Blood Lines (Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor #2), by Nelson DeMille and Alex DeMille

Nine stars

Long a fan of Nelson DeMille’s writing, I was eager to see how he would work alongside his son, Alex. The two have a great ability to meld their writing styles and create an impactful story that is sure to pull the reader into the middle of a stunning story with just the right amount of humour. A politically powerful novel that has strong historical aspects, the authors present this stunning piece that is as entertaining as it is long. Well worth the reader’s time and effort, Nelson and Alex DeMillie make the experience one readers will remember for the foreseeable future

After their last assignment, Army Criminal Investigation Agents Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor spent five months apart, trying to piece together what took place on a mission in Venezuela. Their stellar abilities and great working relationship has them both summoned to return to action, this time in Germany, where fellow CID Special Agent Harry Vance has been found dead in a park at the centre of Berlin’s Arab refugee community. Brody and Taylor have great skills and must sift through all the rhetoric to gather answers, though they must work alongside the German authorities, rather than calling the shots. Working to discover what happened to Special Agent Vance, a counterterrorism expert, will take more than simply looking at the crime scene photos.

German authorities are sure that this has been an act of Islamic terrorism, though Special Agents Brodie and Taylor cannot dismiss all angles. While Germany is retuning to its right-wing views and strong Islamaphobia, there is something that does not seem right with the case. Brodie and Taylor cannot dismiss the strong sentiments, but even if they explore the victim’s past, something other than terrorism comes to the surface. Vance’s presence in the German capital is not entirely related to his work, with a mystery that few have yet to uncover. There is also a strong Cold War element, one that could turn the case on its head, should anyone want to look under the surface.

Butting heads on both sides of the Atlantic, Brodie and Taylor must forge onwards to see if this could simply be an attack on a group that has been vilified in the country or whether there may be some Stasi-era double agents that have been sitting under the radar since the fall of the Berlin Wall. There is nothing like taking the case into their own control, as Brodie and Taylor are sure someone is trying to sweep things under the rug. Forced to get to the core of the issue, Brodie and Taylor refuse to stand down and force themselves into the uncomfortable areas of the investigation, while others would do all they can to silence them. With a larger event looming, CID Special Agents Brodie and Taylor must solve the murder of Harry Vance before disaster strikes for everyone and turns the German nation into a mess it has not seen since the Nazis rose to power. A stunning piece that has all the needed elements, Nelson and Alex DeMille make it a must-read for many.

While dry wit is one of the key aspects to Nelson DeMille’s work, there is always a strong storyline under there. This has surely been passed along to Alex when the elder DeMille decided to collaborate. These two have been able to pen two great novels and keep the reef in the middle of it all. There is a great historical backstory here, as the narrative builds, while also addressing many political and social aspects of the German state, a key aspect to the story’s core. As things advance, the authors make sure the reader is kept on the edge of their seat. Things are never what they appear, especially with DeMillie at the helm. Adding great character development, the authors provide strong views and just the right amount of humour to cut through some of the denser moments throughout. I hope to see more of Brodie and Taylor before too long.

Plot development helps make this the strong book it has become. There is a need for a central theme, which the authors present with ease, but also some historical aspects that fuel sub-plots and ideas that could steer things in other directions. The authors cannot help but inject both to keep things from becoming too linear. I can only hope that the reader is able to juggle everything in order to get o the core of the matter. I cannot wait to see when next the protagonists will come together, offering the authors a chance to collaborate once more.

Kudos, Messrs. DeMille, for another great piece that kept me hooked.

The Deserter (Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor #1), by Nelson DeMille and Alex DeMille

Eight stars

In this debut father-son collaboration, Nelson and Alex DeMille present a novel that takes the reader into the depths of South America on the hunt for a renegade army officer. While serving in Afghanistan, Captain Kyle Mercer is captured by the Taliban and paraded before the cameras, only to slip out of their grasp and disappear entirely. His desertion is made clear, though he refuses to elaborate and remains on the lam. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) receives a substantial lead and decides to send two of its own, Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor, out to capture Mercer and bring him back to face court martial. It would appear that Mercer was last seen in the seediest part of Caracas, capital of the increasingly unstable Venezuela. Brodie and Taylor prepare for their mission, knowing little about one another, but keen to bring Mercer to justice. When they arrive, both CID agents use a cover story to allow them the chance to investigate a little further, though this will mean bending all sense of reality, as they enter brothels of the worst kind. While Brodie is keen to crack a joke at every turn, Taylor cannot stomach the depravity that is presented to them, hoping to locate Mercer and depart swiftly. When one of the prostitutes tells a detailed story of Mercer having left the city for a jungle camp, Brodie and Taylor must prepare for new adventures, learning also about a ‘Flagstaff’ mission, which might be key to the desertion. They are also made aware of a competing American group seeking Mercer’s head, though they will likely kill him and ask questions later. Armed with little more than a flimsy cover story, Brodie and Taylor must locate and capture Mercer without him finding out, which is sure to be harder than it seems. A great joint effort that pushes the DeMilles to the edge of their capabilities as they pen a great thriller peppered with off-hand humour. Recommended to those who have long loved the elder DeMille’s dry wit and detailed stories, as well as the reader looking for something set in a newer locale with great description.

I have seen readers all over the map with this piece, so I was slightly apprehensive about wanting to tackle it. Knowing the caliber of Nelson DeMille’s writing, I could only hope that Alex would be able to keep pace and help create a stellar piece of fiction. I did not feel let down and wonder if the harsh critics were perhaps too wrapped up with some DeMille perfection that they did not permit new approaches to thriller writing. Scott Brodie is the usual DeMille protagonist, whose love of his job is balanced out with the need to crack a joke while plotting how to get inside a woman’s pants. Brodie offers much to the story, lightening the mood when needed, but also keeping the reader on their toes with his antics and leadership qualities. There are some breadcrumbs of a past where Brodie was reprimanded or at least criticized for his machismo, but he is also focussed on the job at hand, including how to get out of tricky situations. Maggie Taylor is still coming into her own throughout this piece. A soldier turned CID, she is used to taking orders, but not necessarily handling the brashness of someone akin to Brodie. Eager to please, she has her limits and will not simply let her superior toss her into danger without challenging the decisions. She’s also privy to much, including the aforementioned Flagstaff background, which could come in handy for her and the larger mission, should she tell what she knows. Others provide both humour and action throughout this piece, providing the reader with some entertainment value, as well as a few chills, depending on the point of the story. The premise of this piece is strong, taking the reader out of their usual reading haunts and into Venezuela. A great deal of research surely went into creating this setting and ensuring that at least most of it was plausible. The DeMilles keep the story clipping along, even though it is a long novel, with numerous tangents that serve to enrich the hunt for Kyle Mercer. I was eager to learn that there is more to come, both with the Brodie-Taylor team and collaboration between Nelson and Alex DeMille. This is a new series in the making that has the building blocks for success.

Kudos, Messrs. DeMille, for a great joint debut. I loved the humour, the education, and the entertainment you provided me. Don’t let the critics get you down.

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons