Review of Covert Element by John L. Betcher

America’s war on drugs has touched an untold number of lives and cost national treasure that could have been used in so many better ways. This story of a small town detective’s involvement in this war makes for compelling reading.
The seeds for this episode were laid in a U.S. Special Forces operation some years before in Mexico. The raid was successful in its initial goal, but it set the stage for the problems that would soon face James Becker and his wife in northern hamlet of Red Wing, Minnesota as evil will always fill in gaps and look for new paths of expansion.
This is the third book in a series featuring detective James “Beck” Becker and his wife Beth. If the first two volumes are close to this one in being skillfully crafted and well written they should be worth seeking out.
This reviewer was quite impressed with the detail with which the opening scenes were written. The detail with which the soldiers who carried out the raid provided a plausible reality of how such feats are accomplished relying on limited supply without the fantasies provided to us by Hollywood.
The foundation of this admirable thriller though is the display of the entrepreneurial spirit of the drug traffickers/manufacturers. They know all too well that is far easier and way more profitable to shorten lines of supply. If the drug can be manufactured close to the source of consumption then the risk of law enforcement intervention is greatly reduced. Why bring cocaine from South America when there is just as great a demand for methamphetamine which can be produced in large quantities cheaply near the consumer.
Yes, this is a fictional thriller, but having an exceedingly realistic plotline runs a chill up this reader’s spine which commends this book very well.
Reviewer: John Helman, Allbooks Reviews.
Title: The Covert Element
Author: John L. Betcher
Publisher: John L. Betcher
ISBN: 9781461084532
Pages: 264
Price: $15.95
For more info: http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/john-l-betcher.html