The Stamp

by Ed Brodow

What would you do if your sister is murdered and the killer gets away with it?
Tommy Courten, an IBM sales executive, finds his life upside down when his baby sister is murdered and the prime suspect escapes to South America. The police and the F.B.I. give up on the case but Tommy, who is addicted to the violence he experienced as a Marine in Vietnam, is intent on revenge. He embarks on a lone manhunt to bring the psychopathic killer to justice. Tommy tracks the man from a Virginia suburb to a dangerous, remote area of Colombia that is controlled by the drug mafia and indigenous tribal people. When he and the killer finally come face-to-face, Tommy is shocked by what he discovers about his own true nature and the path to personal redemption. The Stamp was inspired by a sensational 2007 murder case.

50 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 12, 2012

About the author

Ed Brodow is a political commentator, negotiation expert, and author of ten books including his latest, THE WAR ON WHITES: HOW HATING WHITE PEOPLE BECAME THE NEW NATIONAL SPORT. He is a former US Marine and veteran member of Screen Actors Guild, appearing in American and European movies with Jessica Lange, Ron Howard, and Christopher Reeve.

Reviews

[Allbooks Review International · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good looking, athletic Lieutenant Tommy Courten has a bad guy, good guy personality. Rough and ready to go at a moment’s notice, necessary attributes for the front lines of Vietnam, with a gentle, thoughtful interior that gives him the control and ability to reason, making it possible to live in an ordinary society. He marries but that doesn’t work. He works for IBM, but that company is too confining and controlling. He just doesn’t fit. Though Tommy doesn't really fit the Marines either, he does his best and learns some valuable skills he will soon need. Then his kid sister, Ellen, is killed. Her boyfriend cannot keep her around once she becomes pregnant because he is married. If she had just left him alone, it would not have happened, he theorizes. Tommy must get revenge. The police and military do not seem to be able to do anything because the accused, Private Rodney Zapata, has fled to Bogota. Tommy takes justice into his own hands and flies to Columbia in search of Rodney. There he finds his prey but he also finds Luz from an area called Guajira. Only Luz and her people can save Tommy’s life, not just his physical body but also his heart and soul.

Ed Brodow has written a crisp, intense story about the life of one man, Tommy Courten through the eyes of another, a friend of Tommy’s. This unique treatment gives this novel a sense of intensity as his friend sees Tommy’s life through his own reflections on his life and those of friends and family close to him. Tommy’s friend sees different experiences as “Stamps on the Forehead” of individuals. The Vietnamese War was a stamp on Tommy’s forehead, a time in his life that would change him and not allow him to move forward. Then, as he is trying to do just that, Ellen’s death again forces him back into his old pattern. Only exceptional wisdom and love can change the stamp on Tommy’s forehead.

This is an exceptionally well written story and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it.
Reviewer: Elaine Fuhr, Allbooks Reviews www.allbooksreviewint.com

[Sara Soquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently enjoyed reading Brodow's Fixer and wanted to read more of his work. The Stamp did not disappoint. You are in for a ride with this well-written suspenseful thriller. It grabs you and takes you along and never stalls. I was hooked right on page one. The main character has 1968 "stamped" on his forehead. This was the year he fought in Vietnam as a Marine. Now he can't rid himself of the violence that has taken over his life. When his sister is murdered and the killer gets away he follows the man to Colombia and hunts him down. Once he finds him, the unpredictable story has a wonderful twist as the tables turn.

The author's style is direct and unpretentious making The Stamp very easy to read. The characters are strong with an intelligence about what they are doing and thinking. I immediately became involved with the characters and caught up in their journey. I liked the female character as she holds her own and doesn't fold under pressure. The author's humor really comes across as he describes "cigar-borne aliens" and a rat that provides the floorshow in a restaurant.

I'm really looking forward to reading The Stamp again. There are parts I want to re-visit so I can savor my appreciation of this marvelous story. I'm also looking forward to reading more of this talented author's work.