In master storyteller Andrew Kaplan’s action-packed thriller, the CIA sends its top agent to Southeast Asia to stop a war that threatens to be even bloodier than the conflict in Vietnam
The photograph in the CIA vault shows four men relaxing in the jungle, green berets draped over their rifles, enjoying a break from combat. On the day after the picture was taken, their friendship was torn apart forever. Now, ten years after the United States pulled out of Vietnam, the CIA has sent one of the men, Parker, to Thailand to track a troop movement across the Cambodian border, which is about to explode, luring the Americans back into another disastrous ground war.
When Parker disappears, the CIA deploys its best agent, Parker’s former friend Sawyer, in a secret operation code-named Dragonfire, to rescue Parker and prevent the war. But in the forbidden jungles of the Golden Triangle, a mysterious Asian beauty will lead Sawyer into a strange and savage world of opium traders, warlords, and militant factions, where nothing is as it seems and the only certainty is death.
Andrew Kaplan is the author of two spy thriller book series: SCORPION and HOMELAND, as well as three earlier novels, DRAGONFIRE, HOUR OF THE ASSASSINS, and WAR OF THE RAVEN, which was selected by the American Library Association as one of the 100 best books ever written about World War II. A former freelance journalist and war correspondent, he covered events around the world and served in both the U.S. Army and the Israeli Army. His work has been called “a gold standard for thrillers” and has been translated into twenty languages, topping bestseller charts around the world. Recently three of Amazon’s top 20 thrillers at one time were Scorpion books: SCORPION BETRAYAL, SCORPION WINTER and SCORPION DECEPTION. In addition, he is the author of the runaway international bestseller, HOMELAND: CARRIE'S RUN, an original prequel novel based on the award-winning hit television series. HOMELAND: SAUL'S GAME is his second HOMELAND novel.
Very intricate as a spy thriller, with interweaving plots. You have to pay attention, especially in the beginning, to understand the characters. There aren’t a lot of characters, but it is important to keep the three or four beginning story lines straight, as it will be important later on in the book.
I enjoy Andrew Kaplan and his writing style, and this is probably my 5th or 6th book of his I’ve read.
I have found Kaplan’s stories great reads, but I also find them hard to follow the plot due to the rapidly changing back stories being infused during its telling. I find content matter very interesting and they have been fun reads but I lose myself and have to go back to recall situations so I can follow the subplots being mixed in. I’m not mad about just makes for concentrated reading!
For the most part the story was believable. Anybody who spent time in Vietnam would be able to relate to the main character. I did feel that at least one chapter was not necessary for plot development but I liked the book overall.