Pretty lame effort by TJP about a pair of brothers, one estranged from the family and the other a war hero, who lost his legs in Vietnam, but gained a wife active in a nationalistic effort to help refugees. The wife is kidnapped, and the estranged brother works to solve the mystery. Skip this one. ( )

The mystery part was okay, but the book gets off to a really slow start (I almost put it down), and is complicated by a few too many characters. I liked the main character and his personal story of trying to fit in with his family and help his brother. The story focuses on an older brother who's a Viet Nam vet and is continuing to try to help the Vietnamese immigrants and country. That part becomes a bit tedious and hard to follow sometimes. Not my favorite book b this author. (read to complete a category in the 2015 Reading Challenge - book with author of my initials (TP)) ( )

A disturbing story of good versus evil in an environment of starkly different cultures within cultures, in a world with many more shades of gray.

This rates a bit more than three stars but not quite three point five but I’ve allowed for the age of the story. I think that if I had read at the time of publication, it would have been much more gripping—twenty plus years later, the average American reader is likely a bit more jaded and has lived through worse.

I was interested in the story as a little lesson in Vietnamese culture, which was barely covered. It turned into a crash course in the Vietnam war and the recovery, or lack of, from it as experienced from all sides involved. I don’t know if Parker experienced the war as a soldier, but he is obviously of the age to have had it affect him closely and it shows in the writing. He handles all sides with a fairness that is refreshing, and does not glamorize the war nor does he rail against it.

This would have followed on the heels of his first novel,Laguna Heat and so one does assume that Parker is still a rookie to this, and that also shows in the writing. The sex is barely there, and harlequinesque in description. I didn’t mind that as it wasn’t a huge factor in the story, but it was humorous to think of the author squirming as he wrote, probably with an editor looking over his shoulder. ( )

I enjoyed this fast-paced pulp read. Parker is able to create a far-out, and funny thrill ride that keeps you glued to the pages. Lasting and affecting moments are tied to the backstory of Vietnam, but the novel is enjoyable overall and a page turner. The characters are somewhat forgettable, but the plot twists make for a fun ride. ( )