Crux [Paperback]

Richard Aellen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1991

His name was carved in the black marble of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. He'd been reported lost in a helicopter shot down by the Vietcong. Only he hadn't been in that helicopter when it crashed. And he wasn't dead. Instead he'd spent 20 years in a Vietcong prison after being betrayed by three men - one of them his best friend.

During 20 years of almost total darkness in a rat-infested cell, Keith Johnson has had time to plan. So, like a ghost, he has returned to even the score. He has no intention of killing his betrayers; he wants to ruin their lives like they ruined his.

Johnson's elaborate plan is meant to cause the three to self-destruct, and given their characters, it ought to be easy. But his scheme goes haywire with consequences he neither foresees nor wants. Crux is a story of revenge gone too far, an audiobook full of hair-raising excitement.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Aellen's second novel (after Redeye ), is a story of betrayal and revenge. During the Vietnam War, Keith Johnson witnesses the murder of a U.S. soldier. To silence him, three members of his own platoon frame him for drug possession. But before he can be tried, Johnson is captured by the North Vietnamese and becomes one of the "forgotten" POWs. He escapes 20 years later, determined to destroy the men who set him up. Although individual scenes are graphic and effective, especially a final confrontation at the Vietnam Memorial, Aellen fails to inspire credibility for key plot developments. Johnson is imprisoned under conditions reminiscent of The Count of Monte Cristo and The Man in the Iron Mask. He finances his vengeance by discovering a lost treasure, and acquires a Thai sidekick whose speech and behavior seem derived from old Charlie Chan movies. As the implausibilities pile up, melo drama overwhelms adventure.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Avon Books (Mm) (January 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380712008
• ISBN-13: 978-0380712007
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,872,013 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my all time favorites., May 18, 2000

By 

Dana C. Cherrier "dchristine" (Midwest) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crux (Paperback)

I absolutely loved this book. I will always own a copy of it so I can read it every few years and share it with friends. It is an action-packed book that begins with the lead character as he leaves for Vietnam. Soon after he arrives,he is set up for a crime and then becomes a P.O.W. His escape, 20 or so years later, and his subsequent revenge against those who set him up for the crime and imprisonment take place at an incredibly fast pace. Reading this book is like watching an action movie - only better. If you loved Nelson Demille's Word of Honor you will love Crux.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent piece of modern literature, April 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Crux (Paperback)

At my secondary school, a friend of mine had just finished reading this book. At the time I had read almost all of Michael Crichton's and John Grisham's novels. I was a bit weary about reading a book mainly set during the Vietnam War. But from page one, I couldn't get enough. I can't remember many details (names etc.) and I've been looking everywhere for this novel. Even though this review may be vague, I hope you display it, since it is my opportunity to reflect what a classic this book is.

The book starts off in the States and follows the lead character through his happy relationship with his wife and friends to hi deployment to Vietnam. In Vietnam, he is framed with possession of Cannabis, and while he is taken by helicopter to face the music, they are shot down and taken as prisoners. From there, much of the book is about the 20 years he spends in a dark cell with a fellow soldier he befriends. Eventually he escapes only to find that his wife had also moved on . . .to someone who betrayed him. He seeks revenge, only to realize some things alng the way.

Crux is thrilling, thought provoking and very emotional (in the sense of heart-racing adventure and tear-inducing realism). It puts to shame the very basic and uneventful ramblings of Grisham and his ilk. Crux is a subtlely emotional powerhouse. Aellen wastes little time trying to force the issue, he lets it play, and lets you take what you will from it. This book helped me realise that you can't just take soldiers for granted, in fact they deserve more respect than we can understand to give.

Modern books are not what they used to be. Crime and Punishment, Home of the Gentry, and others, are books I learned to respect as a child through my extensive literature education.

But, from the sheer intelligence and the emotional impact this book had on me, Crux is the finest novel I've ever read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Hits Keep Comming, April 9, 2002

By 

John G. Hilliard (Toronto Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crux (Paperback)

Another great book by this author. If this is your first but them all because you will really be pleased. They are just what I am looking for. Interesting and inventive stories and really grab your attention and move at a great pace. I really believed the hatred and pain the lead character was carrying around with him as he went on the hunt. The action was well written, not immature like so many of this type of book give you. You are really cheering this guy on. The only critique I have, and it is a minor one, is that I really did not believe that they would keep him as a POW for so long. Other then that I bought into the whole boo. Great Job by the author.