The Drifter is a terrific fast-paced crime thriller debut by Nicholas Petrie. The main character, Peter Ash, is a returning Marine Lieutenant from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Peter is a veteran with claustrophobic issues. He is unable to stay inside houses or buildings without a sense of panic. Instead he sleeps under the stars.

When learning that a marine under his former command has supposedly killed himself, he travels to his friends home to help out his widow and kids. First on his list is to rebuild her porch where he finds a filthy huge dog and a suitcase full of money and explosives. From there all hell breaks loose.

The Drifter’s storyline which centers around veterans and their difficulties fitting back into society is a good one. There are some very good military characters that interact with Peter Ash throughout the book with excellent dialogue. Most hilarious is when Charles Mingus, the super huge dog, jumps into the story. I laughed throughout the book at all his antics.

Written similar to the Jack Reacher novels, I highly recommend this very entertaining debut.

4 out of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the copy of this book.