From the Publisher
"Caravan of Thievesbusts right out of the chute and never stops bucking. -It's a rocket-ride and a terrific debut that will leave the reader shaken and gasping for air."
C.J. Box, New York Times bestselling author of Force of Nature
"A stylish, gritty, breakneck tale, Caravan of Thieves had me guessing the whole way. David Rich's terse, hard-boiled prose keeps the story moving faster than a wanted criminal. And the ending is a stunner! Highly recommended!"
Christopher Reich, New York Times bestselling author of Rules of Betrayal
"First page through to the last,-Caravan of Thieves- was an incredibly entertaining escape and worth every minute."
Taylor Stevens, New York Times bestselling author of The Informationist
"Caravan of Thieveshas everything a reader could desire from a thriller-breakneck pacing, well-rendered action scenes,-a vivid setting,-a compelling and complex hero, and endless twists. As with the best thrillers, what lifts it above the pack is clean prose and depth of character, a sense-that the sins of the past weigh heavily on the present. David Rich is off to a fine start, and will be a writer to watch."
Michael Koryta, Edgar-nominated author of The Ridge
"A solid debut from a gifted storyteller.- Caravan of Thieves builds a labyrinth of deception spanning the deserts of the American Southwest to the deserts of Afghanistan – one part noir thriller, one part father-son tale, and one part adventure saga.- Prepare to be ensnared."
T. Jefferson Parker, author of The Jaguar
Kirkus Reviews
Hollywood screenwriter Rich's debut novel follows the adventures of a Marine poster boy, Lt. Roland Waters. Son of a con man who taught him to lie, steal and cheat, Rollie joined the Corps, found a home, toured Iraq and Afghanistan and made it through officer's candidate school. Given his natural flair for languages, Rollie was assigned undercover in Afghanistan to stop black-market weapons thefts. The Afghan action alternates with the primary narrative and injects essential back story. Recalled to Camp Pendleton when his undercover connection is killed, Rollie learns he's being tailed, but no one takes his worries seriously. Rollie's also a rogue general's target, because the general's incompetent son was ensnared in the weapons-theft sting. Rollie soon learns he's being followed because the feds are tracing military caskets full of money, $25 million in each, stolen by a corrupt colonel from Saddam Hussein's larder during Iraq's liberation. With Rollie's father, Dan, in Iraq when the money disappeared, a treasury agent confronts Rollie with the suspicion the missing millions might be connected to Dan, "a con artist…a wise man who wasted his wisdom foolishly." Now word is circulating that Dan dug up one casket from a veteran's gravesite, and with Dan nowhere to be found, good guys and bad suspect devious Dan has the millions, and they want Rollie to find him. In a realistic story with an attention-grabbing premise, Dan becomes an entertaining character, while a measure of narrative depth comes from Rollie's growing rapprochement with all that was gained and lost in being Dan's son. Rich's screenwriting skills send Rollie adventuring across the American Southwest, all while being pursued by killers, moles and spies. Although Rich displays a nice touch for descriptive phrasing--"a slurry of chain stores"--it'll be readers with a taste for Bourne-level action who will be eager for Rollie's next adventure. An easy-to-root-for hero in a fast-paced thriller makes for entertaining reading.
