Review of Quest: Finding Freddie

[Jeffrey S Brown]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Quest: Finding Freddie" by Thomas Richard Spradlin.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Quest: Finding Freddie

By Thomas Richard Spradlin

This is a fascinating book. Quest: Finding Freddie documents the legal, diplomatic, and backchannel actions involved in the search for the missing CEO of Nachman International Trading Corporation, Frederick Nachman, in 1976 Nigeria. Attorney and author Thomas Richard Spradlin accepts traveling to Nigeria to locate and return Freddie to the United States. Cost is no object, which is good since it is not an inexpensive or trivial undertaking. It is not easy to get an entry visa into Nigeria, and a recent rescue of hostages by the Israeli Defense Force from neighboring Uganda has raised political tension in the entire region. Further complicating things is that Freddie is Jewish and, therefore, suspect to the government, and all that is known about his disappearance is that he went for a midday walk and never returned to his hotel. Here is a true-life thriller, and it does not disappoint.

I approached Quest with some skepticism, expecting average writing and a dry story. What I found is a well-written, cohesive, and exciting story. The dialogue is a bit stilted, but that may result from explaining details that the characters would already understand in actual conversation. Author Spradlin’s habit of extensive notetaking is apparent in the detail of the narrative and the coherent presentation. His description of the Nigerian atmosphere and people is engaging. The liberal use of ‘dash’, money to grease the wheels of social and commercial interaction, and outright bribes as an accepted cost of doing business demonstrates why an extensive open line of credit is necessary for navigating this society. In-country personal assistance is a must for visitors to understand the intricacies of life here. Spradlin’s acquaintances are exemplary in their help and friendship. The extraordinary individual effort required to carry out this project is astounding.

Overall, the editing of this book is quite good, though proofreading could use some additional work. Quest: Finding Freddie is worth the reader’s time, and I give it five out of five stars despite those technical writing errors.

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Quest: Finding Freddie
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