Official Review: Death in Central America

[Theresa Moffitt]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Death in Central America" by Jack L Hafferkamp.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Death in Central America by Jack Hafferkamp is a fascinating novel about a group of nine travel writers who are brought together in 1993 for a trip to Central America. The goal of the trip is to promote ecotourism. The group consists of writers who each bring valuable and differing perspectives to the table. There is a seasoned writer, Thomas Tinker, and inexperienced writers, Djuna and Josh. Alexis and Dorothea are a lesbian couple who each write for different newspapers and are looking forward to spending time together on this trip. Kathy, Pat, Lehrer and Buddy are included in the group, each representing different news organizations with varying levels of experience. The dialogue between the writers is interesting and shows how the more experienced travel writers engage with the newer writers by providing valuable background facts about the political and social history of Central America.

The writers are provided with guides who escort them to various tourist areas. At times, armed guards also accompany them due to the hostilities in some areas. Members of the group begin to fear for their safety. Their travels take them to remote small villages where they are isolated. Their guides provide aid and security whenever possible. However, when members of the group don’t speak the language or know the area, it is an unsettling experience when violence erupts.

I enjoyed reading this book. The author was previously a travel writer and this experience adds to the story. The writers in the group seem authentic and their discussions with one another cover topics about travel that are realistic given the situations in which they find themselves. I especially enjoyed instances where Tinker would educate the rest of the group on the history and politics of the area. He had the most experience as a writer and was interesting and informative. It was also helpful for readers to have some background about the area. This was a unique way to provide that information to the readers through the dialogue between the writers. As Tinker was educating the group, he was also educating the readers.

What I enjoyed most about the book was the dialogue between the characters. The descriptions of the writers were vivid, and the dialogue added so much to the story. The group included a wide range of personalities and that was conveyed expertly through their interactions with one another. For example, Buddy is a brash character that says whatever he thinks without regard to how it will be received. The other members of the group are more guarded. Their interactions and frustrations with Buddy are interesting and entertaining.

There was nothing I disliked about this book. Hafferkamp created a group of multi-dimensional characters who were realistic and relatable. In the beginning of the book, it was difficult to keep them all straight because they were all introduced at one time when they met at the airport. However, each character was so unique in description, mannerism and dialogue that this difficulty was quickly overcome. The story has some unexpected twists and turns that made it very difficult to put down.

Although there were some errors in the book, they did not take away from my enjoyment of the story. Therefore, I believe the book was professionally edited. I rate this book four out of four stars because it was an interesting and engaging story that kept me engaged. I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in novels about travel to Central America. It would also appeal to readers who enjoy action and adventure. However, there are instances of violence and death (as the title implies) that some readers may want to avoid. There are also sexual situations and profanity that make it inappropriate for young or sensitive readers.

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Death in Central America
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[Drianie]

The idea of being a traveling writer seems so appealing, but I'm sure that the accounts in this novel will be heart-pounding and thrilling. The many twists and turns will keep readers engaged. Thanks for the detailed review!

[Vkaur]

I think there is much authenticity is to be found when there is appealing dialogue between the characters. I like the educational aspect; I may not know much about Central America, but it does sound like an interesting read. Thank you for your review!

[Shubham Shah]

Travelling writer with a group of others like him on a trip to Central America, it is completely something out of the box that I will be reading for sure. Thanks for the fabulous review

[Asma Aisha Ansari]

I've been dreaming about visiting Costa Rica since a long time. I like how it remains peaceful even when it's bordered by nations who don't enjoy as much peace. And I don't know enough about Costa Rica or for that matter Central America. So, this book will help me understand its political climate better beyond what can be known through tourism articles.
Thanks for this informative and thorough review

[Emily_Jen]

A book about a group of nine travel writers who are brought together in 1993 for a trip to Central America, a trip to promote ecotourism. I think I'd enjoy the book, and the dialogue between characters is something I'm looking for to. Congrats on the BOTD.

[Anil G]

Seven writers in a book, dialogues, action and adventure, knowledge and perspective appear to be a perfect book for a reader! You did a great job with the review!

[Pandora10]

I like reading some stories from travel writers, but the content of this book does not appeal to me. Thanks for a good review of this book.

[Veleno]

From the review this seems like an interesting and immersive read. Though I've never read a book of this genre for pleasure, I have found them useful for my studies. I like the fact that the author introduces diverse and unique characters and provides readers with intelligent and natural-sounding dialogues. Thanks for the great review!

[Ruchi Raina]

This book seems to have a unique theme that many people may like. I can't even imagine what they must have felt being at an unknown place where violence is erupting all around them, and they can't even interact with those people, as they don't know their language. That must have been a scary experience. Thanks for the review.

[Aan Granados]

I like reading about travel, especially to exotic places. This seems like a great adventure story. Thanks for your review.

[Michelle Menezes]

Being a travel writer seems like a great job till you have to visit dangerous locations with hostilities. While this book seems interesting, I don't think I'll be reading it as I don't read non-fiction.

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

There was nothing I disliked about this book. Hafferkamp created a group of multi-dimensional characters who were realistic and relatable. In the beginning of the book, it was difficult to keep them all straight because they were all introduced at one time when they met at the airport. However, each character was so unique in description, mannerism and dialogue that this difficulty was quickly overcome. The story has some unexpected twists and turns that made it very difficult to put down.

That's not an easy feat to achieve. I easily get lost when there are many characters because authors struggle to give them an independent voice, so kudos to the author.
Thank you for your great review!

[sampad acharya]

Reading the official Review of the Title " death in central america" by Jack L Hafferkamp; I would like to say
that perhaps the book fulfilled the writer's notion of depicting the relation of "DEATH" WITH Central american
multitude to some extent by conversing characters on socio-economic aspects.

[Amy Luman]

I have never had any interest in traveling to Central America and reading the review about possible violence does nothing to change that opinion. Learning about the culture and history of the area is appealing, though.