The Deserter

Army investigator Scott Brodie and his new partner Maggie Taylor pursue a mission to track down Captain Kyle Mercer, who disappeared from his post in Afghanistan years ago. After Mercer is spotted in Venezuela, the two CID agents must venture into the dangerous South American nation to find him and bring him back to face desertion charges. The investigation takes Brodie and Taylor through Venezuela's criminal underworld and political instability as they work to locate their target. Their pursuit is complicated by unclear motives, dangerous adversaries, and the need to determine whether Mercer is a true deserter or something else entirely. Operating in a hostile foreign environment, the investigators find themselves questioning who they can trust and what version of the truth to believe. The story combines military procedure, international intrigue, and the complex dynamics between partners working under extreme pressure. The novel explores themes of loyalty, justice, and the gray areas between right and wrong in modern warfare. Through its portrayal of military investigations and international relations, it raises questions about duty and moral choices in complicated circumstances.

Readers found the book's pacing slow, particularly in the first half, with many noting it takes too long to reach the main action in Afghanistan. The banter between Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor received consistent praise for adding humor and chemistry, though some felt their dialogue became repetitive. Readers appreciated the detailed military and intelligence operation procedures but criticized the length of background explanations and technical details that slowed the narrative. Several reviews mentioned disappointment with the ending, calling it anticlimactic after the lengthy buildup. Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (15,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (5,000+ ratings) BookBrowse: 3.5/5 From reader reviews: "The witty repartee between leads kept me going through slower sections" - Amazon reviewer "Too much setup before getting to the meat of the story" - Goodreads reviewer "Strong premise but loses momentum in endless detail" - BookBrowse reviewer

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🔹 Nelson DeMille spent three years in Vietnam as an infantry lieutenant, giving him firsthand experience with the region and military operations that influenced his portrayal of Vietnam in The Deserter. 🔹 The book was co-written with DeMille's son, Alex DeMille, marking their first collaboration as authors and blending both generations' perspectives on military affairs. 🔹 Delta Force, featured prominently in the novel, was actually formed in 1977 as a direct response to several high-profile terrorist incidents, including the Munich Olympics massacre. 🔹 The Venezuela setting in the book reflects real-world events, as the country experienced severe economic and political turmoil during the time period when the novel was written and published in 2019. 🔹 The character Scott Brodie is inspired by numerous real-life CID (Criminal Investigation Division) investigators who track down military deserters, a job that still actively exists with hundreds of open cases annually.