Intense and violent with several oh-shit moments, The Dead Don’t Sleep is a deadly cat-and-mouse game between septuagenarian Vietnam veterans that makes you contemplate the long-term effects of war on the men who fight in them. Steven Max Russo has delivered a captivating tale of everlasting camaraderie and vengeance that has no statute of limitations.
Frank Thompson is a Vietnam veteran who just lost his wife of more than 45 years. Alone, grieving and adjusting to his new reality, he decides to visit his nephew Bill in New Jersey. While there, the two of them go trap shooting and run into someone who believes they recognize Frank from the war. Unfortunately, the man remembers who Frank is, which dredges up past events and hard feelings despite the nearly 50-years since they served together. Teaming up with two other combat veterans from the same unit, they go on a road trip with the intent to hunt and kill Frank as retribution for what they believe he did to another member of their unit in Vietnam. However, Frank is not any ordinary veteran. He possessed elite skills that he not only deployed against the enemy, but he used to train the very men who want him dead. Preparing to face off against these three men, Frank will have to summon his old skillset to defend himself and survive the upcoming attack while also reckoning with a past that never seems to leave his side.
The Dead Don’t Sleep is an exploration into the psyche of men who physically return from war but can’t fully disconnect from it mentally and emotionally. Some are haunted by what they experienced while others miss the action and adrenaline rush that combat provides. Some want to leave the killing behind and do everything they can to forget what they witnessed whereas others relish the idea of continuing to be the harbinger of death. In this book, these two types square off and offer a glimpse into how differently people handle the aftereffects of war.
And despite these men being old and grey, they bring the fight to each other in an action-packed, strategic way as if they were still in the jungles of Vietnam. Which provides one hell of a visual that would easily translate to the big screen. I can see a younger, but still old Clint Eastwood as Frank defending himself from his would-be executioners played by the likes of Dennis Hopper (if he was still alive), Joe Pesci and Danny Trejo. Or pick your favorite elder actors and picture them hunting each other in the back country of Maine as if they were 50 years younger and on an officially sanctioned mission from the US government. Despite the dark subject matter, The Dead Don’t Sleep would make a fun, powerful and intense movie. One that I would like to see.
Kudos to Steven Max Russo for crafting a compelling, intriguing novel with well-developed characters and a unique plot. A book with a storyline that is a departure from modern military thrillers, but one that fans of the genre are sure to enjoy.
Follow Steve on Twitter or contact him via the site.
Purchase The Dead Don’t Sleep
(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)
Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
