THE DESERTER

New York: Simon & Schuster, 2019. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. For Nelson DeMille, this is his 21st novel, while for his writing partner and son, Alex, it is his first, though he has won numerous awards for his screen plays and films. The deserter of the title is Capt. Kyle Mercer, trained assassin and keeper of classified information, serving with the U.S.Army's Delta Force in Afghanistan when he disappeared. Spotted a year later in Caracas, Venezuela, the Army sends its top investigator, Scott Brodie, and his new partner, Maggie Taylor, to South America to find Mercer, take him into custody and return him to the U.S., a very dangerous, almost impossible job. First edition, first printing, as stated with complete numberline. About 6 1/4 x 9 1/4 inches, 530 pages plus asknowledgments and author bios. White paper-covered boards with gold lettering on spine and a colored map of Venezuela on the end papers. Signed by both authors on the title page. The dustjacket photo shows a shadowy male figure superimposed on a deserted stretch of seacoast. Title on front panel of dj is in gold with authors in white and silver. Dj's back panel contains single blub for "The Deserter" and five blurbs from various media for DeMille's bestselling "The Cuban Affair." This is a pristine signed copy, with no noticeable flaws or damage, waiting for a collector