Military Writers Society of America

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Facing the Dragon; by Philip Derrick

MWSA Review:
A young boy witnesses the unthinkable, and in pursuit of revenge becomes a man.

Facing the Dragon, by Philip Derrick is one of the best Vietnam war era thrillers I've had the pleasure of reviewing. From page one, Derrick skillfully led me down his visionary path of a boy coming of age in a war zone. Not only were his characters in Facing the Dragon believable, they came to life for me. I was completely drawn in and held captive until the very end.

Derrick had me catching my breath, squirming in my seat, and shouting at my Kindle. Fear, frustration, helplessness, sorrow—I was emotionally embroiled with each page turn. Derrick is a master storyteller; Facing the Dragon satiates the categories of both mystery and thriller. I look forward to reading Philip Derrick's next book.

Reviewed by Sandra Miller Linhart, MWSA Reviewer


Author's Synopsis:
A hitchhiker. A cavern. A series of murders over 25 years.
January 1970 - Twelve days ago fifteen year old Jim Peterson's biggest worry was failing his Geometry class. Now he is Vietnam impersonating a U.S. Army paratrooper. He's there to solve a mystery and make up for his cowardice.

Can someone without military training survive in a combat zone?
Will he find the answers that he seeks?
Or will someone see him as a loose end that needs to fixed?

A compelling page turner, FACING THE DRAGON is a coming-of-age story, wrapped in an historical mystery, and played out in a exotic land at war. Join the adventure.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-0-9991202-0-0
Book Format(s): ePub/iBook
Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller
Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller
Number of Pages: