Customer Reviews

The Commander

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a mystery that explores the politics and culture of South Korea through a couple of military investigators and a Korean detective. It has a lot of plot twists that make you wonder if the cops will ever figure out who the culprit is. Right before it ends, the reader has to suspect everyone. The dialog zips right along making for a good quick read.

"The Commander" is truly an excellent piece of suspense and mystery writing. Set in Korea, a man passed up for promotion by the military is called back on the job to solve the murder of a dancer known as the "Tiger Lady." As he delves into the case, he finds it more and more difficult to figure out who he can trust. Numerous plot twists keep the reader guessing and the story has an ending you probably won't see coming.

Major Burton Webber resigned from the military when he was passed over for promotion because he married a Korean woman. He had been in charge of the OSI office at a military base in South Korea. His former commanding officer wanted him back to be in charge of the investigation of a politically sensitive murder of a beautiful bar dancer. Plenty of intrigue and excitement as he weaves his way thru the complex plot. The reader wonders right up till the dramatic ending who the killer was. Very interesting also was the lesson in Korean culture. Really a superb page turner.

He is now a salesman in his wife's jewelry store located in the red light district of Song-lan, South Korea, but once he was career military at the Osan Air Base. His three star general destroyed his chances for promotion from Major to Colonel because Burton Webber married a Korean woman. Instead Burt, a career military man, immediately resigned.

Now the very man who forced him out of the military wants to hire him as a civilian to serve as liaison with the Republic of Korea provincial detectives in the investigation of the death of a Korean bar girl. There is circumstantial evidence that an American stationed at Osan committed the crime and if that turns out to be true, it could turn out to be a political disaster. Burt and his Korean counterpart want to see justice done but the FBI, the CIA, the military and the Korean mob at every turn stifle them.

THE COMMANDER is an excellent military thriller starring a truly heroic protagonist who is honorable, trustworthy and loyal to his principles. Burt's willingness to give up his career for the woman he loves rings true and the scenes with his wife are beautiful to behold though this reviewer thought EO would ruin the officer destroying the hero's career. Patrick A. Davis' insight into the culture of Korea is very believable enabling Americans to see themselves as another country views them. Reader's who like a novel set in an exotic locale are going to love this book.

Harriet Klausner

I didn't have high expectations of this book when it was loaned to me by a friend but I ended reading it in one sitting-it was that good! Being stationed in Korea and being married to a Korean, I could easy visualize the places mentioned and he did a good job describing Korean culture. One thing that's different in real life, is that fortunately since the book was written, the area around Osan AB has been cleaned up quite a bit and human trafficking isn't tolerated anymore. I'm looking forward to reading the author's other books.

Justice, racism and family honor all play key roles in this intriguing mystery by Patrick Davis. The author returns again in his fourth book to his military experiences. Much like the other three, this novel features constant action, intriguing and complicated characters and a mystery full of twists and turns to the very last page.

As the novel opens, Major Burton Webber is no longer a member of the Air Force and is content to help his Korean wife run her jewelry store. At one time he was Chief of the Osan Air Base (South Korea) office of Special Investigations. But office politics runs everything, especially the military, and he was wrongfully passed over for promotion. Now the Air Force wants him back ostensibly because he is the best at what he does.

The Air Force has a politically sensitive problem in a region that now wants Americans to pull out of their bases and go home. An Amerasian bar girl (prostitute) has been brutally murdered and it may have been at the hands of an American service person. If true, it comes on the heels of other recent events in the region and could be the final push for the Americans to go home. Supposedly, General Muller (responsible for the pass over in promotion) wants Webber to come in and investigate the case and find the guilty party and wrap everything up as fast as possible.

While Webber does not buy into the situation as described, it is a chance for him to do what he really likes to do and so he agrees. Webber begins to run the investigation and isn't surprised when the investigation begins to run into political roadblocks. As everyone around him seems to lie to him, he continues to work the case and begins to find the clues that will lead him to the killers. His problem is that as his suspect list shortens, the clues seem to be leading him toward those closest to him.

As in his other books, Patrick Davis once again writes another tightly plotted mystery. The action flows steadily throughout the novel and the reader is constantly misdirected as the investigation proceeds forward. His characters are complex and human and he shows a real talent for bringing the reader into his world. Simply put: another great read.

The Commander was an excellent read. Not very many books are written in a first-person format, but it is a great way to write. The story is first-rate, with compelling, believable characters.

Once again, Mr Davis has written a pretty good novel of crime in the military. That being said, it lost my interest at times, but I still had to know how it would end and I wasn't disappointed. Looking forward to his next novel.

Patrick A. Davis' books in the past have been incredible. He takes us on rollercoaster rides anywhere from homicide to frame-work. I have read his books in the past and they are just fantastic. The commander is also great because like his other books, it takes us on a rollercoaster and has us doing guesswork as to whom the main suspect is, who the real criminal is, and to what is going to be happening. WIth his books, there are always places where you just CANT set the book down, and that is what makes a great author. Although Patrick is my great-uncle, I still admire him purely because of his wonderful writing skills and his greta knowledge about what he writes in his books. I would definitly reccomend this book, along with his other four available books to anybody who is into murder, crime scene investigation, and rollercoaster ride books. I also reccomed this book if you have read/would like to read any of W.E.B. Griffin's books also.

This book is the best, Mr. Davis knows all about Military life .
He writes only l book a year so it is always great.

Read the other three books by him, you will not be dissapointed.I
LOVE HIS BOOKS.