Digger [Mass Market Paperback]

Joseph Flynn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998

As a soldier in Vietnam, John Fortunato fought in the crushing darkness of the tunnels of Cu Chi, from which the Vietcong launched their deadliest operations. Back home in Elk River, Illinois, he secretly re-created those deadly tunnels. Partly a memorial, partly a kind of exorcism, they now lie hidden beneath the town's peaceful streets.

But that peace shatters when Fortunato witnesses the brutal sidewalk shooting of an innocent victim. The vicious crime is only the first assault by a man who will wage a full-scale battle to control Elk River. And on the front line is John Fortunato, whose secret tunnels will provide the battleground for his own war. As his enemy is about to learn, when this veteran warrior goes down, he's just beginning to fight.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Ideas and plot gimmicks explode like land mines in this innovative thriller about a Vietnam vet who recreates the tunnels where so many of his buddies died under the streets of his Illinois hometown. From this unique perspective, John Fortunato watches the start of another war--a struggle for the control of a local labor union. Mix Dashiell Hammett's Red Harvest with The X-Files (Fortunato has paranormal powers of perception when he's underground)--and you'll get some idea of how original this concept is, especially in the current thriller market. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

John Fortunato is a Vietnam vet who has made a good life as a photographer in Elk River, Illinois. When a corporate raider unexpectedly takes over the local industry and tries to break the union, Fortunato's friend, the union president, is murdered. Strikes and scabs follow, bitterly dividing the town. Back in Vietnam, Fortunato had been a tunnel rat, one of the demented soldiers who followed Viet Cong down into their tunnel labyrinths. As his personal atonement he and two similarly afflicted friends have been secretly digging tunnels throughout Elk River. Soon a whole cast of odd characters is scuttling through the tunnels. This bizarre hodgepodge of a first novel is full of Gothic elements: mysteries, visitations from the dead, explosions and miraculous escapes, a coming-of-age story, and a love interest. The ending descends into goofiness, but as a whole this entertainment is well worth tackling. The felicitous style and great pacing make up for lapses in credibility. Libraries looking for lengthy but nontaxing reads could do worse.?Edwin B. Burgess, U.S. Army Combined Arms Research Lib., Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 055357809X
• ISBN-13: 978-0553578096
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,961,079 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Total Dude Book, June 15, 2005

By 

Shane Jaworski (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Digger (Mass Market Paperback)

If you are in the mood for a type of book that is like the typical summer guy movies, this is the book for you. I think the average body count per chapter was 5. I can't remember the last time I read a book that had so many people killed. Also, the whole tunnel system under the town is an interesting idea that every man dreamed of in their youth. Yes, there are some definitive aspects of the book that force you to ignore logic but I didn't mind. Overall, a fun romp totally intended for guys.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There can be no one-line summary, May 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Digger (Mass Market Paperback)

I am normally a "skip-reader". I could not do so with this book. I learned a tremendous amount about the concept of the Vietnam war that was so much a part of my life. I want to know more. Is there another book by this author?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great adventure, August 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Digger (Mass Market Paperback)

Fast paced adventure novel. Has the same type of feeling as Die Hard, but the villian isn't as good as Hans. Great fun to read.