Anonymous Sender [Hardcover]

Michael S. Mcdowell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1996

This is a novel in the Tom Clancy tradition. It is a swiftly-moving tale involving international espionage and organised crime. The book takes the reader behind the scenes of drug rings in the former Soviet Union and the Western Hemisphere.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It looks like Abbeville isn't the only publisher taking an unexpected plunge into fiction this fall season (see Small Worlds, Forecasts, July 29). Now Scholarly Resources, which specializes in reference and genealogy titles, is bringing out its first novel, an action thriller that provides brisk but modest entertainment. Debut novelist and former Navy officer McDowell lays out a 145-chapter plot that, in the manner of Clancy, traces the intersecting paths of myriad stories and characters, including FBI and CIA agents, Russian mobsters, drug dealers, a big-city homicide cop retired to a small town, several very rich and/or powerful men and a murderous but otherwise virtuous woman. Central to the plot, which spans three decades, are the trials of young Jake Weichert, who in 1986 settles down in Fox County, S.C., where he romances a beautician. Her violent fate, as well as that of another young woman killed by a cocaine overdose, spurs the quick-paced tale. McDowell's characters are only serviceable, and his prose barely that. Plotting is the thing here, however, and readers will enjoy the skill and ingenuity with which McDowell pieces together his intricate jigsaw puzzle of a tale.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Fleeing a mysterious past, Jake finds himself in rural Fox County, South Carolina. There he settles in to run a bait-and-tackle shop and falls in love with beautiful, red-haired Diana. All goes well until Jake receives a package intended for someone else, someone who wants it back badly enough to kill for it. Jake finds himself entangled in a conspiracy large enough to have global impact that involves the death of a powerful man's daughter, the downfall of a prominent politician, the Russian mafia, and Colombian drug dealers. McDowell delivers solid entertainment and spiraling action in this page-turning debut novel. With enough characters and crisscrossing plotlines to fuel a daytime soap opera, this thriller is sure to lure and hook readers. A good buy for all public libraries, especially where spy thrillers are popular.?Lori Dunn, Montgomery Cty. P. L., Troy, N.C.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 349 pages
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0842025898
• ISBN-13: 978-0842025898
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,140,328 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, July 2, 2002

By 

Skytep (Small Town, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anonymous Sender (Hardcover)

Anonymous Sender is a most excellent read. They story IS complex and DOES take an intelligent reader to follow, but the chase is well worth it. From the Drug lord trying to make his business grow, to the reluctant hero of a "Big Town" man trying to find peace in "Small Town, USA"; the characters are extremely well developed.
For a first time "out of the gates", McDowell has won his race.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book then, great book now, June 26, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Anonymous Sender (Hardcover)

I first read this book when it was release back in 1996. I reread it a few weeks ago, and the book is still fantastic. I would not hestitate to suggest this book to anyone who likes Clancy or Ludlum. Interestingly enough, Mr. McDowell has another book that has been completed, but not sold. I've read the manuscript and it is better than Anonymous Sender, as much as I liked that book. Keep your fingers crossed that this one gets out.

McDowell is an author to watch!

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good, March 5, 2002

By 

John L. Rogers (Lebanon, CT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anonymous Sender (Hardcover)

I very much enjoyed this novel, as did my family and friends when I shared it. The characters were well developed for a first effort, and certainly better than those of many "experienced" authors. There was a good deal of action, and at root, I identified with the main character. What more could one ask for? Well thought out and presented, with references to parts of American history often forgotten or glossed over. I only wish the author would give us another effort:)