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Redemption: A Paul Masset Novel: Book 1
When Staff Sergeant Paul Masset’s thirst for revenge gets his best friend killed and himself wounded in Afghanistan he's discharged by the army and drifts in a downward spiral. Years pass and finds himself a Caribbean charter boat captain, but it's only a cover for drug trafficking. Abby Gray is a driven corporate lawyer who travels to Belize trying to find her missing party girl sister. Armed with only a few cell phone pictures, she begins her search. The trail leads her to a tropical paradise and Masset’s fishing boat .
Tomas Diaz, a brutal drug lord known as the blade, must stop Abby from asking questions about her missing sister before she exposes his secret, a secret that if uncovered is his death sentence. Abby and Masset escape Diaz’s first attempt to murder them and team up, each for their own reasons, to find a lost plane rumored to have crashed in the mountains. If they can survive the jungle and discover the plane, will it hold answers or more questions? Either way, Diaz can’t let them succeed and let’s lose his army to silence them. Will Masset give into his past or will he fight for Redemption?
Tomas Diaz, a brutal drug lord known as the blade, must stop Abby from asking questions about her missing sister before she exposes his secret, a secret that if uncovered is his death sentence. Abby and Masset escape Diaz’s first attempt to murder them and team up, each for their own reasons, to find a lost plane rumored to have crashed in the mountains. If they can survive the jungle and discover the plane, will it hold answers or more questions? Either way, Diaz can’t let them succeed and let’s lose his army to silence them. Will Masset give into his past or will he fight for Redemption?
295 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 13, 2023
2 people want to read
About the author
Allen Hill
1 bookEver since I was a kid, there were only two things I wanted to be when I grew up: a soldier and a writer. I mean, my teens were nothing but Platoon, Red Dawn and Stripes on the screen and Stephen King on the page. It was awesome. After earning an associate's degree in electronics, I joined the active Army and started what ended as a twenty-year career. After six years of active duty and a tour in West Germany, during which I got see see the red menace more formally known as the Soviet Union fall, I joined the Iowa National Guard as a mechanized Combat Engineer, where not only did we get to shoot guns and play cards, we got to blow stuff up. I had found my home for the next fourteen years. During my time in the National Guard, I deployed twice, to Honduras in 1996 and Afghanistan in 2004. In the civilian world, I took a position with the government, where I continue to toil away hoping I can retire to my desk in a few years, making writing my full-time occupation. I live in Eastern Iowa with my family, our three cats, and a German Shepard named Sadie. My wife and I stay busy keeping them all feed and happy. We enjoy being home bodies, camping and we're always trying new recipes or putting our spin on the classics.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 1, 2026
Recently, I was fortunate enough to win a copy of this book during the "Twelve Days of Christmas," a seemingly annual event that is held by a group on Facebook (Military Thrillers Book Group), where a number of its members (who happen to be authors) provide copies of their books to be provided as "gifts".
Author Allen Hill offered up two copies of the first book of his Paul Masset series, "Redemption," as the "prizes" (or "gifts") for US members only. This 295-page novel appears to have been released by one of MTBG's members in the latter half of November 2023 (possibly around 11 November, according to his Facebook page).
In the novel Redemption by Allen Hill (the first book in the Paul Masset series), the story follows our protagonist, a former soldier, seeking a fresh start after a tragic military discharge.
When Staff Sergeant Paul Masset’s thirst for revenge gets his best friend killed and himself wounded in Afghanistan, he's discharged by the army and drifts into a downward spiral. Years pass, and he finds himself a Caribbean charter boat captain, but it's only a cover for drug trafficking. Abby Gray is a driven corporate lawyer who travels to Belize trying to find her missing party girl sister. Armed with only a few cell phone pictures, she begins her search. The trail leads her to a tropical paradise and Masset’s fishing boat.
Tomas Diaz, a brutal drug lord known as the blade, must stop Abby from asking questions about her missing sister before she exposes his secret, a secret that, if uncovered, is his death sentence. Her investigation threatens the secrets of Tomas Diaz, a ruthless drug "Capo" known as "The Blade".
______________________________
Drug cartels typically operate through two distinct organizational models: a rigid hierarchy (similar to a corporation or the Italian Mafia) and a decentralized network (a loose federation of independent cells).
1. Standard Hierarchical Roles
Most traditional cartels utilize a tiered chain of command to manage logistics and security:
Drug Lords (Capos): The ultimate authority who makes major strategic decisions and manages high-level political corruption.
Lieutenants (Lugartenientes): Mid-level managers responsible for supervising specific territories or "plazas." They oversee the day-to-day logistics of drug transport and enforcement.
Hitmen (Sicarios): The enforcement wing. They are responsible for carrying out assassinations, kidnappings, and protecting the cartel’s turf from rivals or the military.
Falcons (Halcones): The "eyes and ears" of the organization. These are low-level lookouts—often including children or taxi drivers—who monitor the movements of police and rival groups.
2. Specialized Support Roles
Modern cartels employ experts to handle complex technical and financial needs:
Chemists (Pozoleros): Professionals hired to manufacture synthetic drugs like methamphetamine or fentanyl.
Money Launderers (Los Oros): Financial experts who move drug profits through legitimate businesses, real estate, or digital platforms.
Corrupt Officials (Narcopoliticos): Government, police, and military figures who provide protection or intelligence in exchange for bribes.
3. The "Network" Model
Some large organizations, like the Sinaloa Cartel, move away from a single leader. Instead, they function as a federation of independent cells.
Autonomy: Individual leaders (like the "Chapitos" or "El Mayo") manage their own factions while cooperating for shared logistics and security.
Resilience: This structure is harder to dismantle; if one leader is captured, the other branches continue to operate independently.
Compartmentalization: Members often only know their immediate superiors and peers, preventing a single arrest from exposing the entire network.
4. Territorial Control (The "Plaza" System)
Power is often defined geographically. A cartel controls a "Plaza"—a specific city or smuggling route. Within a plaza, the cartel acts as a parallel government, "taxing" other criminals and even providing some social services to gain local support.
______________________________
Abby and Masset escape Diaz’s first attempt to murder them and team up, each for their own reasons, to find a lost plane rumored to have crashed in the mountains, after escaping an assassination attempt by Diaz, Masset and Abby team up to trek into the mountains to find a rumored crashed plane that may hold the answers to her sister’s disappearance.
As they battle the jungle and Diaz’s pursuing army, Masset must decide whether to continue his descent into his dark past or fight for a chance at personal redemption.
Overall, this novel was a fast-paced action thriller that would entice readers who enjoy a novel that does not let the reader catch their breath as the story rapidly moves from one dilemma to the next.
On my self-determined five-star scale, I would give this novel (and the author) a solid four stars and would definitely recommend the Paul Masset series (book 2 in the series was just recently released). In a genre rich with talented authors, this book would be enjoyed by readers who enjoy action-packed, gripping, exciting, and tense thrillers and mysteries. This is a very well-written debut novel with great characters and vivid imagery.
As with all my literary ramblings, this is just my five cents' worth.
Author Allen Hill offered up two copies of the first book of his Paul Masset series, "Redemption," as the "prizes" (or "gifts") for US members only. This 295-page novel appears to have been released by one of MTBG's members in the latter half of November 2023 (possibly around 11 November, according to his Facebook page).
In the novel Redemption by Allen Hill (the first book in the Paul Masset series), the story follows our protagonist, a former soldier, seeking a fresh start after a tragic military discharge.
When Staff Sergeant Paul Masset’s thirst for revenge gets his best friend killed and himself wounded in Afghanistan, he's discharged by the army and drifts into a downward spiral. Years pass, and he finds himself a Caribbean charter boat captain, but it's only a cover for drug trafficking. Abby Gray is a driven corporate lawyer who travels to Belize trying to find her missing party girl sister. Armed with only a few cell phone pictures, she begins her search. The trail leads her to a tropical paradise and Masset’s fishing boat.
Tomas Diaz, a brutal drug lord known as the blade, must stop Abby from asking questions about her missing sister before she exposes his secret, a secret that, if uncovered, is his death sentence. Her investigation threatens the secrets of Tomas Diaz, a ruthless drug "Capo" known as "The Blade".
______________________________
Drug cartels typically operate through two distinct organizational models: a rigid hierarchy (similar to a corporation or the Italian Mafia) and a decentralized network (a loose federation of independent cells).
1. Standard Hierarchical Roles
Most traditional cartels utilize a tiered chain of command to manage logistics and security:
Drug Lords (Capos): The ultimate authority who makes major strategic decisions and manages high-level political corruption.
Lieutenants (Lugartenientes): Mid-level managers responsible for supervising specific territories or "plazas." They oversee the day-to-day logistics of drug transport and enforcement.
Hitmen (Sicarios): The enforcement wing. They are responsible for carrying out assassinations, kidnappings, and protecting the cartel’s turf from rivals or the military.
Falcons (Halcones): The "eyes and ears" of the organization. These are low-level lookouts—often including children or taxi drivers—who monitor the movements of police and rival groups.
2. Specialized Support Roles
Modern cartels employ experts to handle complex technical and financial needs:
Chemists (Pozoleros): Professionals hired to manufacture synthetic drugs like methamphetamine or fentanyl.
Money Launderers (Los Oros): Financial experts who move drug profits through legitimate businesses, real estate, or digital platforms.
Corrupt Officials (Narcopoliticos): Government, police, and military figures who provide protection or intelligence in exchange for bribes.
3. The "Network" Model
Some large organizations, like the Sinaloa Cartel, move away from a single leader. Instead, they function as a federation of independent cells.
Autonomy: Individual leaders (like the "Chapitos" or "El Mayo") manage their own factions while cooperating for shared logistics and security.
Resilience: This structure is harder to dismantle; if one leader is captured, the other branches continue to operate independently.
Compartmentalization: Members often only know their immediate superiors and peers, preventing a single arrest from exposing the entire network.
4. Territorial Control (The "Plaza" System)
Power is often defined geographically. A cartel controls a "Plaza"—a specific city or smuggling route. Within a plaza, the cartel acts as a parallel government, "taxing" other criminals and even providing some social services to gain local support.
______________________________
Abby and Masset escape Diaz’s first attempt to murder them and team up, each for their own reasons, to find a lost plane rumored to have crashed in the mountains, after escaping an assassination attempt by Diaz, Masset and Abby team up to trek into the mountains to find a rumored crashed plane that may hold the answers to her sister’s disappearance.
As they battle the jungle and Diaz’s pursuing army, Masset must decide whether to continue his descent into his dark past or fight for a chance at personal redemption.
Overall, this novel was a fast-paced action thriller that would entice readers who enjoy a novel that does not let the reader catch their breath as the story rapidly moves from one dilemma to the next.
On my self-determined five-star scale, I would give this novel (and the author) a solid four stars and would definitely recommend the Paul Masset series (book 2 in the series was just recently released). In a genre rich with talented authors, this book would be enjoyed by readers who enjoy action-packed, gripping, exciting, and tense thrillers and mysteries. This is a very well-written debut novel with great characters and vivid imagery.
As with all my literary ramblings, this is just my five cents' worth.
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