capt. Kyle Mercer are Scott Brodie, a hardened ex-soldier with impulsive, rogue tendencies, and Maggie Taylor, a cunning by-the-book Army cop who does her best to rein in Brodie's urges, both investigative and sexual. Brodie, the senior officer, quickly suspects his commanders aren't telling him everything about Mercer; his desertion may have less to do with disobedience than his knowing too much about military atrocities in Afghanistan. Nonetheless, Brodie and Taylor track Mercer to a jungle hideout far outside Caracas, where he's training a group of mercenaries with the apparent backing of President Maduro. In typical DeMille fashion, the last hundred pages move along like a ballistic missile, exploding in a satisfying finale on a remote airstrip. DeMille and son provide it all in this rumble through the jungle authentic detail, lively dialogue, a vividly drawn setting, and an exhilarating plot.
Customer Reviews
The Deserter
4/5 stars
Interesting and believable plot. Very interesting characters. Good sense of humor. A little too wordy and drawn out in places..
Hal R - Troy, MI
Redux
Ends with as much imagination as the end of Apocalypse Now, but in this case not because they ran out of money.
boring and frustrating
preface was masterfully written and gave me a lot of hope but every chapter after is so awkwardly written and drawn out reading was like nails on a chalkboard. tried to tough it out but couldnt complete book.