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 … 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.
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Well done! I’m a big Nelson DeMille fan so I was looking forward to reading this. Even writing with his son Alex, the story completely drew you in. It was typical DeMille style. There was the touch of humor, great descriptions of the people and places of Venezuela, superb characters and a tremendous finale. I hope we haven’t seen the last of Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor, nor the last of this great father and son collaboration.
As usual, author deMille delivers another entertaining novel well worth the read. I enjoyed the novel, although, in my opinion, the ending came too abruptly.
left with taste that we shouldnt have brought him back
I was disappointed. I have read many of his books and loved them. This one not so much.
It’s been too long between DeMille novels; thus, this was a pleasant surprise. The author still has the touch—with one observation: there were some parallels between the plot and characterizations in this book and his earlier work, Up Country. It wasn’t a disappointment or spoiler, and the book is a good, absorbing read.
what I would expect from Deville. Lots of detail and a rather slow moving plot.
I love me a good Nelson DeMille novel–it’s like having chocolate cake for dinner.
I’ve read all of his books and this was my least favorite.
The interaction between the two main characters is filled with sexual innuendo and beer drinking banter. Action packed thriller with torture, killings, and military wrong doings. The question as to why the sought after character deserted is not fully explained, and the story is filed with military acronyms and assumptions the author thinks we should know. I like DeMille and his work, but this particular action drama assumes too much, and doesn’t lead up to the great ending I was hoping for while reading. I will read DeMille again, and I will say this fiction held my interest enough to finish, so with that being said, I would give it 3 stars with the hope that the 5 star DeMille will return for the next publication.
Nelson DeMille is back in the game with a wonderful new book co-authored with his son, Alex. Remember Private Robert (Bowe) Bergdahl, the army deserter who captured our attention in 2009? Bergdahl deserted his army post in Afghanistan, where, according to Bergdahl, he was held captive, tortured and horribly mistreated by the Taliban for five years. This book uses Bergdahl’s story as a springboard to the desertion of the fictional Delta Force Army elite Captain Kyle Mercer, whose apprehension is entrusted to CID (Criminal Investigation Division) investigators Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor. Clues to Mercer’s whereabouts lead the duo to Caracas, Venezuela, a hell hole of corruption, chaos, drug-trafficking, starvation, kidnappings, torture, executions, prostitution, and sexual enslavement of women and children alike. All I can say is this: The authors painstakingly researched their facts and spoke extensively with expats and other people who are in the know. As any fan of Nelson DeMille knows, if it’s in the book, it’s real. Period.
Why did Bergdahl desert in 2009? He says he was disgusted by his commanding officer’s inappropriate conduct. Why did the fictional Mercer desert his post in Afghanistan? He says he and other soldiers were forced to participate in campaigns to slaughter innocent civilians in attempts at pacification. Captain Mercer’s intention was to leave his post in order to report the atrocities to the higher ups. Things did not play out as he had hoped. Army investigators Brodie and Taylor, decorated veterans, experienced in the way things work in the real world, found evidence of these assertions and the subsequent cover-ups, independent of their conversations with Captain Mercer. They sympathize and identify with Mercer’s plight, but as dedicated CID officers, they are intent upon bringing him and other guilty parties to justice. Justice is served in the end, but not how the reader might expect. In real life, Pvt. Bergdahl received a dishonorable discharge from the US Army, but no jail time. Fictional Captain Mercer’s story ends with justice served in a way that makes sense for him and the other characters. The reader might ponder the question: Is there a right and wrong that can be judged when a soldier is bombarded from all sides— physically, mentally, emotionally— beyond the endurance of even the strongest among us?
Why four stars instead of five? The first one hundred pages are written in a tightly restricted style. The roughly middle third of the book starts to let loose. The last third reflects the style and characterizations we are used to seeing from Nelson DeMille. Scott Brodie increasingly becomes the wise-cracking macho man we’ve seen before in the guise of John Corey, DeMille’s most popular character. Maggie Taylor is not convincing as an army investigator. Much too quiet, submissive, fearful until the end, and not enough take charge attitude. My feeling was that these book sections were written by different people. Sure enough! After finishing the book, wanting to know how much of Mercer’s story was also Bergdahl’s story, I watched some You-Tube videos where the DeMilles discussed their collaboration. Nelson admitted he had started off with a different co-author, then switched to his son. They kept the beginning of the book as it was. It was not authentic to Nelson DeMille’s style. Sorry, Nelson, but I have been a fan for many, many years, and I knew it wasn’t you. Next time, re-write from the beginning!
This book was, at its heart, a mystery, and to that end I felt compelled to get to the answer. It was exciting and moved quickly so it held my interest.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but it was Nelson DeMille, how could I go wrong. Another good book. I recommend it.
I love Nelson Demille; I’ve read every one of his novels so you can imagine how excited I was to receive this as an eARC. He is not the first author to collaborate with his son and I like that they worked together to create this novel. I hope to see more in the future, even more, I’d like to see what Alex does on his own.
A military thriller that takes place in the unstable environment of Venezuela … I enjoyed it (it had everything – suspense, humor), but …. there were times I found myself skimming paragraphs as the information was extraneous and really not necessary to the plot of the story. The story would have been faster, more intense had a lot of the scenery/setting details been deleted. It detracted from the story rather than adding to it.
With that said, I would still recommend this novel. It grabbed my attention from the beginning. I wanted to know what was going to happen. I wanted to know the characters. I wanted to know how it was going to end. I was not disappointed. I could absolutely see this as a series with these characters having some interesting adventures!
Thank you #netgalley and #Simon & Schuster for the eARC.
Disappointing plot, character development, motivation, just everything. Have always purchased his books as soon as available, so this was a real let down. Hope it’s a one-off.
If you have never read a book by Nelson DeMille, you do not know what you are missing. If you have read a DeMille book, then you are probably already added The Deserter to your TBR list (or stack). The Deserter does not disappoint.
The author captures the tensions of the situation and the helplessness of the people in Venezuela perfectly. The poverty is breathtaking and the fear of th establishment is palpable. The twists and turns are numerous and will keep you reading long into the night.
I cannot recommend The Deserter more. It is every bit as good as the John Corey series.
De Miller and son collaborate on page-turning action.
Action packed and I love the author’s wit. I call it sarcastic humor. His newest book, Deserter, is co-author with his son Alex DeMille –
I always enjoy DeMille and his characters. I haven’t read anything with this setting and he really built the tension. Vivid descriptions, intricate plot and political motivations. A suspenseful and satisfying read.
Captain Kyle Mercer deserts his unit in Afghanistan. He’s captured and tortured by the Taliban. Then he escapes, sending a video of him with dead captors to U.S. Government. Then he is sighted in Venezuela. The Army sends 2 CID investigators to capture him and bring him back for court martial. Scott Brodie has a reputation for breaking the rules and succeeding in his assignments. He is paired with a new partner, Maggie Taylor. But there is more to Kyle’s desertion and Scott and Maggie are almost killed numerous times. Venezuela is vividly portrayed as a failed lawless state.
This is a moderately long book at 449 pages, but it moves along at a brisk pace as Scott and Maggie follow clues to Kyle’s whereabouts and why he deserted. This is a co-author book with Nelson and son Alex.
Thanks to the authors and Simon&Schuster for sending me this book through NetGalley. I read this book in 2 days.
One quote: “Venezuela wasn’t yet a police state like Cuba, or a chaotic failed state like Somalia. But it was a country on the edge, economically desperate, with weak and corrupt institutions and a government openly hostile to American interests.”
This was reminiscent of DeMille’s early works which are very good! A soldier from Delta Force in Afghanistan disappears from his post, shortly after a video is released by the Taliban showing him as a captive. Two years later, he has escaped and is spotted in Venezuela!
Two members of CID are tasked with going to Venezuela with orders to bring him back to face desertion charges. Many questions have yet to be answered! But there are others who do not want this soldier to tell his side of things! Thus begins a journey to find the deserter! It lags a little in the middle but near the end when they finally track him down, we learn his side of what happened! Overall a good, entertaining read.