Review of eBook

Once upon a time, Joe Murphy served as an evacuation medic in Vietnam; now he smuggles drugs. He’s considering the possibility of this being his last run, but that is a decision made a moment too late.

Ambushed by soldiers, his plane destroyed, a wounded Murphy awakens to find himself in a Guatemalan village, a family caring for him. But the government officials are relentless in their search for him.

Will Murphy be discovered? And if he is, what will happen to him?

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Set in Guatemala in Central America and based on the author’s own experiences, this well-written, intense narrative is difficult to read. Filled with horrific brutality, the story both powerful and disturbing.

Although, at the outset, Murphy might seem to be a “bad” guy; the unfolding story paints him in a different light. With no nuances, the good characters are good while the bad characters are evil and Murphy is quite unlikable.

Despite the strong, evocative sense of place, the story is gritty, filled with cartels, deceitful government officials, politics, and, at the other end of the spectrum, people just trying to do the right thing.

Recommended, but with this caveat: this far-too-graphic story, filled with atrocities, vividly recounts man’s inhumanity to man. It’s despicable; it’s gruesome . . . made all the more insidious by its cruel veracity.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Mandevilla Press and NetGalley
#HouseofJaguar #NetGalley ( )

“We’re back in Guatemala.” “When we get out this time, I’m going to bag it too.”

But they waited one trip too long and Murphy’s life as a pilot flying marijuana from Guatemala to the States is over.

I’m not going into everything that is in the blurb, but I do remember hearing a lot about the CIA, the cartels, corrupt politicians…on both sides…those with their own agendas. To me, everything about the ‘drug wars’ and the way our government handles it is all wrong. A book like House Of Jaguar gets my emotions roiled. The tragic circumstances of the poor and those who get in the way, makes my heart break for them.

“For two years I do not see a track. Then since you came this one’s been near. He’s very rare, a black one…Tonight after the ceremony I go and call him. Then we’ll have money for more seeds – black skins are the most valuable.”

In tragic, dangerous circumstances, there are those who open their hearts, putting their own lives on the line to help others. Dona is one of those characters and Murphy has the misfortune (?) to fall in love with her. How can it be a happy ever after?

He knows too much and tries to tell the world what is being done to the Guatemalans. It is unfortunate that no one seems to care enough to do anything about it, other than hunt him down and shut him up. He is naive to think the things he does won’t end in a bad way. Lives will be lost, but he cannot help himself. He wants her. He wants to make a difference. He wants to be a good guy. He wants to make a difference.

They kill their own. Psycopaths are turned loose on the innocent. Men turn into animals. The savage violence turns my stomach, pisses me off to no end. Why? What makes them think they are more valuable to the world than the next person? Sometimes I think, do unto others should be done unto them. You reap what you sow. You take a life, you have to give one…yours!

Violence, tragedy, intensity, emotions…The author has lived them and it shows in the story he tells. I don’t read books like House Of Jaguar too often any more. They make me soooo angry, frustrated and disturbed because it seems like we, as a people, never learn and history does repeat itself…over and over again.

The ending….

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of House Of Jaguar by Mike Bond.

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In Bond’s (The Last Savanna, 2013, etc.) military thriller, a former U.S. Army pilot witnesses soldiers slaughtering a village in Guatemala and makes himself a target when he starts asking questions.

Vietnam vet Joe Murphy is earning money by flying to Guatemala to pick up a load of marijuana. But before he can get his plane back in the air, the Guatemalan army attacks, and Murphy flees into the jungle. The pilot, injured and taken in by villagers, evades the army again but watches as they massacre the village. When Murphy makes it back to the States, he goes to the press with his story, but there’s evidently no media interest. A short article, however, is enough to catch the attention of Col. Lyman, who was in Guatemala on a CIA op and who’s been obsessively pursuing Murphy, blaming him for the murder of another CIA insert, Kit Gallagher—a death that Murphy heard while hiding in the jungle. Murphy is now dodging killers, including cops, in his native country, hoping to learn what the CIA was doing in Guatemala and determined to go back for Dona Villalobos, a doctor he fell for during his recovery. Bond’s kinetic novel abounds with intense scenes—Murphy trekking through the spider- and snake-laden forest with a broken arm; Dona and a group of guerrillas raiding an Army base for medicines, a plan that has unexpectedly bloody results. But even without someone running or ducking bullets, characters are rarely given a chance to stop and take a breath. The adept Dona simultaneously tends to Murphy, who’s aggravated his injury, and a pregnant woman who needs a cesarean section. Bond also includes elements of mystery; readers are aware of the CIA’s presence in Guatemala but learn most things right along with the protagonist. The characters are fully limned, though none is more delectably warped than Lyman. His fixation on Murphy borders on psychotic and leads Lyman to enact seriously disturbing deeds. Not surprisingly, the novel ends with a shock, one that might have a few readers gasping.

A high-octane story rife with action, from U.S. streets to Guatemalan jungles.
(Kirkus review)

Not as good as his books about wind-power. A little slow/confusing at the start, but ultimately pretty interesting. ( )

House of Jaguar by Mike Bond oozes testosterone. It is a visceral thriller that combines elements of corruption, deceit, mass-murder, death squads, drug running, covert operations, torture, bravery, selflessness, nation building, and even a touch of love.

Murphy, former American military pilot, flies through the darkness in Central America on a mission to trade thousands of dollars for hundreds of pounds of marijuana. Just as he is about to take off with his illegal cargo, his plane is ambushed. Bullets fly. Unable to save his companions, he escapes into the jungle, leaving behind a trail of blood. He is seriously injured. After a horrific journey through the jungle, he is rescued by a small band of indigenous people who offer food and shelter. Soon, a lovely doctor arrives to treat his wounds. Unfortunately, Murphy’s life will never be the same. Lyman, a mysterious American operative, begins to hunt for Murphy with only one goal-to kill him.

The setting is drawn with such detail and clarity that readers will feel as though they are wearing a virtual reality headset. Bond, obviously an expert on all the locations, leaves no meaningful detail unaddressed. With total clarity, readers will hear the animals, see the constellations above, smell the vegetation, and realize the beauty of nature. Bond’s mastery of language results in beautiful, graceful prose.

The complex plot moves with the speed of a runaway train and is sure to leave readers breathless. The action follows Murphy through an epic journey as he heads home to America and then back to Central America again. The plot trajectory is anything but a flat line. Numerous roadblocks thwart Murphy’s plans at every turn. Lyman and his henchmen continue to stalk him. Only Murphy’s intelligence and military skills keep him alive.

Even though the two main characters are in direct opposition, they have more in common than one might realize at first. Murphy is a sort of anti-hero. Like Lyman, he kills people without much thought. He does not hesitate to engage in nameless, faceless sex. He transports and uses illicit drugs. Some readers may wonder which character is the good guy and which is the bad guy.

Readers who enjoy war, and battles, and action will love House of Jaguar. However, most of them will be men. The average woman may be put off by the way Murphy uses certain women while claiming a mystical love for the lady doctor. Derogatory terms that refer to women and sections that depict scenes of horrific torture may put off sensitive readers.

House of Jaguar is more than an adventure story. It is an honest commentary on a cruel reality that afflicts Central America and its citizens. It may serve as a wake-up call those who have been thus far unacquainted with the situation.

Viet Nam war hero Joe Murphy gets shot down in a Guatemalan jungle while smuggling marijuana. From there he gets caught up in the civil war there. Could have done with less violence and bloodshed but I guess considering the nature of the book it is to be expected. Some places in the book are disturbing. It is an ok read but be sure you have a stomach for violence. ( )