Amazon Moon

MWSA Review

Bad choices, misspent trust, and perceived rejection fuel the protagonist, John Alveraz, on a journey of self-destruction and ultimate personal truth, in Glenn Starkey's Amazon Moon. Thrown to the wolves, and left for dead more than once, John Alveraz makes his way through life with sheer will and brute force.

Starkey gently draws the reader in, and doesn't let go until the last page is turned. The author builds on layers of interactions and decisions, to reveal a tapestry of mystery in Amazon Moon. His plausible course of events gives credibility to the plot; his characters are real and engaging, which adds integrity to the events. The reader becomes entangled, unable turn away as the ensuing destruction unfolds.

Amazon Moon is an emotional roller-coaster of revenge and redemption, full of action and adventure, which touches the reader through myriad emotions. I found myself crying, shocked, animated, and angered - and, albeit apprehensive at times, couldn't wait to see what happened next. I look forward to reading Glenn Starkey's next book.

Reviewed by: Sandra Miller Linhart (2014)

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Author's Summary

As a young man, John Alvarez is a bad boy, so it's no surprise when a judge finally gives him the choice between going to prison and joining the Marine Corps. Alvarez reluctantly decides on the latter, not realizing that he will discover himself and find a home in the Corps. Shipped off to Vietnam, Alvarez leads his own band of bad boys-Iron Raven-into the jungle. They become the terror of their enemies and always the first choice for the most dangerous missions. On one such mission, the brain child of a couple of CIA ops, Alvarez and his squad are cut off from escape by their CIA handlers and are left to fight their way out alone or die. Only Alvarez survives-but his revenge upon the men who abandoned him and his brothers lands him in prison for life. After twenty years of incarceration, Alvarez is offered his freedom, but only if he agrees to undertake another suicide mission. If he's going to be a free man, Alvarez must become the bodyguard of a Mr. Standish and lead him on a journey into the mysterious Amazonian kingdom ruled by the devil himself. It is only in the heart of the jungle that Alvarez discovers that he has accepted a mission with only two possible outcomes-redemption or death.