David Corbett, Blood of Paradise

Blood of Paradise

David Corbett

Ballantine, Mar 2007, $9.95

ISBN: 0812977335

In El Salvador, American Jude McManus works as an executive protection specialist, currently keeping safe the captains of industry at a local bottling plant. Jude is approached by former Chicago Police Officer Bill Malvasio. Bill was a partner of Jude's late father at the CPD before they and a third cop Phil Strock were caught stealing from a drug dealer. Whereas dad drowned in Rend Lake after his disgrace, Wild Bill fled to El Salvatore.

The surviving two "Laugh masters" as the trio called themselves back then, Bill and Phil want to hire Jude. He agrees to come home and accept the job offer. However, not only has his dad's legacy come back to haunt Jude, but he finds himself caught in the middle of international corruption at the highest levels of business and governments.

BLOOD OF PARADISE is a fascinating thriller that never truly decides between being a political expos or an action-packed suspense. David Corbett makes a strong case that the Bush democratization of Iraq has a precedent not in Nam but in El Salvatore, which the American supported side won the 1980s civil war but two decades later is a model of democracy at its worst with abject poverty flourishing, corruption the normal way to run government and do business, and violent crime at stratospheric levels. Those who believe the Bush experiment affirms the Reagan experiment that you cannot transport democracy from without will enjoy this interesting tale; those who prefer an action-packed thriller regardless of political preference will want to pass.

Harriet Klausner