What destroyed 'The Deserter' for me was, Robert Ludlum's The Treadstone Resurrection, written by Joshua Hood, also set in Venezuela, and why I gave it 2 stars.

Which I highly recommend, it's a faster read, more simpler storyline, the reader doesn't get bored, Adam Hayes is lethal, he isn't portrayed in any other way or to be weak.

For me 'The Deserter' as you reading, you're putting pieces together, it's really a CIA thriller, with multiple pieces being characters in the book and where involved in a situation in Afghanistan.

The authors basically have every angle covered, you have multi-layer of CIA agents would came up with the plan, then a character who scouted unwillingly for them, a soldier who participated in the act, added about two hundred pages of needless fluff detail writing and just seemed to unrealistic or believable the way it's written. You can't take a character like Captain Kyle Mercer, make him lethal, then in the end dummy him down to, get captured so unrealistic and to be so soft.

I am usually an avid reader but had not read anything for almost two months. However when I saw that I could read this book before it was published I jumped at the chance. Thank you Net Galley for this opportunity. I had not read Nora Roberts until Nightwork and then Identity and loved them both so much I had to read Inheritance and it did not disappoint.. Once I read the first page I just wanted to keep reading it. While I am not usually one for the supernatural it worked well in this book. Sonya is a strong a resilient woman and Cleo is such fun. Trey and Owen are not bad either. The only downside is the wait until I can read the next book in the trilogy.

John Correy, meet Scott Brodie ! The main thing I love about DeMille's books is the consistency.
The characters are well written and have a wise assness to them that is compelling and has a way of really making them likeable and real.
The book grabs you from the start and finishes with a bang.
By far one of his best books and maybe my favorite since Plum Island.
This is his first book with his son Alex, and unlike many big name authors who sell their name and have very little to actually do with the actual writing, this collaberation rolls right along and is a fine successor to all his works that came before.
Don't start this at night if you have to get any sleep, you might find it exceedingly difficult to put down!

Excellent read. I have always loved DeMille's books. The action is a page turner, its difficult to stop reading. I would recommend this novel to all readers who love a gripping tale.
Thank you.

A big thank you to the publisher and the DeMilles for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the late review, I swore that I had written my review promptly, but now I am swearing.With Nelson Demille we know that we are going to get an intense page turning thriller along with plenty of smarts. What is cool about this book, is that this time his son Alex Demille, an accomplished screenwriter is along for the ride, and really pumps up the action! This time around two army investigators on the hunt in Venezuela for an army deserter who might know too much about a secret Pentagon operation. There are plenty of journeys around the globe which I really enjoy. The characters also have a sharp sense of humor, plenty of smart asses! haha! Great escape read! Thanks for reading!

The Deserter was a interesting read which did have a few edge of your seat moments.
I really didn’t like the in depth information about Venezuela. It was interesting but it just seemed like too much. I am sure others may find this history more interesting then me.
I can’t say I found any of the characters like able. Brodie came across as annoying with his flippant ways. We got it...he was sexually attracted to Taylor.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and give my honest review about this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I had high hopes for The Deserter. A psychological military thriller? Count me in. But the actual execution lacked a little and felt like it dragged on. In fact, I found parts to be downright boring. Which was not something I expected. It was missing the wit and sarcasm I, as a reader, have come to expect from DeMille. Additionally, the suspense wasn't as suspenseful as expected and was more of a political thriller than military.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher, Simon & Schuster, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The story is the search for Captain Kyle Mercer in Venezuela. “They were coming for him, as he knew they would. He understood and never underestimated the long arm of American power. He was one of them, and had been part of that power. What had started in Afghanistan was coming to an end here, and it was coming soon.”

The Army’s Criminal Investigation Division sends Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor on a mission to locate and detain Mercer. They are given some, not all, of the facts surrounding Captain Mercer’s desertion. Much of the unknown is not disclosed until the latter half of the book but enough clues are given that I was able to figure it out (no spoiler). The dynamics between Scott and Maggie lightened the story: “We’ve been on the river 15 minutes & I haven’t seen a shrunken head yet.” “I’m looking at one.” Their professional backgrounds and personalities complement each other. Taylor seemed unbelievably gullible. Brodie seems to frequently ignore orders while Taylor is easily persuaded to follow along.

Throughout the book, there was subtle humor such as: “death was never a good way to end a mission” and “life vests, which weren’t needed in this chest-high water unless the piranha and crocs had made off with your legs.” Additionally, there was subtle sexual humor: “she took compliments as patronizing. He’d have to remember that if they ever made it to bed.” and “Don’t let the piranha get your worm.” “It’s actually an anaconda.” and “Whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make horny.”

There are ample shootouts, ambiguity (around Mercer’s situation), and potential romance (between Scott and Maggie) to keep the plot moving and the reader engaged. However, I found some parts “hokey” which is the reason I downgraded the book.

Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor are perfect foils for each other---he reckless and bold, she methodical and precise.
The pairing works very well together so looking forward to more books in this series. This novel is located primarily in Caracas and the poverty, corruption and danger is played out against the beautiful landscapes with great detail.

There were times where I felt detail bogged down the momentum, hence the four stars, but all in all, this was a full-plotted, action-packed look into the work of the CID agents assigned to bring home a deserter.

Thanks to Netgalley.com, Nelson and Alex DeMille and Simon and Shuster for the opportunity to read and submit an honest review of this work.

I have always, with very few exceptions, enjoyed a Nelson DeMille book. Maybe I've gotten to used to John Corey stories, because for some reason this novel, The Deserter, took awhile to grab me. I did wind up enjoying the book, but, not to the degree of previous novels. Something just felt the teensy-ist bit draggy to me. Of course its a good story about an American soldier, of dubious reputation, on the lamb. All the known facts point to this soldier as a "deserter" with questionable motives popping up in some very unsavory places that our not known for their love of the U.S of A. The two agents sent to unravel the trail and return our boy to the fold are competent and engaging enough, but again the pace was just a bit slow. Still, there are a few twists and turns to be intriguing and it is, not suprisingly, well written. Not the best DeMille, but, still a lot better than some other authors you could spend your time with. Recommended for intrigue and action, some well represented locations around the globe and a bit of a surprise, because nothing is ever as it seems in this kind of story, right?

The Deserter story was a race against time. Every time Brodie and Maggie got close to finding Kyle, the author threw in another twist. Set in Venezuela where Americans are not really welcomed, the story kept you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. On a separate note, I love the sarcasm of all of Nelson DeMille’s lead characters!

Other reviewers have given a synopsis of the plot, and also, anyone interested can read this in the publisher's blurbs, so I won't repeat. I enjoyed the book because the characters seemed real, believable, sympathetic, and sometimes funny; the plot had many twists and turns, leaving the question of how the book would end until the last pages; the story gave readers a good insight into the current state of what Venezuela is like; and it raises hard questions about what the US military is doing in its many wars, incursions, and secret operations. It should give readers a pause to think that, even though this is fiction, it is based on what has happened to the military in the past several decades. I was surprised to read reviews which complained about the rough language used - this seemed completely natural in the world of the military and drug gangs, and not gratuitous at all. I look forward to the next novel in this new series.

DeMille fans anxiously await each new novel that he publishes. This is not an exception. The Deserter begins with a Beau Bergdahl-inspired soldier abandoning his post in Afghanistan. Instead of being exchanged for Taliban prisoners, this deserter escapes to the jungles of Venezuela to start a counter-insurgency camp.
He is sighted in a Caracas bodega by an old army buddy who is in the country on an oil deal. This man returns to the US and notifies the army brass, who send a team of CID officers to capture him. The reader is off on a romp through the slums, bordellos, and jungles, searching for Kyle Mercer. The two agents are a new team: one a seasoned military investigator, the other a new partner who happens to be a female. DeMille has thrown in the sexual innuendos that he loves to utilize as Agent Brodie fantasizes over his new partner.
Interestingly while I was reading this book, my husband and I were also watching Jack Ryan, Season 2 which takes place in the same locals as this DeMille book. I found it increased my enjoyment of the Venezuela landscape to see the movie depiction of the same places.
My thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The problem with reading about places you know well is that it's hard to get into the story when that place that was very real to you feels flattened or caricaturized in the reading. The Caracas in this story feels like a movie depiction where a close enough location was chosen, but it misses the mark for anyone who knows better.

Another great one from Nelson DeMille! This has a vivid feel for the setting, as I've come to know his books for. This time, we're in Venezuela, looking for an Army deserter. The Deserter gave a very real feeling to this adventure.

It's been a long time since I read Nelson DeMille. I loved his earlier books and Word of Honor is one of the best books that I've ever read.

I really liked this one so now I'm back. Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor are sent to Venezuela to find Kyle Mercer who deserted from Delta Force while in Afghanistan. He was captured and held by the Taliban who he eventually brutally murdered his captors. Why would he go to Venezuela? The story is really good and holds interest but what I found especially captivating was the description of life now in Venezuela. Like Mr. DeMille's earlier book Up Country, it had me on Google Maps following the hunt for Mercer. Love the authenticity and can't wait for the next book in this series. Scott is funny, Maggie is serious and their interaction had me laughing out loud even during the tense moments.

I have always been a big fan of Nelson DeMille , So when I learned he wrote this book with his son , I knew I had to read it, It was different from his FBI series, It was also enjoyable to read, I hope that we see more of this story line in the future,

Nelson DeMille is back with another thriller, sharing writing duties with his son, Alex DeMille. In The Deserter, Army criminal investigators Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor are trying to track down elite Delta Force officer Captain Kyle Mercer, who walked way from his post in Afghanistan.

The trail leads to Venezuela and Brodie and Taylor head there in pursuit of the dangerous officer. The duo are in dangerous territory as Venezuelan society unravels around them. But the investigators rely on their wit and some rule breaking to stay on Mercer’s trail.

The Deserter (Simon & Schuster) is a typical DeMille thriller, full of caustic and satirical humor and dangerous setups that are always just around the corner. While it doesn’t break any new ground, it will be popular with fans of the writer.

When you pick up a Nelson deMille book, you know you are in for a reading adventure. This story of justice and revenge is a page turner from beginning to end. It takes the familiar theme of government betraying its soldiers and makes it timely by locating it in the corrupt cesspool that Venezuela has become. The story follows military investigators Scott Brodie and. Maggie Taylor as they track down a Delta Force deserter who, after escaping from 2 years imprisoned. by the Taliban, has now turned up in Venezuela. Brodie and Taylor are to arrest him and return him for trial. This seemingly straightforward mission is doubly dangerous. Their target is highly skilled and deadly and the reason for his desertion is a mystery. As the story unfolds, Brodie and Taylor realize not everyone wants Captain Mercer captured and brought to justice.
Our pair of investigators bring their own history with the military to the story. Both have been wounded and decorated in Afghanistan, and they each have mixed feelings about Mercer — what he has endured and how to proceed with their orders. The reader soon sees this is not a simple assignment. Add to that having a front row seat to what has happened to Venezuela, a country that used to be a model of democracy and capitalism in South America and you will find yourself caught up in life or death situations on almost every page.
Fortunately the team of Brodie and Taylor bring a cynical humor and an element of sexual tension to their actions that keeps the story from being just a slog through the jungle.. You never know what Brodie is going to say or do, and Taylor gets an education she wasn’t expecting while trying to stick to their orders. Each is a fine capable soldier and the two carry the action equally. As the book ends Taylor swears she will never work with Brodie again. I’m sure other readers will agree, this is a partnership that should stay intact.

I am a huge fan of the author but this was not his best. Too many details that were overwritten. Not as long so can't blame it on the editor this time. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.