Book Review - The Searcher by Ray Dacolias

Book Review

 

The Searcher

by Ray Dacolias

Book Description

Joaquin Bridger is a former soldier who settles in the town of Redwood, becomes a police officer, marries, and has a daughter. He and his family live there peacefully for ten years, and then tragedy strikes.

His wife and daughter are killed in a confrontation with bank robbers, and he blames himself. He quits the police force and begins a wandering, aimless life around town, walking wherever he goes—silent, brooding, filthy. He exists like this for five years.

The majority of people in town see him as a man who is mentally disabled. Few people dare bother him.

Then one day, John Slaughter, the man who was responsible for the death of Joaquin’s family, comes back to this town. After robbing the bank with his fellow criminals, he kidnaps a young girl as he gets away. Joaquin recognizes the man, and gives chase. Thus, the tale begins.

Slaughter is no ordinary criminal. He has bases of operation across the country, and he is involved in nefarious activities with foreign and domestic criminals. He never stays too long in one spot, making it extremely difficult for Joaquin to track him across the vast wilderness.

Sylvia, the girl Slaughter kidnapped, is nearly nine years old when the story begins, and as she meets other girls who were also taken by Slaughter, she learns how to survive as she awaits rescue.

Back in the town of Redwood, Sylvia’s mother, Juanita, does whatever she can to search for her daughter. She also knows that Joaquin is searching for Sylvia, and this brings her some comfort.
Joaquin has been helped, from the beginning of the search, by two men who believe in him—a U.S. Marshal, and a police officer from Redwood.

Joaquin searches for the child across several Western states. As he tracks Slaughter, he also deals with the loss of his wife and daughter, and his failed life the last five years.

Along the way, as he regains the rich frontier heritage of his forefathers by learning to co-exist peacefully with Nature, he meets a big man called the Giant. It is the Giant who teaches Joaquin how to live in peace and harmony with oneself; it is the Giant who teaches Joaquin simply how to live. 

Our Book Review

It is a long time since I picked up a book and gone wow after the first couple of pages, but this book made me do exactly that.

The authors descriptive writing of both the characters and their surroundings draw the reader in and you actually envisage yourself being there alongside them.

You follow our hero on a trail of excitement and dogged determination in his quest.  After being haunted by the killing if his family our hero begins a life of homelessness and wandering.  When the man who is responsible of the killing of the heroes family robs the local bank and kidnaps a young girl our hero sets off to find and return the girl.

The writer will touch the hearts of every parent and release their worst nightmare their child being snatched and taken by a stranger.

The methods and survival techniques used by Joaquim (our hero) in tracking the kidnappers is expertly described and the emotions he is feeling make you believe you are travelling alongside him .

The writer also spends a lot of time on the villain of the piece and you get a feeling and the understanding of his motives, which makes you want him to be caught and receive justice.

The reason that I really love this book is the authors use of language and descriptive terms which enhance the characters bringing each and everyone of them to life .This author has a unique style of writing which will appeal greatly to any reader and I strongly recommend him.

This book carries a really strong message of hope and faith when you believe you have nothing left to live for.   Something comes along which shows that God made you for a reason and you have to survive to find your true path and learn to live again.

Our Rating

 

 
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Sharon x

   
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