Customer Reviews

Maracaibo

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Excellent political thriller that "relates" to current political circumstances. As a former Peace Corps Volunteer in the first group to work in Venezuela, assigned to Maracaibo, it was of special interest, especially since the author was also a PC volunteer in Venezuela.

Maracaibo by James A. Ciullo is a first-rate, action-packed, political thriller that delivers a one, two punch from the first page to the last. Like its predecessor Orinoco, Maracaibo takes you on an adventure across the globe through the barrios of Venezuela, the deserts of Columbia, and to a lesser extent, Washington, D.C., and Manchester, NH. A true master of his craft, Ciullo's writing style is both exciting and thought provoking. An easy read, his insights into the political workings and bi-partisan politics is nothing short of masterful; all while weaving a well-crafted story of espionage and conspiracy! Ciullo's heroine, the beautiful and intelligent, U.S. CIA Agent Marialena Morales has a huge heart and an amazing sense of purpose.

Ciullo's characters are well thought out and unbelievably realistic; so much so that we are swept up by every feeling and emotion felt by Marialena from Joe's kidnapping, to the attempted assassination on her life, to Sergio's demise. We feel Joe's apprehension while he waits and ponders his fate, and we feel Sergio's anger and contempt for the vicious animal who murdered his wife and little girl. Only truly great writing can make us feel such emotion. Maracaibo is a winner!

MARACAIBO is a first rate political thriller with multi-layered characters, an intriguing plot and enough action-adventure to keep you turning the pages. Ciullo, a former Peace Corps volunteer, knows the Venezuelan political landscape and he deftly weaves political intrigue with compelling plot twists in this gripping tale. He's a master storyteller and I look forward to more from this talented writer.

Maracaibo is an action-packed page-turner with compelling characters, an intriguing plot and vivid settings. Author James Ciullo transports readers into a high stakes world of political secrets, gritty international intrigue, romance and daring escapades. Readers will root for the safety of Vermont Senator Joe LaCarta and sexy CIA operative Marialena Morales as they fight for their lives in a breakneck adventure where nothing is as it seems. Ciullo writes so convincingly that the events and deception in Maracaibo feel as if they could truly happen. The author takes us on a journey that spans locations such as Vermont, Washington DC, and Venezuela, and readers are sure to enjoy the ride. An excellent book written by a talented author.

Jim Ciullo's "Maracaibo" is a breakneck thriller that has the advantage of being possible, as the reader will recognize the players and plot-lines inspired by current events. We have a Dick Cheney-ish VP who is really running the country, a Chavez-ish leader of Venezuela, a Fox News right-wing commentatator, and an Al Qaida cell operating near the Venezuela-Colombia border. All collide over the usual touchstone of US foreign poicy--oil and how to get it. The plot centers around the hero of Ciullo's previous novel, "Orinoco," whose connection to Venezuela and its president derives from his Peace Corps service many years earlier. Ciullo himself was a Peace Corps volunteer in Venezuela too, and that experience and knowledge of the country show in the vivid descriptions and local color that invigorate this book.

In short, a totally plausible mix of events that grabs the reader from the first page and won't let go until the last. As fast-paced as "24," as frightening as "Seven Days in May."

Jim Ciullo has written a page-turner. Varying points of view are artfully woven into a tale of politics and power struggles, neatly tied together to form an intriguing, action-packed story. Wonderfully depicted characters and great sense of place. I've recommended this one to friends.

Publishing today is a buyer's market. There are so many good books out there that the average reader can use the internet to have access to a large number of good books to read. He can read e-books at his computer or with e-readers. Or he can still trot off to his nearest brick and mortar bookstore to get his cup of java and browse.

Hollywood should not ignore this abundance of good books. There are books full of suspense and international intrigue that are just waiting to be made into a movie. Hidden away with some indie publisher may be the next blockbuster. A POD or e-book may become the next big success at Sundance.

There are new authors out there that have gathered a lifetime of experiences - bizarre, strange, exciting, international experiences - and used them as a backdrop to their fiction. What they are writing is refreshingly new and original. These are the books your big publishing houses will not take a chance on, but they are books that you, the reader, can savor.

Maracaibo by James A. Ciullo is such a book. The publisher is Mainly Murder Press, a small New England indie press. I could easily imagine this book becoming a movie. But I also found it an entertaining novel of suspense and international intrigue.

The main character is Marialena Morales, a CIA agent stationed in Venezuela, a country run by a leftist strongman. Two Senators are invited for a visit. One is kidnapped and one is killed and the Venezuelan President is blamed by a saber-rattling U.S. V.P. (Sound familiar? Names are changed to protect the guilty.) Marialena knows the surviving Senator and sets out to save him. The story continues to move forward like a mad sprint with some bizarre characters and twists along the way.

In some ways the plot is standard search and rescue. Yet Mr. Ciullo gives a different spin by using his experiences to set the scenes. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in Venezuela and knows the country, customs and language. He writes with a journalistic style akin to Frederic Forsyth's and with similar attention to detail.

The book could have been called Guajira. Most of the action takes place in this rough and desolate desert land in Colombia on the Venezuelan border. Here we find the ELN (Army of National Liberation), the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), and right-wing death squads competing with bandits, kidnappers, drug dealers, and the Colombian military, aided by U.S. equipment and advisers. It's a lethal mix. (I left one out on purpose. You'll have to read the book to find out which one.)

While entertaining, this book is not funny. The geopolitical situation in our world today is not a laughing matter. This book captures the grand panorama of South America, a part of the world we in the U.S. to our detriment tend to neglect with our preoccupation with the Middle East.

I never had a dull moment reading this novel. This is the kind of book I like to read. You will too. Enjoy.

Steven M. Moore
Reviewer for Book Pleasures