Nearing the end of America’s hold on the Panama Canal, a series of horrific attacks deep in the jungle bring a convoluted plot to light involving international banking, the CIA, and a violent madman.
A wet-behind-the-ears CIA case officer retrieves a legendary solider from a monastery. A Bosnian war criminal known as the Serb launches attack after attack against the defenseless villages deep in the Central American jungles. A Swiss banker and a Mossad agent funnel money through varied and numerous businesses. VILE MEANS weaves these plots back and forth at breakneck speeds. With the stage set, the story races to a subdued but well-crafted ending.
VILE MEANS is an incredible suspense thriller in the vein of Tom Clancy’s beloved political and military thrillers. Steve Dimodica uses history and real world events to craft a fast paced thriller that balances international banking with rapid-fire shootouts. Short chapters rocket from one location to the next alternating between political scheming and gruesome violence. Characterization is top notch, especially for the Swiss banker Norris Stanton. Stanton escaped a Nazi death train by hiding in a well-used outhouse prompting an intense germophobia and desire to never suffer at the hands of anyone again, a driving force behind the massive amounts of money changing hands. The real star of VILE MEANS is the incredible pacing and plot. The plot twists and veers in unexpected ways as a small team of Special Ops seek out the mysterious Serb while Interpol pursues extreme amounts of money moving globally. As noted above, the pacing is fantastic. Alternating chapters between the various characters keep the pages flipping by even during the slower governmental meetings and political scheming.
Deftly plotted and fast paced, VILE MEANS is a standout thriller chronicling the attempts of various powers vying for control of the Panama Canal region.
~ IndieReader