Lieutenant Black
hates his desk job in an outpost in Afghanistan. He's so
dissatisfied he's ready to get out of the Army. Then he gets, what
seems him, the ultimate insult. He's sent to the farthest outpost to
investigate what appears to be a minor incident. Some soldiers fired
a warning shot that led to confrontation with the villagers.
When Black arrives,
he realizes that his is no easy mission. The soldiers stationed in
the outpost won't talk to him about the incident. He wants to get his
job done and get out, but the more he investigates the more he
realizes that something more than a minor confrontation is going on.
He's being fed lies. He senses it, but uncovering the truth can have
serious consequences even putting the the existence of the outpost at
risk.
On the positive
side, this book is filled with memorable characters from Lieutenant
Black to the Sergeants like Merick and Caine and the villagers. The
setting is well described. You actually feel like you're in
Afghanistan. The military operations all have the ring of reality
although I'm not an expert.
On the negative
side, the plot is so convoluted that it's hard to follow. You do get
a wrap-up at the end, but personally, I prefer a plot where I can see
the twists leading somewhere.
It's a good war
novel that gives you an appreciation of what it's like to serve in a
country like Afghanistan. There are exciting battle scenes, and the
Army dialog seems realistic. However, I felt the mystery was strained
and interspersing Black's stream of consciousness with the narration
was confusing.
I received this
novel from Dutton for this review.
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