The Drifter by Nick Petrie: A Review by Warren Bull

The Drifter by Nick Petrie: A Review by Warren Bull

Image by David Izquiero on UpSplash

It is always a pleasure to discover a new talented author and Nick Petrie is truly a find.

Having seen this was a first novel, I was surprised by the quality of his work so I interrupted my reading long enough to read his bio (which I almost never do) and discovered he earned an MFA from the University of Washington and his short fiction has won awards.

Petrie has clearly done his apprenticeship as a wordsmith. His writing is colorful, but not intrusive enough to interfere with the plot. Peter Ash, is a former Marine lieutenant who was sent on several combat missions. Upon his return to the US. Ash discovers that he has suddenly developed symptoms of PTSD. Uncomfortable in enclosed spaces, he goes on a lengthy journey through the wild, avoiding people and civilization. 

When he learns a Sergeant who served under him committed suicide, he feels guilty that he did nothing to see how the man was getting along back “in the world.” [in the US] Ash goes to see if he can help the man’s family. He pretends there is a program to help families of vets refurbish their homes, and offers to help rebuild a sagging porch. This simple act sets off a chain of events that challenges Ash to use his combat skills and threatens the way of life he designed to cope with his PTSD.

Petrie does an excellent job describing the PTSD. His hero is more than Superman light. I enjoyed the humor the author snuck in. There were unexpected twists like [NO SPOILER HERE] and when [NOT HERE EITHER] turned out to be [READ THE BOOK IF YOU WANT TO FIND OUT.] The author seems to genuinely care about the plight of returning service people.

I highly recommend you read the book. I am looking forward to the next book in what sounds like a new series.