The Country I Lived In is a rarity - a book so good I immediately wanted to read it again. The hero is John Rawbone Lourdes, a young Texan who grew up hard. He was orphaned at nine, lied about his age and went to war at sixteen - working for Army Intelligence in France - and went on to distinguish himself in Korea. Now it’s 1955, he’s back in Texas, and the CIA is hot to recruit him. But he’s ready for a break. All he wants to do is jump in his Packard convertible and hit the road.
But when one of his Korean War buddies calls for help - and is found dead under mysterious and disgusting circumstances - John is pulled into a web of death and deceit that takes him deep into Mexico, where he’s forced to face a number of chilling truths about the country he calls home.
A prefatory note says: This work is based on an actual conspiracy, along with certain facts, crimes and murders. If that’s true, I, too, have learned some ugly things about the good old U.S.A.
The Country I Lived In has all the elements of a great thriller, but what impressed me most was the depth and lyrical quality of the prose. Underlying all the intrigue, the romance and the gun-blasting violence is an examination of the human character, with many passages so poetic I’m eager to read them again.
Best of all, there’s MORE to read. I've since discovered this is the third book in a cycle. The Creed of Violence (2009) takes place in 1910, following John’s outlaw grandfather and federal agent father on a journey of self discovery during the Mexican Revolution. And Gardens of Grief (2010) finds John’s father on a mission to Turkey, where Islamic fundamentalists are doing their best to exterminate the Armenians.
Boston Teran (whoever he, she, or they may be) is the author of six more novels, with another - involving the birth of the Ku Klux Klan - coming soon. I have a lot to look forward to.
You'll find it on Amazon HERE.
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