Nelson DeMille’s The Deserter is co-written with his son Alex and it takes place in Venezuela. In itself a tragic story of greed and corruption, especially in a country with enormous petroleum assets, the book offers an interesting insight into the tumultuous political situation there.
It starts when a highly skilled deserter, Captain Kyle Mercer, has been spotted in Venezuela. Mercer, a leader in the Army’s Delta Force who had served in Afghanistan, had deserted but was captured by the Taliban, where he was held and tortured for two years. He managed to escape his captors.
Meanwhile, Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor, investigators for the Army's Criminal Investigation Division, are dispatched to bring Mercer back to stand trial.
The question bugging the duo is why did Mercer desert. Also, how can the CID team function in the failed state of Venezuela?
Scenes are set in the city, jungle, and mountains and are skillfully presented in ways that offer readers an understanding of the ordeals of the Venezuelans. The country is impoverished, except for its corrupt and ever-changing leadership.
The result is a dreadful fact of life in Caracas where bribery and violence are a daily fact of life for the people there. Brodie and Taylor are fortunate to secure the services of Luis, a Venezuelan driver who is a likable but also a predictable character. With his help, they are able to discover that Mercer has left Caracas and is now in the jungle in the south.
Both investigators then track him there, despite having to face obstacles; learn the ugly truth about his defection and also the real character of Brendan Worley, the purported attaché in Caracas.
The relationship between the headstrong Scott and a more cautious Maggie adds some sparks to the story. They balance each other out in productive ways as Maggie is fluent in Spanish while Scott provides the muscle.