Customer Reviews

White Soul

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Brandt Dodson's newest novel, WHITE SOUL, is a thrilling intense glimpse at the life of Ron Ortega, a man compelled to succeed at his career even at the risk of losing everything he loves. The novel jumps right into the action. A drug deal is going down. The cops arrive and a shootout ensues. Ron Acuna grabs Michael Santiago and together they drive to safety. Ron Acuna is actually Ron Ortega, undercover cop. Ron was supposed to let Michael be captured, but he had just discovered that Michael has a link to one of the biggest drug lords in Miami, Ricardo Estevez. Ron convinces his superiors to allow him to remain undercover to try to catch Estevez. Ron also has to convince his wife, Libby, that this is a good move. She is at home, pregnant, and struggling to make ends meet.

Ron Ortega quickly infiltrates Estevez's gang. The gang is in a midst of a drug war, one of several factions trying to gain control of the Miami drug market. The primary conflict of the novel is simple. Can Ron, a reformed alcoholic, Christian, and family man remain a man of integrity and faith while at the same time pretending to be a thug and right hand man to one of the most ruthless drug lords in Miami? Orgega knows he can't committ a crime or allow them to be committed, yet he goes along as thugs working for Estevez harrass and beat up dealers and informants. Ron keeps getting drawn in deeper, and given more responsibility. As he gains the trust of Estevez, Ron has to walk the line of playing the part of an ex-con drug dealer and being a law enforcement officer.

Ron begins tending bar at one of Estevez's bars and meets Chipper, a beautiful woman who is attracted to Ron. Estevez also buys Ron a new Lexus and gives him a Rolex. Ron also finds himself longing for the approval of Estevez and his goons. Will Ron realize, before it is too late, that he has been snared by the evil and all it has to offer? Will the money, the women, the drugs and the power pull him over the edge?

This is Dodson's first book after his four-book Colton Parker series. I liked it a lot. Dodson brings the reader right into the innerworkings of a Miami drug cartel. Estevez is a truly evil adversary, Ron is a great, conflicted character, and the novel is peppered with authenticity. This book is full of action and somewhat light on the emotional front. For example, I wish Ron's relationship with Chipper and his wife Libby had been developed more. Dodson set up Ortega's relationship with Chipper to be a major stumbling block to his faith, then kind of drops the on that storyline until the end of the novel.

I recommend this book to those who enjoyed Dodson's previous Colton Parker novels as well as fans of James Scott Bell, Ted Dekker, Randy Singer and fans of all Christian suspense. Dodson takes you to the seamy side of Miami where no one is safe, least of all a Christian like Ron Ortega. You can tell Dodson is passionate about the subject and has done a lot of research into the area of organized crime. It pays off in the tight writing and the attention to detail.

Ron Ortega has gone deep undercover trying to bring down one of Miami's most notorious drug lords. Just a few years into his career with the DEA, Ortega has worked hard to make it this far. A stroke of luck has landed him inside Ricardo Estevez's circle, and he will stop at nothing to bring him down. Along the way he is faced with impossible choices and insurmountable odds as he strives to prove his allegiance to Estevez, all the while trying to hold onto his struggling faith.

White Soul is Brandt Dodson's first novel since his groundbreaking Colton Parker series. This is indeed a worthy addition to what is already a stellar body of work. Dodson writes at a frenetic pace, always holding the reader's attention through short, concise chapters that continually pack a punch. The action and suspense never let up, and the explosive conclusion is both thrilling and satisfying.

As with Colton Parker, Dodson has created a great new character worth pulling for in Ron Ortega. He is anything but perfect, but his flaws and shortcomings will pull readers in effectively. The tension filled glimpses we get into Ron's undercover life are handled especially well, and at no time do these elements come across as phony or forced. Dodson's hardcore fans will love this latest offering, and new readers will have a blast discovering this great new talent who continues to shine.

I finished "White Soul" this weekend and immediately wanted to know more about the future of Ron Ortega. The undercover detective left Chicago -- and his pregnant wife -- for a temporary stint in a Miami drug sweep, but a twist of fate establishes him in deep cover with a major drug operation.

The passage from which Dodson takes the title is a chilling indictment of what we, as a society, use to fill the need for something more, the something only God can provide.

And though Ortega has God in his heart, it becomes harder and harder to find Him in his life where he witnesses brutality he cannot stop, hears plots for power that begin to make sense, and glimpses the "good life" he could buy if not limited to a cop's salary. Surrounded by alcohol and drugs and tossed into the company of a beautiful woman, Ortega finds it hard to obey the Biblical command to flee from temptation.

On another level, Dodson's novel is an intriquing glimpse into organized crime in Miami, where the leaders of the drug trade struggle in the ultimate turf war: dominance in the vice industry of a new Cuba. With Raul Castro now in control and the promise of economic reform, the possibility of free trade and relaxed travel restrictions could make Dodson's fiction a reality.

Every time I thought I had the mystery figured out, Dodson added a new but believable twist as Ortega battles for his life -- and soul.

After clearing a spot for himself on the shelves of mystery aficionados everywhere, Brandt Dodson has taken a break from the world of Colton Parker and delved into the seamy side of Miami's organized crime. To be honest, the cover and title left me ambivalent, and I wondered what to expect. Would Dodson come through again, or break up a string of winning mysteries?

With a double-edged reference to coke and to the human condition, "White Soul" is an apt title after all. I found myself quickly immersed into a shady transaction on the edge of the Everglades. Dodson does a great job setting up the scene and the revelation of his central character. Soon after, undercover agent Ron Ortega is buddying up to one of the major players in the Miami area, caught between the grinding wheels of professional greed and suspicion, as well as personal stress and temptation. The stakes of his undercover gamble are raised when Ortega becomes involved in dangerous situations that underline his precarious position within the crime lord's inner circle.

This is not only fast-paced crime fiction, this is a subtle exploration of a man's soul. Ortega must come to terms with his own weaknesses and determine the line between rights and desires. Is he a good cop? A good husband? Or just one more bad apple?

I don't know if Dodson knows how to write a bad book, and there are certainly no bad apples in his bibliography. He continues to employ terse dialogue and effective action scenes, mixed with a grittiness that never becomes gratuitous. I've been a fan of ever-increasing fervor since Dodson's debut, "Original Sin," and I'm equally impressed by this change in location and character. Dodson has pulled it off again.

Author Brandt Dodson does it again in his most recent literary plot, White Soul. It is a totally intriguing novel with witticisms unparalleled. Insight into DEA operations phenomenal. Character Ron Ortega is believable as he battles the drug culture. Loved the book but hated that it ended. Definitely deserving of a five star rating. Looking forward to future endeavors from this emerging author and wouldn't be surprised to see him listed as a New York Times best selling novelist some day.

Fans of Brandt Dodson's Colton Parker series will find White Soul a bit different, but equally satisfying. Like Parker, this protagonist is fighting his own personal demons while trying to bring criminals to justice. But rather than the mean streets of Indianapolis, Ron Ortega works as an undercover agent in the down-and-dirty drug trade of Miami, walking a fine line where one misstep would mean a painful death. Every day Ortega struggles to do his job without violating his moral code, and every day it gets harder. Dodson takes the reader through a labyrinth of crosses, double-crosses, and surprises, and it's worth the journey.

Let me start off by saying that I absolutely LOVED Dodson's Colton Parker novels. They are some of the best books that I have read in years, I can't wait to read them again. That being said, I had never read or felt led to read a police novel. Since I enjoyed Dodson's writing so much on the Colton Parker novels reading this one was a no brainer. I must say that I was initially rather disappointed by "White Soul", the writing and dialogue was not as crisp and the characters not as deep. In Ron Ortega, Dodson has created, what is in the beginning of the novel, a rather bland character as the protagonist. It was a bit of a slow read, at first. However, as I read on I found that I did want to find out the outcome of the book. As I got to know Ron better and as his relationships with Ricardo Estevez, the antagonist of the novel, and the other supporting characters grew so did my interest in the book. However, it was not until about halfway through the book did it really get going for me. "White Soul" was not a page turner for me, however I must say I stuck it out and the last third of the book was worth the effort. Perhaps I will reread "White Soul" one day and have a different outlook. Overall this was a good book that just took a little too long to really hit it's stride.

Ron Ortega is an undercover cop in a world of drugs and violence. He's infiltrating one of the most dangerous gangs in Miami, and things are going according to plan. The boss trusts him. He begins to learn the secrets he needs to bring them down. And that's when things start to go wrong.

Back in Chicago, Ortega's wife is pregnant and wanting him home. In his superior's office, his leash is short. On the job, he comes face to face with some of the biggest ugly he's ever met. And yet with every passing day, he's reminded of how unfair it is that the good guys go home with empty pockets while the drug lords live in fancy mansions by the sea. It all seems to beg the question he's been asking all his life: do the right thing or do the desired thing? Is his faith enough to help him draw the line?

White Soul is a story of action, intrigue, and an internal debate that will keep the pages turning. Ortega's an engaging--and yet fallible--character. I never knew exactly what decisions he might make, how he might defend them, and what the outcome would be. One of the most masterful things about the book is that the reader falls right into the trap the character does--coming to like the guy we know is a good-for-nothing drug lord.

My only complaint is that I was hoping for a little more definition when it came to Ortega's implantation into this underworld, more depth to his question. I saw his temptation, but I wanted to see his reaction to it more. I knew he considered doing something, but I wasn't always quite sure why. The book is more plot-driven than character-driven, though, so instead of all that internal musing I got lots of action sequences and some good old-fashioned nail-biting suspense, wondering who the leak in the organization was.

Brandt Dodson provides a solid, fast-paced read that will especially appeal to male readers and any lover of suspense.

Brandt Dodson takes a break from his usual characters and gives us a whole new cast. He knows the ins and outs of working all sorts of cases and White Soul is one that will keep you guessing until the very end. As Agent Ortega goes undercover to learn who is taking over the drug trafficking in Miami, he learns that nothing is sacred and there truly is no honor among thieves and those who break the law. The closer he gets to the leader, the closer he comes to being discovered and losing his life. The final showdown takes an unexpected twist and proves once again that all is not as it seems. This is a true tale of suspense, intrigue, mystery, and takes the reader on a wild ride into the underworld of crime that will leave the reader breathless.

White Soul
By: Brandt Dodson

Brandt Dodson has done it again. With his realistic characters, intriguing mystery, and keen understanding of police work, he has created another thriller.

FBI agent Ron Ortega, is new to the world of undercover. He joins forces with agents in Miami, FL and infiltrates one of the city's most prestigious and vicious gangs. No amount of training prepares him for the turmoil to come. Once welcomed into the gang, he finds there are expectations of him that will challenge his badge and his faith. When an attempt upon his life fails, Ron realizes the dangers before him. Temptation reigns supreme in this world of drugs, money, power and intrigue. Rom must face his greatest challenge within himself as he battles the desire to live the life he always proclaimed or take the way to wealth offered him.

Brandt Dodson wove story that will both intrigue and challenge the reader. Open the book for entertainment. When you close it, you will not be disappointed, but you will also find your own faith and beliefs a bit touched. I highly recommend White Soul.