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The American
Former US tunnel rat Richard Trenor - disfigured in the war, but left with strange gifts as a result - is summoned back to Vietnam by Thanh, the son of an old friend, to find the man who killed Thanh's eight-year-old sister. Trenor's quest for justice will not only cause him to cross paths with two other Americans - one a cold-blooded assassin, the other a bloodthirsty madman - but also a tormented ghost, and an infestation of living evil. Spanning fifty years, The American is a gritty crime thriller laced with the supernatural, set in a vividly rendered Vietnam.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2020
3 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey Thomas
241 books277 followersJeffrey Thomas is an American author of weird fiction, the creator of the acclaimed setting Punktown. Books in the Punktown universe include the short story collections Punktown, Voices from Punktown, Punktown: Shades of Grey (with his brother, Scott Thomas), and Ghosts of Punktown. Novels in that setting include Deadstock, Blue War, Monstrocity, Health Agent, Everybody Scream!, Red Cells, and The New God. Thomas’s other short story collections include The Unnamed Country, Gods of a Nameless Country, The Endless Fall, Haunted Worlds, Worship the Night, Thirteen Specimens, Nocturnal Emissions, Doomsdays, Terror Incognita, Unholy Dimensions, AAAIIIEEE!!!, Honey Is Sweeter Than Blood, Carrion Men, Voices from Hades, The Return of Enoch Coffin, and Entering Gosston. His other novels include The American, Boneland, Subject 11, Letters From Hades, The Fall of Hades, The Exploded Soul, The Nought, Thought Forms, Beyond the Door, Lost in Darkness, and A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Dealers.
His work has been reprinted in The Year’s Best Horror Stories XXII (editor Karl Edward Wagner), The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror #14 (editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling), and Year’s Best Weird Fiction #1 (editors Laird Barron and Michael Kelly). At NecronomiCon 2024 Thomas received the Robert Bloch Award for his contributions to weird fiction.
Though he considers Viet Nam his second home, Thomas lives in Massachusetts.
His work has been reprinted in The Year’s Best Horror Stories XXII (editor Karl Edward Wagner), The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror #14 (editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling), and Year’s Best Weird Fiction #1 (editors Laird Barron and Michael Kelly). At NecronomiCon 2024 Thomas received the Robert Bloch Award for his contributions to weird fiction.
Though he considers Viet Nam his second home, Thomas lives in Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 30, 2020
Featuring two of the most memorable characters I've read about in quite some time, THE AMERICAN resists genre pigeon-holes. A haunting mystery with supernatural overtones, maybe ghosts, and maybe psychic powers, but definitely murder, sex trafficking, and the true meaning of friendship. I know it sounds crazy, but shake them all up together, and you have THE AMERICAN.
An American tunnel rat during the Vietnam war, (Trenor) and the man who saved his life, (Quan), remain friends long after the war is over and Trenor returns home to the U.S. Quan remains in Vietnam, marries and starts a family. Many years later, Quan is now trying to find his two missing daughters and the only people he hasn't yet alienated are his son, Thanh, and Trenor. How does all of this come together resulting in a tightly written, suspenseful mystery/thriller/ghost story? You'll have to read this to find out!
I've been a fan of Jeffrey Thomas for a few years now, mostly through reading his short stories and a few novellas. When he approached asking if I was interested in reading THE AMERICAN, I immediately and blindly, said yes. It wasn't too long before I discovered this wasn't Mr. Thomas' usual fare. That didn't bother me at all, however, because I soon realized that he's a wonderful writer, no matter what genre and no matter the length of the story.
Alternating between different timelines and different countries, at first I found the story to be a bit confusing. It wasn't long though, before clarity came, and I was rooting for these men to be successful in their endeavors. It becomes painfully clear throughout that sex trafficking is a major form of income in Vietnam, none of which goes to its victims. Young boys and girls are used and used hard, until they're all used up-if they survive that long. There is no one to speak for them. It's all ignored, or taken as part of life. It's heart-breaking.
The characters here: the trafficking victims, Quan and Trenor and Quan's family....you can't help but to root for them. They've all been through hell and all they're asking for is a fair shot at life. In the end, aren't these types of characters the ones we love the most? I can only speak for myself, and my response is YES. Yes, they are.
I'll be thinking about Quan, Trenor and Thanh for a long time. (Tra Mi and Hang Ni, even longer.)
Highly recommended!
Available now, here: https://amzn.to/3qfwNCB
*I was provided an e-copy of this novel in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it. *
An American tunnel rat during the Vietnam war, (Trenor) and the man who saved his life, (Quan), remain friends long after the war is over and Trenor returns home to the U.S. Quan remains in Vietnam, marries and starts a family. Many years later, Quan is now trying to find his two missing daughters and the only people he hasn't yet alienated are his son, Thanh, and Trenor. How does all of this come together resulting in a tightly written, suspenseful mystery/thriller/ghost story? You'll have to read this to find out!
I've been a fan of Jeffrey Thomas for a few years now, mostly through reading his short stories and a few novellas. When he approached asking if I was interested in reading THE AMERICAN, I immediately and blindly, said yes. It wasn't too long before I discovered this wasn't Mr. Thomas' usual fare. That didn't bother me at all, however, because I soon realized that he's a wonderful writer, no matter what genre and no matter the length of the story.
Alternating between different timelines and different countries, at first I found the story to be a bit confusing. It wasn't long though, before clarity came, and I was rooting for these men to be successful in their endeavors. It becomes painfully clear throughout that sex trafficking is a major form of income in Vietnam, none of which goes to its victims. Young boys and girls are used and used hard, until they're all used up-if they survive that long. There is no one to speak for them. It's all ignored, or taken as part of life. It's heart-breaking.
The characters here: the trafficking victims, Quan and Trenor and Quan's family....you can't help but to root for them. They've all been through hell and all they're asking for is a fair shot at life. In the end, aren't these types of characters the ones we love the most? I can only speak for myself, and my response is YES. Yes, they are.
I'll be thinking about Quan, Trenor and Thanh for a long time. (Tra Mi and Hang Ni, even longer.)
Highly recommended!
Available now, here: https://amzn.to/3qfwNCB
*I was provided an e-copy of this novel in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it. *
October 29, 2020
An honest review should balance the merits of a book against any weaknesses. Here, the weaknesses are almost buried by the power of the story and the fascination of the characters. Any book that keeps me turning the pages until five o'clock in the morning deserves my full attention; any book that shocks me and moves me in scene after scene deserves all the praise I can bring to it.
Let me start with praise.
At one point in the book, a thoroughly despicable character tries to justify his own evils:
In a modern world where the values of the marketplace have stamped out the values of human communities, this philosophy might carry weight, but in THE AMERICAN, Jeffrey Thomas brings out the necessity for bonds of family and friendship. Even in cities where murders are currency, where cold killings become tools of business, people still matter; they hang on, they work together to keep the world in one piece.
This focus on human compassion takes the book in directions that I had not anticipated. Against the temptation of a thriller to keep the plot simple, Thomas has chosen, instead, to emphasize meaning and a personal perspective. The horror of this book is undeniable, but so is the humanity; chapters that show the worst of human actions alternate with scenes of people at their best.
Thomas writes with a keen eye for landscapes -- not physical landscapes, but social. He knows how people interact in bars and offices, theme parks and morgues; he understands the ways in which families and friendships fall apart, and then come together again; he feels, in his gut, how the past can wound, and how -- unexpectedly, without warning -- the present can heal. This might sound abstract, but his approach to the story is relentlessly physical: pain and loss, community and reconcilation, are things that we can touch in this book. Thomas never shies away when a bullet shatters through an eye socket, but he also finds comfort in cold beer and hot soup, in Buddhist temples and christmas lights, in the stop-and-start exhilaration of high-speed motorcycles on jam-packed streets. Scars, bloody wounds, aches and joys, all come to life on the page.
Now for the criticism.
I suspect that most readers will have no trouble with the book's prose. Thomas knows what to say, and often writes with eloquence:
Elsewhere, just frequently enough to be noticed, the prose trips on itself, but seems not so much badly written as badly proof-read.
For example, in certain passages, when present participles gum up the prose and choke out the simple past tense, results precede actions:
Subjects and objects fade into obscurity:
When sentences break into fragments, they lose immediate clarity:
Tacked-on qualifications intrude:
Sometimes, the viewpoint characters alternate within a scene; this feels like having a door slammed on your face while a secret panel drops open at your feet.
A fast reader might skip over these flaws, a captivated reader might glance at them in passing, but I read slowly, for pleasure; I could feel these potholes jar the bones of my feet. In a book so compelling and so clear with its intentions, written by someone so obviously thoughtful, these flaws represent a failure to revise.
They might have crippled a lesser book, but this one kept me reading beyond every speedbump of language and technique. Its characters made me fear and hope for them; its narrative made me think about my own losses and my own moments of community. I can ask many things of a book, but above all, I want the book to seem alive. THE AMERICAN lives.
Let me start with praise.
At one point in the book, a thoroughly despicable character tries to justify his own evils:
"[He] had read somewhere that 4% of the population (in the US…or was it worldwide?) were sociopaths. That 1% were psychopaths. He wasn’t clear on the difference, but it was food for thought. It wasn’t an anomaly, he thought. It was a trend.
"In the past, human beings had relied on close groups to ensure their survival against the rigors of nature. Of nature’s harsh elements, of nature’s predatory -- or at least, competitive -- animals. Nature had required that humans bond together, create tribes, societies, cities and nations (and of course, the resultant aberrations of religions and political parties).
"But…wasn’t humanity beyond all that now? Survival was more assured, taken for granted. And hence: the evolution of a superior human. No longer inhibited by the bond to a tribe. A human freed of fearful loyalties, except the loyalty to oneself. To one’s own needs and urges."
In a modern world where the values of the marketplace have stamped out the values of human communities, this philosophy might carry weight, but in THE AMERICAN, Jeffrey Thomas brings out the necessity for bonds of family and friendship. Even in cities where murders are currency, where cold killings become tools of business, people still matter; they hang on, they work together to keep the world in one piece.
This focus on human compassion takes the book in directions that I had not anticipated. Against the temptation of a thriller to keep the plot simple, Thomas has chosen, instead, to emphasize meaning and a personal perspective. The horror of this book is undeniable, but so is the humanity; chapters that show the worst of human actions alternate with scenes of people at their best.
Thomas writes with a keen eye for landscapes -- not physical landscapes, but social. He knows how people interact in bars and offices, theme parks and morgues; he understands the ways in which families and friendships fall apart, and then come together again; he feels, in his gut, how the past can wound, and how -- unexpectedly, without warning -- the present can heal. This might sound abstract, but his approach to the story is relentlessly physical: pain and loss, community and reconcilation, are things that we can touch in this book. Thomas never shies away when a bullet shatters through an eye socket, but he also finds comfort in cold beer and hot soup, in Buddhist temples and christmas lights, in the stop-and-start exhilaration of high-speed motorcycles on jam-packed streets. Scars, bloody wounds, aches and joys, all come to life on the page.
Now for the criticism.
I suspect that most readers will have no trouble with the book's prose. Thomas knows what to say, and often writes with eloquence:
"[He] came to a glass-walled office in which Evelyn was housed behind her desk like a museum specimen representing her species."
"Vietnam was full to the brim with beautiful women -- who knew better than Chen, who made his livelihood off that beauty in all its hunger and desperation? -- but this woman’s beauty was transcendent in a way that was hard to put a finger on. She emanated a deep, unarticulated misery that spoke of classical drama, beyond the scope of one person’s paltry life; a misery of the whole of human existence, no doubt beyond her own capacity for understanding. She was a mute and uncomprehending vessel of that suffering, like a small child with terminal cancer."
Elsewhere, just frequently enough to be noticed, the prose trips on itself, but seems not so much badly written as badly proof-read.
For example, in certain passages, when present participles gum up the prose and choke out the simple past tense, results precede actions:
"He slung her off him, grabbing hold of her tank top to do so."
"'Indeed,' the American said, his laughter dying away."
"Thanh asked about their father, deciding to change the subject."
"Trenor couldn’t help but chuckle, finding it funny that here they were both amused now over the subject of Quan’s father’s demise."
Subjects and objects fade into obscurity:
"The madam’s laughter died away quickly, her expression darkening, but she knew better than to give in to her anger with this man."
"The bloody garment tore away in his hands, leaving her thudding onto her back."
"He didn’t return the eye patch to his head, stuffing it into the pocket of his jacket."
"He nodded at Quan’s wallet, which he was just returning to a pocket in his fatigues."
When sentences break into fragments, they lose immediate clarity:
"Closer now, entering into another thrown pool of light."
Tacked-on qualifications intrude:
"Her eyes remained staring from her mask of blood, however."
Sometimes, the viewpoint characters alternate within a scene; this feels like having a door slammed on your face while a secret panel drops open at your feet.
A fast reader might skip over these flaws, a captivated reader might glance at them in passing, but I read slowly, for pleasure; I could feel these potholes jar the bones of my feet. In a book so compelling and so clear with its intentions, written by someone so obviously thoughtful, these flaws represent a failure to revise.
They might have crippled a lesser book, but this one kept me reading beyond every speedbump of language and technique. Its characters made me fear and hope for them; its narrative made me think about my own losses and my own moments of community. I can ask many things of a book, but above all, I want the book to seem alive. THE AMERICAN lives.
January 10, 2021
2021 couldn't start in a better way;at least for my reading list. I was lucky enough to receive a free copy of Jeffrey Thomas's 'The American' for review and let me tell you, I was pleasantly blown away.
This is a super-fast genre bender of a book. Jeffrey Thomas does an amazing job in blending crime, action, thriller and horror all tied together by a fantastic story.
The story follows sergeant Richard Trenor, a Vietnam veteran , who upon sustaining an injury during the war in Vietnam, acquired the gift of second sight.
Both a blessing and a curse, this 'superpower' enables him to see evil in others, in the forms of ghosts and vermin surrounding.
Forty years post war, Trenor is back in Vietnam to help Thanh, the son of his army friend Quan, in finding his dissappeared sister.
This task puts Trenor through a whirlwind of an adventure, as through his paranormal ability he comes face to face with truly evil individuals. People who have darkness in their soul and seek to devour the light of others by using and abusing the gift of freedom in any form.
This is a brutal tale of the world we create and live in. A world where true horror is other people.
Jeffrey Thomas masterfully crafts characters, memorable and real that add to the whole reading experience of 'The American'.
This book twisted a knife in my guts so many times by the themes it coves but I couldn't put it down. Not even at 3:00 in the morning.
A must read to anyone who wants to experience a different, unique, exciting and wonderfully written book.
I am now a devoted fan.
Get it at : https://amzn.to/3qfwNCB
This is a super-fast genre bender of a book. Jeffrey Thomas does an amazing job in blending crime, action, thriller and horror all tied together by a fantastic story.
The story follows sergeant Richard Trenor, a Vietnam veteran , who upon sustaining an injury during the war in Vietnam, acquired the gift of second sight.
Both a blessing and a curse, this 'superpower' enables him to see evil in others, in the forms of ghosts and vermin surrounding.
Forty years post war, Trenor is back in Vietnam to help Thanh, the son of his army friend Quan, in finding his dissappeared sister.
This task puts Trenor through a whirlwind of an adventure, as through his paranormal ability he comes face to face with truly evil individuals. People who have darkness in their soul and seek to devour the light of others by using and abusing the gift of freedom in any form.
This is a brutal tale of the world we create and live in. A world where true horror is other people.
Jeffrey Thomas masterfully crafts characters, memorable and real that add to the whole reading experience of 'The American'.
This book twisted a knife in my guts so many times by the themes it coves but I couldn't put it down. Not even at 3:00 in the morning.
A must read to anyone who wants to experience a different, unique, exciting and wonderfully written book.
I am now a devoted fan.
Get it at : https://amzn.to/3qfwNCB
January 9, 2021
I've always enjoyed the writing of Jeffrey Thomas, the versatility of his imagination always setting for an unexpected treat with any new book. The American is a much more subtle horror than many of his other works, but no less a well crafted story, superbly written. His intimate knowledge with Vietnam is evident, easily allowing the reader to experience the country through his words alone.
The storyline is compelling, moving at speed to a conclusion that left me, personally, very satisfied. The characters are real people, acting like real people, not just supporting a story tellers desired outcome.
The storyline is compelling, moving at speed to a conclusion that left me, personally, very satisfied. The characters are real people, acting like real people, not just supporting a story tellers desired outcome.
December 7, 2020
'The American' by Jeffrey Thomas is a book that - despite it being a mystery / thriller novel - really can't be pigeon-holed in one genre: it is a crime / horror-ish / supernatural and at times action speculative fiction novel.
That's all good, as I am all for fresh ideas. And this is really what I loved most about this book: it's not something that plays on the same old tropes. It keeps you guessing until the very end, and it's difficult you'll see something coming.
The prose is very good and clearly Jeffrey writes confidently. There is also a lot of knowledge in the historical background of the story setting (mainly Vietnam) and every character is its own, meaning that they all have a very distinctive POV and voice, and once you immerse yourself in their psyche and background, even the reasoning of a psychopath on a killing spree makes (quite eerily) perfect sense.
One of the best things that Thomas does is all the details he puts in his world-building, he clearly loves this part of the craft and he does it very well: the world and its people feel like a concrete, beating circulatory system but it still doesn't get even close to becoming tedious.
The one criticism that I have is about one character's special power. I don't believe this is a spoiler because not only this happens very early in the story, but also it's in the book's blurb.
Anyway: this guy has a supernatural power, which is fine, as in fiction happens all the time. It's just that sometimes it does feel a bit like a "Deus ex machina", if it makes sense, which will allow our heroes to go on when they have otherwise no clues.
Luckily, this doesn't tarnish the story much, as what the story focuses on both the best things (friendship, loyalty...) and the worst (human trafficking, homicide...) of the human condition.
In short, I definitely enjoyed my time with this book and I will definitely dive again into Thomas' work.
That's all good, as I am all for fresh ideas. And this is really what I loved most about this book: it's not something that plays on the same old tropes. It keeps you guessing until the very end, and it's difficult you'll see something coming.
The prose is very good and clearly Jeffrey writes confidently. There is also a lot of knowledge in the historical background of the story setting (mainly Vietnam) and every character is its own, meaning that they all have a very distinctive POV and voice, and once you immerse yourself in their psyche and background, even the reasoning of a psychopath on a killing spree makes (quite eerily) perfect sense.
One of the best things that Thomas does is all the details he puts in his world-building, he clearly loves this part of the craft and he does it very well: the world and its people feel like a concrete, beating circulatory system but it still doesn't get even close to becoming tedious.
The one criticism that I have is about one character's special power. I don't believe this is a spoiler because not only this happens very early in the story, but also it's in the book's blurb.
Anyway: this guy has a supernatural power, which is fine, as in fiction happens all the time. It's just that sometimes it does feel a bit like a "Deus ex machina", if it makes sense, which will allow our heroes to go on when they have otherwise no clues.
Luckily, this doesn't tarnish the story much, as what the story focuses on both the best things (friendship, loyalty...) and the worst (human trafficking, homicide...) of the human condition.
In short, I definitely enjoyed my time with this book and I will definitely dive again into Thomas' work.
December 7, 2020
I came to this book mainly having experienced Jeffrey Thomas's writing via his alien horror/sci-fi/cyberpunk stories set in his famed Punktown venue (which are not to be missed!), so I wasn't sure what to expect from a more earthbound contemporary thriller. The American starts off with a bang, and some more faint-hearted readers may wonder just what the hell they've gotten themselves into. This supernaturally-tinged thriller features two protagonists who don't easily fit into any mold--one is scarred inside and out by war, and the other was born with his physical afflictions. The story is refreshingly unpredictable, as thrillers go, with interesting villains who are more than simple cutouts. And Vietnam itself is practically a character in the book--Thomas does a wonderful job of putting his own experiences of that country to use. I was pleased to see that despite the darkness (and it does get very dark), Thomas is able to fill the book with a hopeful humanity that I've come to expect from his work. It's ultimately a book about fighting against the darkness of evil and embracing humanity, and also about the heavy cost of vengeance.
February 8, 2023
The American, a suspense/revenge novel with paranormal undertones, takes place almost entirely in Vietnam, with some backstory during the Vietnam War. Thomas, who has visited Vietnam often, knows the region and its culture. But most of his readers do not. Obviously, the novel is more than a travelogue. His settings are superb and provide vivid depictions of Vietnam. I've never been to Vietnam, yet it's as if I'm there with the characters. He has pulled me into that world--which is what all good fiction should accomplish. I may have to read it again!
Read
November 18, 2020Haunting, deceptively simple, and like the best of Jeffrey Thomas's work, it lingers.
A brutal, engrossing novel whose setting is its most complex, vivid character. The casual cruelty of some of its more powerful inhabitants is pressure-washed clean of glamour and never without believable consequences as it drives a compelling story to a solid conclusion.
A brutal, engrossing novel whose setting is its most complex, vivid character. The casual cruelty of some of its more powerful inhabitants is pressure-washed clean of glamour and never without believable consequences as it drives a compelling story to a solid conclusion.
April 22, 2021
Somehow manages to be both classic Thomas and something new. Thoroughly engrossing plot, memorable characters, and a few zigs and zags to steer free of tropes.
Read
July 16, 2021What an ending! 4 to 4.5 for this extremely engrossing story that defies the pitfalls of predictability. Honestly, you've probably never read anything like it.
March 22, 2021
Opening in Vietnam in 2010, we are immediately introduced to the eponymous American, a less-than-legitimate businessman who has dealings with criminals all over the world, but who gives very little away about himself. He comes across as the kind of criminal who prefers not to get his own hands dirty, instead paying others to take care of things, thus maintaining a safe distance between himself and the crime. Unfortunately for him, in this instance, he must deal with an interfering primate-rights campaigner who causes trouble for a business partner offering a “unique” brothel service. It proves to be quite unfortunate for the woman as well, as he proves to be ruthless and merciless in his actions. It is an effective way for Thomas to introduce us to the character, as we quickly understand that he is driven by greed and selfishness, and allows nothing to get in his way.
Each chapter is told from different points of view throughout the book, and occasionally changes location and timeframe, but these are always helpfully highlighted at the header of each chapter. It offers a lot of insight into what each of the main players are thinking in each instance, without revealing all of the story too soon. While the main storyline takes place in 2010 in Vietnam, we are introduced to Richard Trenor in the same year, but working at a product standards office in Massachusetts. Through the cruel taunts of his colleagues, we learn that this Vietnam vet suffers some physical disfigurement to his face and head, including missing an eye. We also learn of a strong connection he made with a Vietnamese soldier, Quan, with whom he fought alongside, and a tenuous connection soon forms between Trenor and The American, something which sets the characters on a collision course.
So far, the book may seem like a mystery story with hints of crime and espionage, but Thomas then introduces the horrific and supernatural elements. Trenor possesses a rare ability that, despite the disbelief of other characters, allows him insight into those around him, and helps in his quest to uncover what happened to his Vietnamese friend’s daughters who have gone missing. It also offers him a way of unconsciously connecting with a customer of The American who may know about the girls’ fate. The mystery of what happened to the girls is enough to keep readers engrossed, but the added component of strange abilities and horrific visions will undoubtedly please horror fans. Especially given Thomas’s expertise of how to pace a compelling story with multiple threads.
The progression of his characters makes for fascinating reading as well. Whether it is Trenor’s friendship with Quan and all that that entails due to their complicated past, or Trenor’s growing friendship with Quan’s son, himself inflicted with physical defects from birth, attributed to the chemical fallout of the United States’s tactics during the Vietnam War. Or indeed the development of The American, from faceless killer in the shadows to a more involved role in a tragedy not of his own making, watching him manipulate those around him without remorse. Thomas doesn’t just settle for a cookie-cutter approach to his antagonist; he gives him his own agenda and setbacks, allowing for a more in-depth exploration of his character. Not to mention the disturbing history and development of The American’s customer who holds so much valuable knowledge, but which is best discovered through reading the book rather than this review.
All in all, it makes for a riveting read, a fascinating mixture of mystery, thriller and horror with a depth not always found in such stories. Thomas has drawn on personal experience of Vietnamese culture and geography to embellish an already engrossing premise. Together with his considerable background as an accomplished storyteller, this allows him to craft an original tale with true-to-life characters, complete with considerable and relevant back-stories explored just enough to give insight. He also manages to address, to a slight extent, the effect and repercussions of America’s involvement in the Vietnamese War, what it has done to the Vietnamese people and, in Trenor’s case, the lasting effect it has had on those American’s seen as both invader and rescuer. Not to mention the tender way Thomas tackled the stigma of disability and the unwarranted backlash such people unfairly face. When we add all of these elements together, it makes for a fantastic read, expertly delivered.
Each chapter is told from different points of view throughout the book, and occasionally changes location and timeframe, but these are always helpfully highlighted at the header of each chapter. It offers a lot of insight into what each of the main players are thinking in each instance, without revealing all of the story too soon. While the main storyline takes place in 2010 in Vietnam, we are introduced to Richard Trenor in the same year, but working at a product standards office in Massachusetts. Through the cruel taunts of his colleagues, we learn that this Vietnam vet suffers some physical disfigurement to his face and head, including missing an eye. We also learn of a strong connection he made with a Vietnamese soldier, Quan, with whom he fought alongside, and a tenuous connection soon forms between Trenor and The American, something which sets the characters on a collision course.
So far, the book may seem like a mystery story with hints of crime and espionage, but Thomas then introduces the horrific and supernatural elements. Trenor possesses a rare ability that, despite the disbelief of other characters, allows him insight into those around him, and helps in his quest to uncover what happened to his Vietnamese friend’s daughters who have gone missing. It also offers him a way of unconsciously connecting with a customer of The American who may know about the girls’ fate. The mystery of what happened to the girls is enough to keep readers engrossed, but the added component of strange abilities and horrific visions will undoubtedly please horror fans. Especially given Thomas’s expertise of how to pace a compelling story with multiple threads.
The progression of his characters makes for fascinating reading as well. Whether it is Trenor’s friendship with Quan and all that that entails due to their complicated past, or Trenor’s growing friendship with Quan’s son, himself inflicted with physical defects from birth, attributed to the chemical fallout of the United States’s tactics during the Vietnam War. Or indeed the development of The American, from faceless killer in the shadows to a more involved role in a tragedy not of his own making, watching him manipulate those around him without remorse. Thomas doesn’t just settle for a cookie-cutter approach to his antagonist; he gives him his own agenda and setbacks, allowing for a more in-depth exploration of his character. Not to mention the disturbing history and development of The American’s customer who holds so much valuable knowledge, but which is best discovered through reading the book rather than this review.
All in all, it makes for a riveting read, a fascinating mixture of mystery, thriller and horror with a depth not always found in such stories. Thomas has drawn on personal experience of Vietnamese culture and geography to embellish an already engrossing premise. Together with his considerable background as an accomplished storyteller, this allows him to craft an original tale with true-to-life characters, complete with considerable and relevant back-stories explored just enough to give insight. He also manages to address, to a slight extent, the effect and repercussions of America’s involvement in the Vietnamese War, what it has done to the Vietnamese people and, in Trenor’s case, the lasting effect it has had on those American’s seen as both invader and rescuer. Not to mention the tender way Thomas tackled the stigma of disability and the unwarranted backlash such people unfairly face. When we add all of these elements together, it makes for a fantastic read, expertly delivered.
December 23, 2024
3.5/5 I liked this a lot but didn’t feel too much was going on in the detective work. The POV changes for the other characters went unexplained. Great ending with that chilly last line.
April 8, 2024
Richard Trenor, veterano de la guerra de Vietnam, debe volver a aquel país que le trae ingratos recuerdos (y una desfiguración en su rostro) para ayudar a un viejo compañero y a su hijo a encontrar a un peligroso asesino. Pero paralelamente otro misterioso "americano" intentará dar caza al peligroso sujeto, aunque por motivos muy diferentes...
"El americano", de Jeffrey Thomas, es una novela que a lo largo de su narración desafía todos los tópicos del thriller (ya sea el más convencional o el sobrenatural, ya que tiene de ambas cosas, de lo segundo debido a un extraño don que posee Trenor) y confundirá a todos los lectores que busquen el habitual diseño "inicio-nudo-desenlace". Respira cierto aroma a thriller novelesco de los años 70, pero también, de un modo un tanto peculiar, a una guía de viajes de Vietnam, país que su autor parece conocer al dedillo. Es una historia de oscuridad, donde un horrible asesino con un férreo código de honor persigue a otro horrible asesino sin código ninguno, y también una historia de luz, donde un hombre hastiado y amargado por los traumas de la guerra encuentra una segunda vida y una maravillosa amistad incondicional en el país que le cambió para siempre (física y espiritualmente). También tiene retazos de lo que sería la "paradoja del castigo", sobre cuando aplicarlo, sobre confundir justicia con venganza y sobre como, aunque llegue a resultar comprensible, pueda ser terriblemente triste, como es la última página del libro.
Una de las perlas del catálogo de Dilatando Mentes Editorial, que espero que amplíen las traducciones de Thomas en nuestro país, y una novela a descubrir, que mezcla el sabor de lo antiguo con una especie de visión muy contemporánea, nada simple, del mundo en el que vivimos.
"El americano", de Jeffrey Thomas, es una novela que a lo largo de su narración desafía todos los tópicos del thriller (ya sea el más convencional o el sobrenatural, ya que tiene de ambas cosas, de lo segundo debido a un extraño don que posee Trenor) y confundirá a todos los lectores que busquen el habitual diseño "inicio-nudo-desenlace". Respira cierto aroma a thriller novelesco de los años 70, pero también, de un modo un tanto peculiar, a una guía de viajes de Vietnam, país que su autor parece conocer al dedillo. Es una historia de oscuridad, donde un horrible asesino con un férreo código de honor persigue a otro horrible asesino sin código ninguno, y también una historia de luz, donde un hombre hastiado y amargado por los traumas de la guerra encuentra una segunda vida y una maravillosa amistad incondicional en el país que le cambió para siempre (física y espiritualmente). También tiene retazos de lo que sería la "paradoja del castigo", sobre cuando aplicarlo, sobre confundir justicia con venganza y sobre como, aunque llegue a resultar comprensible, pueda ser terriblemente triste, como es la última página del libro.
Una de las perlas del catálogo de Dilatando Mentes Editorial, que espero que amplíen las traducciones de Thomas en nuestro país, y una novela a descubrir, que mezcla el sabor de lo antiguo con una especie de visión muy contemporánea, nada simple, del mundo en el que vivimos.
September 10, 2025
Magnífico thriller sobrenatural alrededor de la búsqueda de un criminal depravado y cruel en los bajos fondos más sórdidos de Vietnam. Presenta un interesante juego entre tres "americanos" en el marco de una descripción precisa de Vietnam junto a impactantes momentos de naturaleza sobrenatural. Junto con "Yo soy el río", magnífica obra del catálogo de Dilatando Mentes con Vietnam (y sus traumas) como protagonistas.
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