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Book Reviewed by:An explosive thriller debut introducing Peter Ash, a veteran who finds that the demons of war aren't easily left behind ...
Peter Ash came home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with only one souvenir: what he calls his "white static," the buzzing claustrophobia due to post-traumatic stress that has driven him to spend a year roaming in nature, sleeping under the stars. But when a friend from the Marines commits suicide, Ash returns to civilization to help the man's widow with some home repairs. Under her dilapidated porch, he finds more than he bargained for: the largest, ugliest, meanest dog he's ever encountered ... and a Samsonite suitcase stuffed with cash and explosives.
As Ash begins to investigate this unexpected discovery, he finds himself at the center of a plot that is far larger than he could have imagined ... and it may lead straight back to the world he thought he'd left for good. Suspenseful and thrilling, and featuring a compelling new hero, The Drifter is an exciting debut from a fresh voice in crime fiction.
Petrie knows what he’s doing as he paints Ash’s ease with children and dogs. We like this guy from the get go. That Peter refuses to act on his physical attraction to his best friend’s widow brings him into sharper nice-guy focus. He is intelligent, gentle when need be and has a sharp wit. We’re rooting for him even if he occasionally behaves as if he’s still in a war zone. Ingrained behaviors are hard to shake...continued
Full Review
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(Reviewed by Donna Chavez).
U.S. Marine veteran Peter Ash in The Drifter is homeless – well, houseless. By choice. While he has little money he is not a vagrant. He has skills and does odd jobs. Outdoor jobs. Because Peter is incapable of staying indoors for any amount of time. This incapacity is a consequence of his military tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan where his job required him to search buildings, homes, small outbuildings. These searches often resulted in terrifyingly dangerous encounters where lives – both friendly and foreign – were lost. Now just entering a building, any structure, causes swift and merciless panic attacks.
Peter is a kind of homeless that doesn't fit the mold. He's smart, strong, self-sufficient and ...
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