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No Man's Land
Frank Corso Series #5

by G. M. Ford



      Meza Azul is America's most secure prison... escape proof. Timothy Driver was once a Navy Seal and the Captain of a Trident missile submarine. He came home unexpectedly and found his wife in bed with another man. Now, Driver is a convicted murderer, serving life without parole.  He seizes control of the prison and is holding 163 hostages. Driver demands that true-crime writer Frank Corso be delivered to him or he will begin killing hostages, one every six hours. Members of the Coast Guard persuade a reluctant Corso to leave the boat he calls home in Seattle and fly to Mesa Azul. Corso had written a book about Driver, and now he will be compelled to tell rest of the story, or at least, Driver's version of it.  Corso is delivered to the prison by helicopter, and a unique escape plot is carried out.  Brutal killer "Cutter" Kehoe accompanies Driver and Corso on a fast-moving cross-country killing spree. 

Melanie Harris, TV star of American Manhunt, (very much like America's Most Wanted) sees the story as a way to boost her sagging ratings.  Her husband has had enough of their shaky marriage and goes back to Michigan to try to pick up the pieces of a past life from before their daughter, Stephanie, was kidnapped and murdered.  Melanie decides to go for the exciting happenings at Meza Azul and hope that Brian changes his mind. She manages to get into the chase, complete with the TV station's custom made motor home.  The plot has many unpredictable twists and hair-raising turns, but comes to a satisfying, if somewhat predictable ending.

This is a high speed adventure that will make you lose track of time and immerse you in a late night reading session. No Man's Land is my first G. M. Ford story, but he could certainly turn out to be one of my favorite authors. His dark humor, classy descriptions, and believable dialogue are top quality. Frank Corso and Melanie Harris are sympathetic and easy to relate to... the FBI agents seem a bit incompetent, with Timothy Driver and Cutter Kehoe totally frightening and easy to hate.  No Man's Land is an entertaining thriller that  draws attention to the way prisons are run without regard to the human element.

The Book

Avon/HarperCollins
Reprint edition June 2006
Mass Market Paperback
13 digit ISBN: 978-0-06-055484-2
Suspense
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Excerpt
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The Reviewer

Beverly J. Rowe
Reviewed 2006
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© 2006 MyShelf.com