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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Another DeMille winner – written by father and son this time
I have been reading Nelson DeMille books for years. The first was PLUM ISLAND, which I loved, so I went back and read some of his earlier books and I’ve read every book since.
I enjoyed THE CUBAN AFFAIR, his last book, but I absolutely loved this book. I thought the two protagonists played off each other perfectly, making for a very funny book besides being a top-notch thriller.
Chief Warrant Officer Scott Brodie and Warrant Officer Maggie Taylor are a team of the U.S. Army CID (Criminal Investigation Division). They are tasked to bring back Captain Kyle Mercer, Delta Force, who deserted in Afghanistan. They get word that he was seen in Caracas, Venezuela and head there to bring him back for trial (hopefully but some think that it might be better to bring him back in a body bag).
They arrive in Caracas, a city in upheaval as people are fighting the current regime.
This is a story of war and the impossible things some soldiers are told to do. Brodie and Taylor quickly realize they haven’t been told the whole story and are doing their best to do what’s right.
I highly recommend this to anyone that likes military thrillers with a big dose of humor thrown in.
I received this book from Simon & Schuster through Edelweiss and Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.
This is a fantastic and heart pounding read. The Demille brothers have done a wonderful job. Two CID investigators are sent on a mission to retrieve an Army deserter. Their mission is filled with many missing pieces that make it a very dangerous one. The story is filled with witty conversations and fast paced action. The characters Maggie and Scott are finding their way slowly through this partnership as they decide how much they can trust each other. Scott is a hard nosed devil may care investigator with an infantry mindset. Maggie is careful and pragmatic and seems to always want to follow the rules. As the story unfolds so does the conspiracy and dangers.
This is a well thought out and detailed story. It looks into motives and how even the person with the purest interests can be led down a dark path. In the end redemption is something you have to claim for yourself or die trying.
I’m a huge Nelson DeMille fan and have been since his iconic PLUM ISLAND and THE CHARM SCHOOL. In his first collaboration with son Alex, he has again hit a home run. THE DESERTER might be based on the desertion of Bowe Bergdahl but it is so much more. In what I hope is the beginning of a new series, we meet US Army Investigators Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor. And I love these characters. The deserter in question is Kyle Mercer, a member of the elite Delta Force who disappeared in Afghanistan and was captured by the Taliban, apparently something that didn’t go well for his captors if a shocking video can be believed. Two years later, Brodie and Taylor are dispatched to Caracas, Venezuela to capture Mercer when he has been spotted casually sitting in a bar at a major hotel. Sounds simple enough. Not a chance. Not in DeMille’s world. What follows is a wild ride with plot twists and turns, break-neck action, and the fabulous dialog that is a DeMille staple. I loved this story. Highly recommended.
DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Jake Longly and Cain/Harper thriller series
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.
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