The Recruit
The Recruit
Ratings1
Average rating4
An idyllic California town. A deadly secret. A race against killers hidden in plain sight. . . . “Extraordinary! The Recruit is as smart and stylish as it is compelling.”—Jeffery Deaver, author of The Bone Collector Rancho Santa Elena in 1987 seems like the ideal Southern California paradise—that is, until a series of strange crimes threatens to unravel the town’s social fabric: workers attacked with mysterious weapons; a wealthy real estate developer found dead in the pool of his beach house. The only clues are poison and red threads found at both crime scenes. As Detective Benjamin Wade and forensic expert Natasha Betencourt struggle to connect the incidents, they begin to wonder: Why Santa Elena? And why now? Soon Ben zeroes in on a vicious gang of youths involved in the town’s burgeoning white power movement. As he and Natasha uncover the truth about Santa Elena’s unsavory underbelly, Ben discovers that the group is linked to a much wider terror network, one that’s using a new technology called the internet to spread its ideology, plan attacks, and lure young men into doing its bidding. Ben closes in on identifying the gang’s latest target, hoping that the young recruit will lead him to the mastermind of the growing network. But as he digs deeper in an ever-widening investigation, Ben is forced to confront uncomfortable truths about himself and his beloved community, where corruption is ignored and prejudice is wielded against fellow citizens without fear of reprisal. Chilling and timely, The Recruit follows one man’s descent into the darkness lurking just beneath the respectable veneer of modern life.
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Very Late to the Party
Firstly I would like to send my deepest apologies to everyone who was involved in my being selected to read this book. Also thank them for selecting me to read this arc. My awful delay has nothing to do with the author and his craft. It all has to do with life getting away from me which is no one's issue but mine. In fact The Recruit by Alan Drew is a fantastic crime story featuring well-developed characters and multiple crimes weaved together in a shocking, but not the far-fetched way. Based in a Southern California town in the 80s, the book addresses themes that exist today. Which makes it very relatable to the reader The story of outsiders coming into a new community and the insiders threatened by their differences and the change is one familiar to all.
Drew brings you into the minds of all the characters telling the story from the perspectives of the medical examiner, the detective and police looking into unsolved cases, the Vietnamese immigrants new to America, and the young boys being led into white supremacy groups as he unveils and weaves together a wave of crime that unfortunately is too real. What I enjoyed most is the pacing. When I realized I had it on my kindle still and hadn't started it I was able to read it in one sitting which is in great part to great writing. Again my sincerest apologies 4 starts all the way.