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Valentine Pescatore #2
The Convert's Song: A Novel
A global manhunt sweeps up a former federal agent when his childhood friend becomes the chief suspect in a terrorist rampage.
His hazardous stint in U.S. law enforcement behind him, Valentine Pescatore has started over as a private investigator in Buenos Aires. Then he runs into a long-lost Raymond Mercer, a charismatic, troubled singer who has converted to Islam. After a terrorist attack kills hundreds, suspicion falls on Raymond---and Pescatore.
Angry and bewildered, Pescatore joins forces with Fatima Belhaj, an alluring French agent. They pursue the enigmatic Raymond into a global labyrinth of intrigue. Is he a terrorist, a gangster, a spy? Is his loyalty to Pescatore genuine, or just another lethal scam?
From the jungles of South America to the streets of Paris to the battlegrounds of Baghdad, THE CONVERT'S SONG leads Pescatore on a race to stop a high-stakes campaign of terror.
His hazardous stint in U.S. law enforcement behind him, Valentine Pescatore has started over as a private investigator in Buenos Aires. Then he runs into a long-lost Raymond Mercer, a charismatic, troubled singer who has converted to Islam. After a terrorist attack kills hundreds, suspicion falls on Raymond---and Pescatore.
Angry and bewildered, Pescatore joins forces with Fatima Belhaj, an alluring French agent. They pursue the enigmatic Raymond into a global labyrinth of intrigue. Is he a terrorist, a gangster, a spy? Is his loyalty to Pescatore genuine, or just another lethal scam?
From the jungles of South America to the streets of Paris to the battlegrounds of Baghdad, THE CONVERT'S SONG leads Pescatore on a race to stop a high-stakes campaign of terror.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 4, 2014
17 people are currently reading
419 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 24, 2015
This is a gripping thriller with a "ripped-from-the-headlines" plot that focuses on international terrorism. At the heart of the story are two longtime friends--virtually brothers--named Valentine Pescatore and Raymond Mercer. The two grew up together in Chicago, and Raymond, who loves the glamorous, high-risk life he sees in movies like "Carlito's Way," leads his younger friend into some increasingly dangerous situations. Finally one night, Raymond asks Valentine to back him up as he attempts to rip off a drug dealer. For Valentine, that's one step too far and he walks away.
The two do not see each other again for years. Valentine goes to work for the Border Patrol and later winds up working for a private investigator in Argentina. Then, out of the blue one afternoon as Valentine is at the airport, he suddenly encounters his old friend Raymond. Is this by accident, or has Raymond contrived to engineer the meeting?
The two catch up over a meal and Valentine discovers that Raymond has converted to Islam. But what he's doing these days isn't exactly clear. The two exchange phone numbers and go on their separate ways. Only a few days later, there's a horrific terrorist attack at a Buenos Aires shopping center.
Almost immediately, the evidence points to Valentine's buddy Raymond as a possible mastermind of the attack and of others that are yet in the planning stages. With that the book is off and running as Valentine races around the globe attempting to find Raymond and head off the future attacks he may be planning. Along the way, Valentine hooks up with a sexy French agent and the chase takes them from Latin America to France to Bagdad and beyond.
It's a compelling story, mostly because it has the ring of truth about it--or at least the terrorist plots seem scarily realistic. One might debate whether a lone agent like Valentine could realistically play such a leading role in trying to break up the plots, but that's a minor point, and the story will leave readers glued to their chairs watching the action unfold. This is another solid effort from the author of Triple Crossing.
The two do not see each other again for years. Valentine goes to work for the Border Patrol and later winds up working for a private investigator in Argentina. Then, out of the blue one afternoon as Valentine is at the airport, he suddenly encounters his old friend Raymond. Is this by accident, or has Raymond contrived to engineer the meeting?
The two catch up over a meal and Valentine discovers that Raymond has converted to Islam. But what he's doing these days isn't exactly clear. The two exchange phone numbers and go on their separate ways. Only a few days later, there's a horrific terrorist attack at a Buenos Aires shopping center.
Almost immediately, the evidence points to Valentine's buddy Raymond as a possible mastermind of the attack and of others that are yet in the planning stages. With that the book is off and running as Valentine races around the globe attempting to find Raymond and head off the future attacks he may be planning. Along the way, Valentine hooks up with a sexy French agent and the chase takes them from Latin America to France to Bagdad and beyond.
It's a compelling story, mostly because it has the ring of truth about it--or at least the terrorist plots seem scarily realistic. One might debate whether a lone agent like Valentine could realistically play such a leading role in trying to break up the plots, but that's a minor point, and the story will leave readers glued to their chairs watching the action unfold. This is another solid effort from the author of Triple Crossing.
January 8, 2019
This tale of two Americans, friends from childhood, who eventually end up on opposite sides of a complex international terrorist plot, is efficiently written and sufficiently suspenseful. Rotella has a talent for telling details, and the moral ambiguities of the protagonist, Valentin Pescatore, are very capably presented. This is not a traditional good guy-bad guy story. Ultimately, however, it left me a little unfulfilled--yes, there was a somewhat satisfying resolution, but I got the feeling the nobody really 'won'.
April 25, 2015
Valentín (“Valentine”) Pescatore is an Italian-American, an ex-Border Patrol agent and a current special investigator for a high-level private Argentine security agency run by Facundo Hyman, an Israeli. One evening in Buenos Aires Valentín is suddenly reacquainted with Raymond, a childhood friend, a Mexican-American former drug runner-turned informant-turned Muslim--turned terrorist, whom he hasn’t seen in years. Valentín and Raymond spend an evening of drunken revelry together in the bars of Buenos Aires.
The next day there is a devastating terrorist attack on a shopping mall in a heavily Jewish neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Valentín and Facundo go to the scene to help the victims and find out from their contacts in the police and intelligence agencies what had happened. After the mall attack, Valentín is arrested and roughed up by the Buenos Aires police. The charge is that he had been seen at the mall immediately after the attack, and—unknown to him—a cellphone he owns had received calls from a number associated with terrorists. Valentín, still under suspicion, is released to an FBI agent named Furukawa who is attached to the American embassy. Fatima, an attractive French counter-terrorism specialist, accompanies the FBI agent, and the three form an investigative team.
Thus begins The Convert’s Song. What group was responsible for the attack, and what individuals were involved? Do they have other attacks planned? How, and why, was the finger of suspicion aimed at Valentín? What was Raymond’s role? Will Valentín bed Fatima? The answers to these questions take Valentín, Furukawa, and Fatima into risky territory. They are targeted by someone (but whether it is police or terrorists isn’t clear) and an assassination attempt ends up with the assassins all dead. Both the Argentine and U. S. governments appear hesitant to pursue the information that the team gets, and their investigation is shut down. Furukawa is reassigned and both Valentín and Fatima are advised to leave Argentina for their safety.
We follow Valentín and Fatima to Paris to work with her counterterrorism and his former fiancee from the Department of Homeland Security. Raymond has been seen in bad company and the goal is to find out what is going on and how to stop it. The mission is accomplished.
This novel is a decent thriller with an abrupt and unsatisfying conclusion. It is made more interesting by the translation of locale to South America. The reader learns some Argentine slang as well as some special police techniques in a corrupt country. For example, a common police pension-building technique is the operetta: an operation in which the police join with bank robbers and protect them from harm, receiving a share of the loot in return. This is done repeatedly until at the last robbery the cops shoot the thieves and claim another crime-fighting success. It appears that there really is no honor among thieves!
Three stars.
The next day there is a devastating terrorist attack on a shopping mall in a heavily Jewish neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Valentín and Facundo go to the scene to help the victims and find out from their contacts in the police and intelligence agencies what had happened. After the mall attack, Valentín is arrested and roughed up by the Buenos Aires police. The charge is that he had been seen at the mall immediately after the attack, and—unknown to him—a cellphone he owns had received calls from a number associated with terrorists. Valentín, still under suspicion, is released to an FBI agent named Furukawa who is attached to the American embassy. Fatima, an attractive French counter-terrorism specialist, accompanies the FBI agent, and the three form an investigative team.
Thus begins The Convert’s Song. What group was responsible for the attack, and what individuals were involved? Do they have other attacks planned? How, and why, was the finger of suspicion aimed at Valentín? What was Raymond’s role? Will Valentín bed Fatima? The answers to these questions take Valentín, Furukawa, and Fatima into risky territory. They are targeted by someone (but whether it is police or terrorists isn’t clear) and an assassination attempt ends up with the assassins all dead. Both the Argentine and U. S. governments appear hesitant to pursue the information that the team gets, and their investigation is shut down. Furukawa is reassigned and both Valentín and Fatima are advised to leave Argentina for their safety.
We follow Valentín and Fatima to Paris to work with her counterterrorism and his former fiancee from the Department of Homeland Security. Raymond has been seen in bad company and the goal is to find out what is going on and how to stop it. The mission is accomplished.
This novel is a decent thriller with an abrupt and unsatisfying conclusion. It is made more interesting by the translation of locale to South America. The reader learns some Argentine slang as well as some special police techniques in a corrupt country. For example, a common police pension-building technique is the operetta: an operation in which the police join with bank robbers and protect them from harm, receiving a share of the loot in return. This is done repeatedly until at the last robbery the cops shoot the thieves and claim another crime-fighting success. It appears that there really is no honor among thieves!
Three stars.
January 27, 2015
ARC received courtesy of Goodreads.com giveaway
This is the story of two men who have been friends since grade school. When one decides to live his life playing both sides of the law, both national and international, the other must decide how to bring him to justice...or not. The settings went from Chicago to Buenos Aires to Europe and the Middle East. The supporting characters were just as exotic as the locations.
Until the Part 3 of the book, I found it cumbersome with characters and details that weren't always necessary. During Part 3, however, I became invested in the characters and their situation. I would have preferred to care about these men earlier in the book but I did enjoy a most unanticipated ending.
This is the story of two men who have been friends since grade school. When one decides to live his life playing both sides of the law, both national and international, the other must decide how to bring him to justice...or not. The settings went from Chicago to Buenos Aires to Europe and the Middle East. The supporting characters were just as exotic as the locations.
Until the Part 3 of the book, I found it cumbersome with characters and details that weren't always necessary. During Part 3, however, I became invested in the characters and their situation. I would have preferred to care about these men earlier in the book but I did enjoy a most unanticipated ending.
January 10, 2016
Un bon thriller très proche de l actualité.
April 29, 2018
Technically, I should not be writing about this book. The copy I read was an ARC---Advanced Reader's Copy. I chose that because it was the only signed copy I could find, and the search took months. Nevertheless, I am pretty sure there is little difference between what I read and what was to be published on December 9, 2014.
With that caveat behind us, let me say again what I've speculated about Rotella's work before: he writes not because he is driven to, but because in addition to his reportorial activities his fiction reaches a different audience. He delivers stories which range widely geographically and give deep background on drug trafficking and terrorism. For those who believe the fairy tales in the daily press, Rotella gives a bit of reality and a good story, all delivered with better than usual writing.
Recommended.
With that caveat behind us, let me say again what I've speculated about Rotella's work before: he writes not because he is driven to, but because in addition to his reportorial activities his fiction reaches a different audience. He delivers stories which range widely geographically and give deep background on drug trafficking and terrorism. For those who believe the fairy tales in the daily press, Rotella gives a bit of reality and a good story, all delivered with better than usual writing.
Recommended.
June 1, 2019
As one of the other reviewers has noted, one doesn't quite believe that our hero Valentine Pescatore can so easily insert himself into all the investigations that are part of this book but it doesn't matter. He's an interesting character and the stories about relationships are as good as the stories about islamic terrorists. A great, well imagined thriller.
December 31, 2014
This review first appeared in The Los Angeles Times: http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketco...
At the center of "The Convert's Song" — Sebastian Rotella's riveting follow-up to his 2011 debut novel, "Triple Crossing" — are two childhood friends thrown together after 10 years of mutual silence, when their paths in life have clearly diverged. It's an affecting drama of human ties, raising big themes of loyalty, obligation, loss and love. It's also a thriller about a global manhunt and an international ring of Islamic terrorists. There's plenty of action, all of it fast-paced and gripping, but it's the relationship between the men that drives the story, giving it depth and urgency.
Three years after the events of "Triple Crossing," Valentine Pescatore is living in Buenos Aires, working as a private investigator in an agency serving the tri-border area (Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil), with mostly company and government clients. He's left the United States after the dissolution of his engagement, and he has few friends in Argentina other than his boss, a Jewish Argentine with connections in embassies, law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
Even so, he's starting to feel comfortable in Buenos Aires when he runs into old pal Raymond Mercer. The next week, a terrorist attack kills hundreds at a shopping center in a Jewish neighborhood, and the investigation zeros in on Mercer. Naturally, Mercer has vanished, but not before trying to contact Pescatore and thereby implicating him in the attacks.
Mercer is a friend fatale in the tradition of Harry Lime and Terry Lennox, a troublemaker who embroils our hero in his schemes through bonds that cannot be ignored. (This tradition is signposted by references to "Angels With Dirty Faces" and "The Long Goodbye" — the latter shortly after Pescatore takes a beating from police thanks to his connection to Mercer.)
Mercer was Pescatore's best friend in Chicago — where the boys grew up talking music and watching gangster movies — a charismatic playboy with a golden singing voice and an itch for criminal adventure. The two cut ties after Pescatore declined involvement in an illegal caper of Mercer's design. "No matter how slick you are ... it's a game," Pescatore told him on the night of their rupture. "And you're dragging me down with you."
Now, finding the enigmatic Mercer and uncovering his beliefs and desires may be the key to preventing another devastating attack. Pescatore chases him "across land and sea through terror and bloodshed," but Mercer is slippery. He isn't just hard to find — Pescatore has trouble pinning his old friend down even in the abstract. His image of Mercer shifts with every revelation — he could be a criminal or an informant, a terrorist, gangster or spy; a true believer or a racketeer; maybe all of the above.
Pescatore teams with Fatima Belhaj, a Moroccan French police commissaire, who is, as we learn through a relentless attention to her "generous chest, hips and behind," sexy. Their romance is thin and unconvincing. It's the only big flaw in the book, but it's easy (maybe too easy?) to ignore, because most of their time together involves their action-packed search for Mercer. They interview his mistress in Buenos Aires, his wife in Paris, a woman in Bolivia he called the queen of the jungle; they talk to his French ex-handler, a boat jouster known as the Commandant.
The plot becomes dense and complicated, following a network of terror that sprawls across ethnic and national lines. Rotella explores the strains of terrorist motivations — religion, nationalism, anti-imperialism, greed — and the overlap of terrorism and common criminality, "the drug trade as a covert jihad."
His background as a journalist proves useful in his fiction (currently a senior reporter at ProPublica, he worked at the L.A. Times for 23 years). He handles complex subjects with confidence and seeming ease, rendering them clear and exciting for his presumably less knowledgeable readers. His prose is vivid and precise, his sense of setting sharply illuminating. Buenos Aires in particular comes roaring to life, a city that marks "the border between illusions of Europe and the reality of Latin America," where "[p]eople are sophisticated, educated … [b]ut they'll rob you at noon in front of City Hall."
He's also a thoughtful writer, treating the loaded topic of Islamic terrorism with commendable subtlety. "The rich and powerful nations decide who the terrorists are, who the war criminals are, who can plant bombs and commit assassinations," notes Mercer's cousin, a Lebanese Argentine non-practicing Catholic. And of course, once in a little while, the righteous West behaves badly.
None of this careful writing and moral nuance takes away from the sweeping excitement of the international intrigue — "The Convert's Song" is just that rare thing, a rousing thriller with a fine weave. But while the adrenaline induces the page-turning, it's the characters that make the book memorable. Mercer and Pescatore provide both heart and heartbreak, the music that brings this powerful novel to life.
At the center of "The Convert's Song" — Sebastian Rotella's riveting follow-up to his 2011 debut novel, "Triple Crossing" — are two childhood friends thrown together after 10 years of mutual silence, when their paths in life have clearly diverged. It's an affecting drama of human ties, raising big themes of loyalty, obligation, loss and love. It's also a thriller about a global manhunt and an international ring of Islamic terrorists. There's plenty of action, all of it fast-paced and gripping, but it's the relationship between the men that drives the story, giving it depth and urgency.
Three years after the events of "Triple Crossing," Valentine Pescatore is living in Buenos Aires, working as a private investigator in an agency serving the tri-border area (Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil), with mostly company and government clients. He's left the United States after the dissolution of his engagement, and he has few friends in Argentina other than his boss, a Jewish Argentine with connections in embassies, law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
Even so, he's starting to feel comfortable in Buenos Aires when he runs into old pal Raymond Mercer. The next week, a terrorist attack kills hundreds at a shopping center in a Jewish neighborhood, and the investigation zeros in on Mercer. Naturally, Mercer has vanished, but not before trying to contact Pescatore and thereby implicating him in the attacks.
Mercer is a friend fatale in the tradition of Harry Lime and Terry Lennox, a troublemaker who embroils our hero in his schemes through bonds that cannot be ignored. (This tradition is signposted by references to "Angels With Dirty Faces" and "The Long Goodbye" — the latter shortly after Pescatore takes a beating from police thanks to his connection to Mercer.)
Mercer was Pescatore's best friend in Chicago — where the boys grew up talking music and watching gangster movies — a charismatic playboy with a golden singing voice and an itch for criminal adventure. The two cut ties after Pescatore declined involvement in an illegal caper of Mercer's design. "No matter how slick you are ... it's a game," Pescatore told him on the night of their rupture. "And you're dragging me down with you."
Now, finding the enigmatic Mercer and uncovering his beliefs and desires may be the key to preventing another devastating attack. Pescatore chases him "across land and sea through terror and bloodshed," but Mercer is slippery. He isn't just hard to find — Pescatore has trouble pinning his old friend down even in the abstract. His image of Mercer shifts with every revelation — he could be a criminal or an informant, a terrorist, gangster or spy; a true believer or a racketeer; maybe all of the above.
Pescatore teams with Fatima Belhaj, a Moroccan French police commissaire, who is, as we learn through a relentless attention to her "generous chest, hips and behind," sexy. Their romance is thin and unconvincing. It's the only big flaw in the book, but it's easy (maybe too easy?) to ignore, because most of their time together involves their action-packed search for Mercer. They interview his mistress in Buenos Aires, his wife in Paris, a woman in Bolivia he called the queen of the jungle; they talk to his French ex-handler, a boat jouster known as the Commandant.
The plot becomes dense and complicated, following a network of terror that sprawls across ethnic and national lines. Rotella explores the strains of terrorist motivations — religion, nationalism, anti-imperialism, greed — and the overlap of terrorism and common criminality, "the drug trade as a covert jihad."
His background as a journalist proves useful in his fiction (currently a senior reporter at ProPublica, he worked at the L.A. Times for 23 years). He handles complex subjects with confidence and seeming ease, rendering them clear and exciting for his presumably less knowledgeable readers. His prose is vivid and precise, his sense of setting sharply illuminating. Buenos Aires in particular comes roaring to life, a city that marks "the border between illusions of Europe and the reality of Latin America," where "[p]eople are sophisticated, educated … [b]ut they'll rob you at noon in front of City Hall."
He's also a thoughtful writer, treating the loaded topic of Islamic terrorism with commendable subtlety. "The rich and powerful nations decide who the terrorists are, who the war criminals are, who can plant bombs and commit assassinations," notes Mercer's cousin, a Lebanese Argentine non-practicing Catholic. And of course, once in a little while, the righteous West behaves badly.
None of this careful writing and moral nuance takes away from the sweeping excitement of the international intrigue — "The Convert's Song" is just that rare thing, a rousing thriller with a fine weave. But while the adrenaline induces the page-turning, it's the characters that make the book memorable. Mercer and Pescatore provide both heart and heartbreak, the music that brings this powerful novel to life.
January 6, 2015
I liked Triple Crossing a lot and think that Sebastian Rotella has a lot of good stories in him. I don't think The Convert's Song is one of them, though. Too many holes, the writing doesn't flow, and the dialogue ranges from wooden to very believable. At a high level, the plot was interesting and I liked the way it was wrapped up, but getting there was problematic.
Without trying to be a spoiler, I don't believe somebody like Raymond would be able to make it to the level where he ended up, I don't believe an American citizen who's not military or law enforcement (Pescatore) would be able to operate as he did throughout the story, I don't believe the French investigator (Belhaj) would allow herself to get into an unprofessional relationship with someone tangential to her operation, I don't believe Valentin could disguise a pistol in an ankle holster among hordes of policemen for as long as he did, I don't believe a sophisticated international terrorist would recruit a partner the way he did... just too many things that didn't make sense to me.
Don't get me wrong, this is a good read and Rotella has a good story to tell. I just had problems with the details not adding up for me. I look forward to subsequent books as he seems to have a pretty good perspective on the gray areas that exist in international relations in today's world.
Without trying to be a spoiler, I don't believe somebody like Raymond would be able to make it to the level where he ended up, I don't believe an American citizen who's not military or law enforcement (Pescatore) would be able to operate as he did throughout the story, I don't believe the French investigator (Belhaj) would allow herself to get into an unprofessional relationship with someone tangential to her operation, I don't believe Valentin could disguise a pistol in an ankle holster among hordes of policemen for as long as he did, I don't believe a sophisticated international terrorist would recruit a partner the way he did... just too many things that didn't make sense to me.
Don't get me wrong, this is a good read and Rotella has a good story to tell. I just had problems with the details not adding up for me. I look forward to subsequent books as he seems to have a pretty good perspective on the gray areas that exist in international relations in today's world.
January 5, 2015
Every once in a while, it's good to be engrossed in a novel that takes place in another country - in this case, Buenos Aires, Argentina. I am probably like a lot of folks who, without thinking much about it, assume that life around the world is a lot like my life. I really enjoyed the South American setting, which revealed places that clearly have a sliding scale of right and wrong.
But wait - that implies that American values are always righteous. And terrorists are always driven by dogma. In this book, a closer look at motivation reveals moral complexity.
Author Rotella tells the story of two childhood friends, separated by 10 years and two clearly divergent career paths. PI Valentine Pescatore's past catches up with him in a "chance" meeting in Buenos Aires with Raymond Mercer: gangster, spy, terrorist, musician, liar. Within days, a terrorist bomb kills hundreds in a local mall in the Jewish section of the city.
Pescatore's fictional background as a U.S. border agent adds wonderful insight to international intrigue and chasing down a campaign of terror. Mercer swears he's changed. There's even a little romantic interest - although it's not clear by the end of the book where it's leading.
Overall, a good read.
But wait - that implies that American values are always righteous. And terrorists are always driven by dogma. In this book, a closer look at motivation reveals moral complexity.
Author Rotella tells the story of two childhood friends, separated by 10 years and two clearly divergent career paths. PI Valentine Pescatore's past catches up with him in a "chance" meeting in Buenos Aires with Raymond Mercer: gangster, spy, terrorist, musician, liar. Within days, a terrorist bomb kills hundreds in a local mall in the Jewish section of the city.
Pescatore's fictional background as a U.S. border agent adds wonderful insight to international intrigue and chasing down a campaign of terror. Mercer swears he's changed. There's even a little romantic interest - although it's not clear by the end of the book where it's leading.
Overall, a good read.
December 2, 2014
Rotella, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and multiple award-winning journalist, has the distinction of making the linar notes on Bruce Springsteen’s “Ghost of Tom Joad” for a 1993 story he wrote (‘’Children of the Border’’) when he was a San Diego-based reporter for the Los Angeles Times. The story helped inspire the song Balboa Park on that album. Rotella made the transition to author on his first book, Triple Crossing, which is on my bookshelf, but I have yet to read.
In Convert’s Song he puts to excellent use his vast geographic—he’s been based in Buenos Aires, Paris, the Middle East and North Africa--and linguistic background—Italian, Spanish, French-to cavort across South America, Paris and Iraq. Location location location.
I didn’t find any of the characters particularly endearing but enjoyed the cat and mouse game in the hunt for his childhood friend.
In Convert’s Song he puts to excellent use his vast geographic—he’s been based in Buenos Aires, Paris, the Middle East and North Africa--and linguistic background—Italian, Spanish, French-to cavort across South America, Paris and Iraq. Location location location.
I didn’t find any of the characters particularly endearing but enjoyed the cat and mouse game in the hunt for his childhood friend.
January 22, 2015
I enjoyed this thriller dealing with two old friends who meet up again in an airport in Buenos Aires. Valentine and Raymond were kids together until they both went their separate ways. Valentine is content with his job with a private security firm and Raymond has converted to Islam and joined a nasty group of terrorists. Valentine finds himself sucked into his friend's illegal dealings after a horrible terrorist attack that leaves many dead at a mall and the rumblings of future attacks, maybe in the United States.
The writing doesn't flow as well as it could in places and jumps around too much sometimes to follow but all in all you find yourself rooting for Valentine as he tries to stop his friend from making a big mistake and risking both their lives. Will one friend betray the other?
Enjoy.
The writing doesn't flow as well as it could in places and jumps around too much sometimes to follow but all in all you find yourself rooting for Valentine as he tries to stop his friend from making a big mistake and risking both their lives. Will one friend betray the other?
Enjoy.
December 11, 2014
When Valentine Pescatore runs into a friend from his childhood on the streets of Buenos Aires he finds himself sucked into a world of terrorism, murder, and double dealing.
I’m always a bit skeptical about novels like this because, much of the time, it ends up being a really gross exercise in Islamaphobia. Thankfully The Convert’s Song avoided that by bringing in characters from diverse backgrounds and pointing out flaws with U.S. policy and attitudes.
I absolutely enjoyed the plot with all its twists and turns. If you like books that are “wild from start to finish” then I think you’ll love this book.
Note: I received a free ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’m always a bit skeptical about novels like this because, much of the time, it ends up being a really gross exercise in Islamaphobia. Thankfully The Convert’s Song avoided that by bringing in characters from diverse backgrounds and pointing out flaws with U.S. policy and attitudes.
I absolutely enjoyed the plot with all its twists and turns. If you like books that are “wild from start to finish” then I think you’ll love this book.
Note: I received a free ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 4, 2015
This is the second novel by Rotella. His first, Triple Crossing, was better. I think I have finally burnt out on the mystery/thriller genre. Picked up the latest Michael Connelly, Burning Room, and after 50 pages he had only introduced one new idea. All the rest was filler. The same can be said for Grisham. I used to love him, but a good writer could take what these people write, tighten it up, and come out with a long short story or short novella.
Rotella's Triple Crossing was a wonder. He moved the story along. I think with his second he's falling into mystery/thriller convention, although on at least every 2 pages there is more than fluff. He and George Pelecanos are about all I can recommend for this large genre.
Rotella's Triple Crossing was a wonder. He moved the story along. I think with his second he's falling into mystery/thriller convention, although on at least every 2 pages there is more than fluff. He and George Pelecanos are about all I can recommend for this large genre.
March 18, 2016
2.75? I can't put my finger on what it was about this book that didn't grab me. The story bounces to multiple locations in several continents but doesn't capture a sense of place anywhere. I found myself struggling to keep up with the geography of the plot. The characters are, with the exception of Raymond, not terribly compelling. It was like watching a black and white movie and the scenes with Raymond were in technicolor. I suppose that's kind of the point, but it made it the kind of book you struggle to pick up again, not the kind you hate to put down. I could appreciate the story and the writing but I was always a little removed--aware I was reading a book. I never got sucked in.
October 19, 2014
Engrossing from the start The Converts Song is a terrorism thriller/ crime novel, which for me is a new genre. I had worried that I might get lost in the minutiae of the worlds various conflict points, but the author made the action gripping and easy to follow. Early on in the book I figured that the main character must have been involved in an earlier book(s), and worried I would be lost without back story, but again the author made this terrific as a stand alone. To use a cliche I was unable to put the book down and read straight thru.
January 21, 2015
"Sebastian Rotella has succeeded in blending a rip-roaring international terrorism thriller with a thoughtful examination of the nature of friendship. I’m sorry to admit I haven't read Rotella’s first novel about Valentin Pescatore (Triple Crossing) because I would like to get to know this character better. Raymond Mercer is utterly so much more fascinating than the good guy. But then I always have had a soft spot for bad boys." - Donna Chavez, BookBrowse.com. Full review at: https://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/in...
April 15, 2016
Rotella maintains suspense with all necessary elements. International plots but closely related to the main front, the USA. I recommend it to anybody who likes action adventure readings.
It needed more romance with Fatima and a triangular situation with Isabel Puente. This novel does what it says it will do. Entertain. Gracias.
It needed more romance with Fatima and a triangular situation with Isabel Puente. This novel does what it says it will do. Entertain. Gracias.
August 22, 2020
The story is very timely to current events as of this writing on January 9, 2020. That said I didn’t like the writing, it didn’t draw me in and seemed somewhat amateurish in the use of language. A little predictable too. Skipped to the last chapter from about 30% finished and didn’t feel like I missed much, especially after reading the epilogue.
October 20, 2014
Pretty decent terror thriller that takes you around the globe and keeps you interested throughout the book. I didn't care for the characters much as they seemed kind of cliche'ish at times but if you can get past that then you're left with a pretty fun ride.
September 9, 2015
This is the book for you if you're a news junkie and need more insight on the daily geopolitical gore taking place every day around us...it's also written in the same clipped style of news magazines.
December 13, 2014
good story; well paced and exciting ending a bit contrived; but...when world terrorism is concerned all bets are off? can an individual truly "disappear"? not so sure..as has been said before..truth is stranger than fiction?
December 28, 2014
This book lacks originality and creativity. It seems like the author used a sixth grade research paper on the middle east as his source material. Predictable and boring. For the life of me, I can't understand why NPR recommended this. I read it so you don't have to.
June 20, 2015
This book is hard charging as it moves around the world following informants, drugs, and terrorists. I enjoyed the travel and the writing on locations. Some of the relationships seemed sincere, but others fell flat. The writing makes for engaging and quick reading.
February 10, 2015
DIDN'T ENJOY IT
February 25, 2015
Antisemitic terrorism in Argentina. Sound familiar? The author is a reporter for Pro Publica.
Really great read!
Really great read!
May 15, 2015
Don't bother with the prologue, the rest of the book is a thriller.
January 15, 2017
Entertaining, timely. Pretty good thriller and author is clearl familiar with the territory. It's definitely written by a journalist and there are moments that read more like a feature than fiction.
May 9, 2020
Whilst it’s a very timely book, the writing didn’t draw me in. It felt like a chore to get the the end, and I felt the ending wasn’t very satisfactory.
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