The Amateur American [Paperback]

Joel Saunders Elmore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 4, 2009

Sometimes the hardest boundaries to see . . .are the ones you’ve already crossed.

Twenty-nine-year-old Jeffrey Delanne is teaching English in France but having a tough time stretching his measly paycheck one month to the next. When he’s not worrying about his bar tab, he’s struggling with the language, trying to justify his country’s “imperialist” actions to every French person in sight, and wondering just what the hell he’s doing abroad.

Desperate for a few quick euros, Jeffrey takes on some translating work for an eccentric Arab businessman. But the job turns ugly, and Jeffrey is forced to do things he never thought himself capable of, torn among guilt, a host of criminal impulses, and a haunting paranoia he’d never known back home.

But maybe it’s not just paranoia. Soon Jeffrey’s colleagues, his students, and even the women in his life begin hinting at dark secrets, and Jeffrey starts to suspect that he’s been lured into a brutal game whose implications go far beyond this unassuming corner of the world.

Now his life may depend on his willingness to transform himself into something–someone–who’ll stop at nothing to survive.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Elmore's less than suspenseful thriller debut opens with a French news report dated March 23, 2003, describing the manhunt for Jeffrey Delanne. An American, Delanne is suspected of having had a hand in the murders of two federal agents as well as the poisoning death of the former head of the school where Delanne worked as a teaching assistant in Lourange, France. The action then flashes back three weeks to relate how Delanne became a patsy for shadowy conspirators with murky motives. The cash-strapped TA agrees to serve as a translator for an elderly Arab entrepreneur, who turns out to want Delanne's help in getting information out of a British man he's holding hostage. Despite this frightening experience, Delanne is unable to avoid a second assignment that crosses the line between interpreter and torturer. Too easily manipulated, Delanne is more apt to make readers impatient than gain their sympathy. (Aug.)
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Review

“A superior work of action-packed suspense fiction.  A natural-born writer, Elmore’s got an ear for dialogue and an eye for intrigue.  The combination equals reading pleasure.”
—John Lescroart, New York Times-bestselling author of Betrayal

“A terse, Hitchcockian tale of a regular guy in extraordinary situations, holding back its secrets until the last delectable pages. I'm excitedly awaiting the next book from J. Saunders Elmore.”
—Olen Steinhauer, New York Times-bestselling author of The Tourist

“With wit, style and a depth of insight only firsthand experience can bring, Joel Elmore has written a tantalizingly wicked tale about an American everyman cursed with a bottomless thirst for French women and wine and an uncanny knack for complicating his life. A first-rate page-turner--not just deftly plotted but richly detailed, with vivid, unforgettable characters. I got caught up in the action and lost an afternoon, unable to put the book down as one plot turn careened into the next. A truly accomplished debut. I want more. And soon.”
—David Corbett, Edgar-nominated author of Blood of Paradise

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; Original edition (August 4, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307452875
• ISBN-13: 978-0307452870
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #923,390 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A smart, suspensful page turner, September 3, 2009

By 

Matthew Flaming - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Amateur American (Paperback)

The Amateur American is one of the smartest, most original thrillers I've read -- a page-turner that manages to be both cerebral and full of electrifying action. Elmore's pitch-perfect writing vividly brings to life the adventures of his protagonist, Jeffrey Delanne, an American struggling to stay afloat in a foreign culture that he doesn't fully understand. In the end, this novel is more than a fantastic adventure: it's also a compelling meditation on language, translation, and the slipperiness of ethical behavior in a world with few certainties. Highly recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best book I've read all year!, August 17, 2009

By 

Matthew D. Gilgoff "mattdylan" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Amateur American (Paperback)

This is probably the best thriller I've ever read. You'll get lost in the story and enjoy every page. Add an extra star if you like booze, France and great writing.

Movie rights have already been bought by the creative team behind Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Probably going to end up being something like the Bourne Identity Trilogy, but more intelligent, layered, and story driven.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really fantastic - highly recommended!, November 20, 2009

By 

Joseph (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Amateur American (Paperback)

My brother recommended this book to me and I loved it so much that I literally have gotten back into reading since finishing it. The book reminded me of how much fun it could be, and how much better the day could be, if you've got a good book to read at any opportunity. I have since shared the book with a coworker who has spent a lot of time in France (where the book takes place) and who speaks fluent French, and he loved it too. The book is fast-paced, clever, funny at times and a page-turner throughout. I agree with other reviewers that it would make for a great movie and I can't wait to read this author's next book. Really well done and highly recommended!