The Drifter

November 16, 2015
This strong thriller from debut author Petrie begins on the mean streets of Milwaukee, Wis. Marine veteran Peter Ash spent eight years fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan; now he’s a civilian suffering from PTSD. Ash’s first order of business after mustering out of the service is to help Dinah, the widow of Jimmy Johnson, a Marine buddy who committed suicide after returning home. While rescuing a huge stray mutt living under Dinah’s ramshackle porch, Ash discovers a hidden suitcase containing $400,000 and plastic explosives. Dinah pleads ignorance, but Ash becomes skeptical after an armed, scarred man accosts him at the house. It all seems to revolve around a mysterious man in a “black canvas chore coat,” whose surreptitious goal is to secure several thousand pounds of ammonium nitrate, a potentially explosive substance. Petrie’s expertly paced plot sets a colorful array of characters on a collision course. Readers will look forward to seeing more of the resourceful Ash. Agent: Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman Literary Agency.