I ask because his debut novel, “The Drifter,” has all the thrills and chills, heartache and laughs, as well as suspense that you’d want in a thriller. Plus, it has a reptilian bad guy, a Marine veteran good guy, and a dog with his own mind. Hard to beat that.
The plot centers around Peter Ash, a retired Marine lieutenant living in the wilderness – by choice – who finds out his best friend killed himself. He knows Jimmy’s wife needs help so he heads to Milwaukee to offer that help. As he’s fixing her porch he finds a suitcase with $400,000 and some plastic explosives in it. And the dog guarding it.
As he tries to find out where the money came from he gets a feeling Jimmy didn’t kill himself after all. Trying to prove it, mixes him up in a plot that – if carried out – could cause more destruction and devastation than the Oklahoma City bombing. And on Veterans Day, no less.
One of the most interesting parts of the book is that it shows the many ways Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can manifest itself. (In Peter’s case, it actually helps him near the end of the book.) It also points out – not in a blatant or preachy way – that we, as a country, need to treat our veterans better.
Back to the book: It’s written in five parts. I have some advice for you. Before you start the fifth part, make yourself a cup of tea or pour yourself a glass of wine and settle in because you won’t be able to put the book down until the end.
Welcome to the world of thrillers, Nicholas Petrie. I hope you stick around for a long time.
You can hear my interview with Nicholas Petrie here: WESB.com. Scroll to LiveLine for 01-25-16.
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