4 out of 4 stars
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I am not a fan of true stories or memoirs but Dan ‘Tito’ Davis’ memoir, Gringo: My Life on the Edge as an International Fugitive made me think twice about memoirs. This magnificent book by Peter Conti is both edgy and compelling. It is written from the vantage point of a fugitive- making the book stand out from the ordinary.
Peter tells a story about ‘Tito’, a wrongly accused drug lord who skips bail and starts a new life in Latin America. To cover his tracks and hide his identity, Dan ‘Tito’ Davis moonlights as an exchange student or a businessman. His life was not all rosy, but full of interesting twists and turns. His encounters with the leaders of local drug cartels and the police are more fascinating than most Hollywood movies. Peter introduces us to a variety of characters who sound so authentic; you cannot erase them from your memory. Tito lived with “his eyes over his shoulders” all his life whilst he was on the run. Did Tito manage to dodge the Feds? Did he get back to his normal life? Did he finally re-unite with his family? Did he manage to adapt to the ‘concrete jungle’ of Latin America? Well, read on Gringo: My Life on the Edge as an International Fugitive to get your answers from this fascinating page-turner by Peter Conti.
I liked the book because it is written in simple language. The characters are introduced at the right time and done away with in a compelling manner. The book was written in such a way that one can sense the dangers that were imminent in the tale. This made the story remarkably thrilling. Peter’s writing style is both gripping and sharp- you won’t be able to put the book down. I did not like the book being written from the view point of the fugitive only. I think the tale should have been told from the vantage point of the law enforcement agents as well to make the story ‘balanced’.
The book is written in sixteen short chapters, which make each chapter a pleasure to read. Each chapter has a catchy title- a clever way of encouraging the reader to read on. Peter made use of end notes at the end of the book. The end notes explain words and jargon not common to the ordinary person. The author also explained some words and phrases using footnotes on some pages.
In Gringo: My Life on the Edge as an International Fugitive, Peter Conti created a thrilling tale which can easily capture the attention of the reader. I recommend the book to those who are into memoirs and those who enjoy fast-paced stories. Those who are into fiction are also encouraged to read the book. Though a memoir, the book is full of action that one will think the story is made up. This book is a no go area to those who like stories with slow-paced plots. The Kindle version I read is free of grammatical and spelling errors. The story is so intriguing that you can literally ’live’ in the characters’ reality. Due to the aforementioned reasons I award the book 4 out of 4 stars.
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Gringo
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