KCR: The Silent Men (novel, war, Vietnam, sniper)

Cover of The Silent MenThe Silent Men by Richard H. Dickinson is about a Vietnam sniper Jackson Monroe, who's doubly out-of-place... he's a sniper, which is a lonely breed already, and he's black. Set against the backdrop of the Tet Offensive, Monroe, who's known as "Black Ghost" among the VC, and his partner Patterson was sent on a mission to shoot a North Vietnamese general just over the border in Cambodia. When the mission encountered sudden complications, his existence was denied and when the rescue went awry, he was left behind. He did not know that a VC sniper is out to hunt him... for a very personal reason. Only one man will walk away...

The little details are great in this book. There is enough action, enough shots, and enough plot twists. However, the problem with the novel is it shifts viewpoints several times over. The book is about Jackson Monroe, the sniper. However, when Monroe went missing, the viewpoint shifts to that of Brady, a reporter determined to get a scoop. Monroe was barely mentioned. It wasn't till the end when the two "meet". Also, you get another view... that of Patterson, Monroe's partner/spotter mixed in with Brady. We are not talking about the Tom Clancy style jump in location but continuous timeline. We're talking long stretch, then *poof* jump to some other viewpoint.

Still, the action is nice, the characters all have proper motivations and are consistent, and there are a few plot twists that are very interesting. Worth checking out at least once.