War is not pretty and considering our current predicament in Iraq, the future does not always look so bright. With a continually weakening economy and skyrocketing gas prices, it all leads back to the Middle East.

Enter Kris Kluge, a war hero Special Forces kind of guy, freshly discharged from the battlefields of Iraq, not realizing that he is about to step on yet another battlefield that is even more challenging. Kris travels to California to take over his uncle’s trucking company after leaving the service. His absence from the civilian life for so long makes him feel like a stranger to the world he once knew. Kris’ goal is to assimilate back into civilian life, start a career, and put some distance between himself and his past. Kris’ sense of isolation from his inability to fit in, clings to him like the monkey of fear he wore on his back in Iraq. The taste of war is bitter and putrid. Like blowing desert sand, it scrapes the back of your throat and leaves it feeling raw and cracked. At the same time it is addictive.

The familiar rush of adrenalin makes you want it regardless of whether or not it’s right or wrong. When Kris arrives at his Uncle Fred’s trucking company, there is a sense of controlled chaos as he meets his uncle for the first time in many years. The meeting seems odd to Kris, as his Uncle is more concerned with turning over the company as quickly as possible. He then informs Kris that he will be heading to Las Vegas shortly to conduct some business. He hands Kris the keys to his trucking company, his Malibu castle and his house in Vegas and then speeds off.

Fred has a plan that involves a drug dealer named Bradley, a cokehead trust fund baby who sells South American drug product in Fred’s territory. Fred has made a deal to sell Bradley his client list and get out of the business. Fred wants to escape to Barcelona Spain, but before he can go, he has to do this deal and do it right.

Enter Fred’s drug supplier Azzimi and his gang of Middle Eastern terrorists. Azzimi had contacts all the way back to Pakistan and Afghanistan and his role is serving almighty God. Azzimi did not like the fact that Bradley was selling product in his territory. He suggested killing Bradley, but Fred had a better idea: Hustle Bradley into buying his client list for ten million, split it with Azzimi and then Azzimi could do whatever he liked with Bradley. Azzimi agrees and the plan is set in place. Eventually Kris gets involved in more than his Uncle’s trucking company, and finds himself fighting to save his own life.

Overall Mojave Winds is a good read. The character development in this book is great, the twists work well, although in my opinion some of the mechanics and dialogue are a bit flat and in my opinion unnecessary. I do think in some ways Biskeborn has upped the ante as far as thrillers go, but the rushed love story during the impending chaos and fight for survival is a bit unrealistic. The overall theme here is Kris going from one war to the next. Luckily for him, he has skills learned on the battlefield to guide him in the fight for his life. Unlike Iraq, Kris has no support from his fellow soldiers and limited weaponry. Kris must find a way to escape or neutralize the same enemy he fought in Iraq.

I identified with Kris the most in this cast of characters. As a veteran myself, I can relate to the levels of anxiety and the feelings he felt trying to get back to civilian life. The way he used his skills and how his mind thinks, provided me with yet another memory of how most people really are blind to things that go on around them everyday, especially when it comes to politics. This is quite clear in Kris’ thoughts throughout the book and anyone reading it will clearly see both sides of the story about our involvement in the war from a soldiers perspective.
Mojave Winds
By Mark Biskeborn
Veritas Vino Publishing, Los Angeles, CA; 368 pp., 2007

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