Chita Quest: One Man’s Search for His POW/MIA Father ; by Brinn Colenda
MWSA Review
Enthralling actions against surprising adversaries.
Chita Quest is an action-packed thriller that keeps one up all night, compelled to read the next page…and the next page…and the next page…
More than thirty years after his father went missing following the crash of his F4 Phantom fighter along the Laotian-Vietnamese border, U.S. Air Force Colonel Tom Callahan’s hopes soar when a journalist friend brings a photo of what looks like a 70-year-old Caucasian working a rice field in Vietnam. Despite discouragement from the Pentagon and the murder of the photographer on the streets of Washington, Callahan takes leave from his White House job and recruits his estranged brother to go with him to Southeast Asian to find clues of MIAs who may still be alive.
Along the way, several attempts by unknown assailants are made on the lives of the Callahan brothers, and in Washington, on their wives and Tom’s young daughter. The mystery is why and what connection to the search for a missing warrior from a long ago war.
The quest leads the Callahans on a dangerous, surreptitious, and illegal trip through China and Mongolia to Chita, Siberia, where they meet new adversaries—agents of the Russian Security Services. The China-Siberian trip is unauthorized by and unknown to U.S. government officials.
Author Brinn Colenda draws from his own experiences in the Air Force as he provides a detailed look at the military’s Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command operations in Washington, Hawaii, and in the Southeast Asia as Colonel Callahan seeks the agency’s help for his quest.
For those who love fast paced action and dramatic surprises in a well written book, Chita Quest is most satisfying.
Reviewed by Joe Epley, MWSA Reviewer
Author Synopsis:
Were American POWs left behind at the end of the Vietnam War—either by accident or design?
Colonel Tom Callahan is driven to find out—his own father is still listed as Missing In Action. What Callahan doesn’t understand is how politically explosive the issue is, domestically and internationally. As he begins his quest, friends and associates meet violent deaths. Aided by his Australian-born wife, Colleen, his journey takes him halfway across the world to Vietnam, China, Mongolia, and ultimately, Siberia. He is helped and hindered by unexpected friends and cunning, deadly enemies.
Bestselling Author, William B. Scott states:
“Chita is a unique, fast-paced thriller that weaves nasty Washington cover-ups with assassinations, international intrigue, and air combat”
Walter E. “Buck” Buchanan III, Lt Gen, USAF (ret) tells us:
“Brinn Colenda once again proves himself to be a master storyteller”