Official Review: The Death Dealers by David Griffith

Brendan Donaghy · Post by **Brendan Donaghy** » 12 Aug 2019, 13:33

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Death Dealers" by David Griffith.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Published in 2016, The Death Dealers is the second of four novels in author David Griffith’s ‘The Border Series’, with Canadian cowboy Lonnie Bowers once again the lead character. This book finds him still married to Clarissa and still traveling the country to ride in rodeos. On his way to the Canadian Rodeo Finals, Bowers takes a detour to visit the Rocky Point Reserve, driven by an inchoate need to uncover some information on the mother who abandoned him to a childhood in the foster care system. In Rocky Point, he finds the family he never knew he had. He also sees, to his horror, the devastation that drugs have caused in their lives. Lonnie leaves Rocky Point wondering why he had gone there in the first place, and vowing to himself never to return. At the same time, he is troubled by the suffering he has seen and is left with one question on his mind: what can he do to help?

The answer appears, perhaps, in the form of Frederick, boss of the private security agency for which Lonnie has undertaken work in the past. Frederick asks him to sign up for another mission. He wants him to infiltrate one of the most powerful of the Mexican drug cartels and to discover the location of their production centers and distribution lines. Bowers is reluctant. He is determined that his days of combating the cartels are behind him. He is no longer willing to take the physical risks that such dangerous missions involve. He is also unsure if his damaged marriage could stand the strain of another long-term absence that this undercover work would entail. Yet every time he resolves to refuse Frederick’s offer, the drug-ravaged face of his sister comes to his mind, pushing him in the direction of accepting another hazardous mission.

There are many positive aspects of this well-crafted novel that I enjoyed. Chief amongst these is the quality of the author’s writing, particularly when he is on the subjects of horses, rodeos, ranches, and ranchers. This is his world, and it shows in the authoritative way in which he describes it. He also demonstrates his craftsmanship in the manner in which he includes enough backstory to ensure continuity with the previous book in the series, while simultaneously making this second novel sufficiently self-contained for those who may not have read the first book. The writer also skillfully switches between a first-person narrative, seen through Lonnie’s eyes, and the third-person perspective when another character, usually Clarissa, takes the spotlight.

Another positive aspect worthy of mention is the multi-layered nature of the narrative. This is an action-thriller, first and foremost, but the author spends time developing other strands of the story too. The relationship between Lonnie and Clarissa is one such strand . There is also a thread about race and identity running between the lines. Lonnie is of mixed-race, and many of his attitudes and prejudices have been shaped by his difficult childhood. Finally, there is also a strong faith–disbelief dialectic running through the whole novel. Several of the characters are committed Christians and this is reflected in the dialogue between them. The central character, Lonnie, is not a Christian, but in many ways, this story is a journey of faith for him.

Some other aspects of the book I found slightly less convincing. I thought elements of the cartel story were slightly implausible, for example. It was also my impression that the dialogue between the characters was, at times, lacking in authenticity. These are not major issues, however, and other readers may have a different view.

The book has no profanities, nor are there any sexually explicit scenes. While there are violent incidents in the book, these are not excessive, so I think the book is suitable for young adults. People who enjoy action-thrillers will like this book, though anyone who objects to novels with a strong Christian ethos may want to give it a miss. The book has been professionally edited, but I picked up several minor errors. These are not distracting, but they do mean I need to deduct a point. For this reason, I award the novel three out of four stars.

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The Death Dealers
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Post by **Ngozi Onyibor** » 15 Aug 2019, 08:27

It sounds like a good story, but I'm not sure about the cartel angle, I doubt I will enjoy that. However, I love reading about the dynamics of inter-racial relationships. I will definitely give the book a try.

Brendan Donaghy · Post by **Brendan Donaghy** » 15 Aug 2019, 13:35

Michelle Fred wrote: ↑15 Aug 2019, 08:27 It sounds like a good story, but I'm not sure about the cartel angle, I doubt I will enjoy that. However, I love reading about the dynamics of inter-racial relationships. I will definitely give the book a try.

Hope you enjoy it - thanks for commenting!

OuKoyoo · Post by **OuKoyoo** » 15 Aug 2019, 16:02

I love action thrillers and since this book falls in that category, I think I should locate it and enjoy the read. Thank you for the review.

Brendan Donaghy · Post by **Brendan Donaghy** » 15 Aug 2019, 16:41

OuKoyoo wrote: ↑15 Aug 2019, 16:02 I love action thrillers and since this book falls in that category, I think I should locate it and enjoy the read. Thank you for the review.

Thank you for commenting!

Erin Painter Baker · Post by **Erin Painter Baker** » 16 Aug 2019, 13:28

Having grown up in ranching and rodeo country (MT and NV), I kind of want to read this book for that aspect. Your description makes me a little homesick.

At the same time, having been a foster parent, I don't know that I want to re-subject myself to the heartbreak that can come from the damage drugs do to families, even kids who aren't raised in that environment. Even without the unevenness in the dialogue and the less realistic nature of the parts about the drug cartel, that makes me think I will give this book a pass.
Nice review, as always.

allbooked+ · Post by **allbooked+** » 16 Aug 2019, 16:16

This sounds like a complex story - thank you for the insightful review!

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 16 Aug 2019, 17:43

I like your description of the journey of faith for Lonnie. It's also refreshing to read a book free of profanity and sexual content. Thanks for the recommendation.

Brendan Donaghy · Post by **Brendan Donaghy** » 17 Aug 2019, 07:39

esp1975 wrote: ↑16 Aug 2019, 13:28 Having grown up in ranching and rodeo country (MT and NV), I kind of want to read this book for that aspect. Your description makes me a little homesick.
At the same time, having been a foster parent, I don't know that I want to re-subject myself to the heartbreak that can come from the damage drugs do to families, even kids who aren't raised in that environment. Even without the unevenness in the dialogue and the less realistic nature of the parts about the drug cartel, that makes me think I will give this book a pass.
Nice review, as always.

The 'horsey' bits of the book were my favourite sections, I think. He made that whole ranching and rodeo lifestyle come alive for someone totally unfamiliar with it. Thank you for commenting!

Brendan Donaghy · Post by **Brendan Donaghy** » 17 Aug 2019, 07:40

allbooked+ wrote: ↑16 Aug 2019, 16:16 This sounds like a complex story - thank you for the insightful review!

Thank so much for commenting!

Brendan Donaghy · Post by **Brendan Donaghy** » 17 Aug 2019, 07:42

Cecilia_L wrote: ↑16 Aug 2019, 17:43 I like your description of the journey of faith for Lonnie. It's also refreshing to read a book free of profanity and sexual content. Thanks for the recommendation.

It's definitely a book with a strong Christian ethos. I'd be very surprised if it turned out that the author wasn't a committed Christian himself. Thanks for the comments!

Intuitive Catalyst · Post by **Intuitive Catalyst** » 19 Aug 2019, 14:39

Hmm, as much as I love action thrillers, for some reason this one doesn't call to me, but I had to read your review because of the book's title. Thank you for your time. Cheers

Brendan Donaghy · Post by **Brendan Donaghy** » 20 Aug 2019, 05:40

Intuitive Catalyst wrote: ↑19 Aug 2019, 14:39 Hmm, as much as I love action thrillers, for some reason this one doesn't call to me, but I had to read your review because of the book's title. Thank you for your time. Cheers

Thank you for your comments!

sarahmarlowe randomeducator · 20 Aug 2019, 09:56

I don't know that I have ever read about a Canadian cowboy! I may need to expand my horizons (and sunsets)! This sounds like a good, clean read. Thanks for your review!

Brendan Donaghy · Post by **Brendan Donaghy** » 21 Aug 2019, 02:05

sarahmarlowe wrote: ↑20 Aug 2019, 09:56 I don't know that I have ever read about a Canadian cowboy! I may need to expand my horizons (and sunsets)! This sounds like a good, clean read. Thanks for your review!

'Good, clean read' is probably a very fair summary of this book. Wish I'd used it in my review! Thank you for taking the time to comment!