MWSA Review
An intriguing plot and artful writing make Dennis Koller’s The Oath an entertaining read. Readers will appreciate the author’s ability to bring a scene and its characters to life with just enough detail to make it all pop, without becoming bogged down in over-descriptive narratives. Adventure and thriller fans’ appetite for a rush will be well satiated with the twists and turns throughout this book.
Koller displays an innate understanding of the plight of Vietnam POWS as well as the intricacies of police work. He weaves these experiences together to create a plausible and compelling picture of the immense struggles attached to both. That the homicide investigator who survived the same prison camp as the killer he now seeks creates a clear conflict as he must choose between his allegiance to the law and the oath he and the killer once took. The tension builds as readers are drawn into both Tom McGuire’s character and the man he reluctantly hunts.
The Oath’s suspense pulls its readers through each page with a force of its own.
Review by Barbara Allen, MWSA Reviewer
Author's Synopsis:
"I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God." A lifetime ago, a young naval aviator took the Oath. Tom McGuire, now a San Francisco PD Homicide Inspector, hadn’t thought about the Oath in years. That was all about to change. A famous San Francisco newspaper columnist has been murdered. Some would say “executed”. Shot through the head, her arms tied behind her, knotted together from shoulder to wrist. McGuire feels an eerie chill of recognition. After being shot down over North Vietnam, he suffered seven years as a Prisoner of War in the infamous Hanoi Hilton, enduring rope torture many times – his arms tied in exactly the same way. A lifetime ago, another young naval aviator took that Oath. He also was shot down over North Vietnam, and joined McGuire as a POW in Hanoi. Almost forty years later, their lives were about to intersect once again. This time with explosive consequences. “A dying former POW, four dead women, a world-weary homicide cop and the Vietnam War are expertly woven together in a masterful piece of storytelling that will leave you guessing right until the last few pages of 'The Oath.' This is an excellent book with just the right amount of social commentary woven into its pages to make it not just another murder mystery. Mike Billington Author and Army veteran who spent two tours in Vietnam (awarded Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Infantryman's Badge).
ISBN/ASIN: 9780692656730
Book Format(s): Soft cover, ePub, Kindle
Genre(s): Mystery/Thriller
Number of Pages: 325