Jaime Morales was only three years old when his father Samuel was brutally killed for daring to expose the crimes of Marco Delgado. To escape the drug lord’s vengeance, Jaime and his mother Maria sought asylum in the United States. Since then, Jaime—now Jamie—has made a new life for himself. He’s a former Green Beret, married to the love of his life, and living in a beautiful home with his wife and his mother. Tours in the Middle East put him through hell, but those dark days are about to return.
What Jamie doesn’t know is that Maria still has the Emerald Cross: an artifact that Delgado claims Samuel stole from his family. When Jamie’s money-hungry sister-in-law sees an opportunity to make a few dollars off Maria’s secret, she sets off a chain of events that brings Delgado back into the Morales’ lives—exacting decades of pent-up revenge. With authorities seemingly incapable of bringing Delgado in, Jamie decides to fight back with the help of old friends. Along the way, he discovers that the rot goes deeper than he imagined, with no one truly above suspicion. How has Delgado remained so untouchable? Would it be a greater punishment to put him away for life or kill him on sight? And how different are Jamie and Delgado truly?
THE EMERALD CROSS is the second novel by Ken Cruickshank, and the first in a new series about Jamie Morales. The former Green Beret is a compelling character in his first literary outing: equal parts tragic and comedic, just as willing to cover his destroyed eye with a comical eyepatch as he is to defy orders to avenge his family. Sylvia, ace pilot and Jamie’s partner in his trip to take out Delgado, also shows promise; hopefully she and the latest in her string of fiancés will be fleshed out more in later novels.
The action in THE EMERALD CROSS is strong, with nearly the entire second half of the book devoted to Jamie’s mission. It is, by design, a difficult read at times, with multiple depictions of the impact of PTSD on its lead characters. The imagery runs the gamut from military shoot-outs to enraged baboons on out-of-control helicopters. But peppered through these intense scenes are more subdued moments—tea on the terrace and attempts at dates—reflecting the peaceful life Jamie longs for and fights for. The only downside of these moments is that the characters are a bit on the nose in their dialogue, voicing their feelings bluntly in moments when subtlety would make more sense. (A regularly recurrent example are variants on “This is a surprising conversation” when a character is surprised.) The book culminates in a good twist and an explosive conclusion, closing out this particular story but leaving the way open for further installments.
THE EMERALD CROSS is, funnily enough, very little about the Emerald Cross itself. (Though readers will get the payoff of an explanation of the holy relic.) The eponymous item isn’t truly the focal point of the novel, just as it isn’t truly the focal point of Delgado and Jamie’s deadly rivalry. Rather, this is a novel about revenge, envy, and second chances. It’s a strong start for a fascinating character who will hopefully star in many more sequels.
Ken Cruickshank’s THE EMERALD CROSS is a great, action-packed thriller about revenge and second chances.
~Kara Dennison for IndieReader