Publication
New York : G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2026
Collection
Call number
Fiction D
Physical description
450 p.; 19 cm
Status
Available
Call number
Description
Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:The first explosive thriller featuring Peter Ash, a veteran who finds that the demons of war aren�??t easily left behind... �??Lots of characters get compared to my own Jack Reacher, but Petrie�??s Peter Ash is the real deal.�?��??Lee Child Peter Ash came home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with only one souvenir: what he calls his �??white static,�?� the buzzing claustrophobia due to post-traumatic stress that has driven him to spend a year roaming in nature, sleeping under the stars. But when a friend from the Marines commits suicide, Ash returns to civilization to help the man�??s widow with some home repairs. Under her dilapidated porch, he finds more than he bargained for: the largest, ugliest, meanest dog he�??s ever encountered...and a Samsonite suitcase stuffed with cash and explosives. As Ash begins to investigate this unexpected discovery, he finds himself at the center of a plot that is far larger than he could have imagined...and it may lead straight back to the world he th… (more)
Series
Genres
User reviews
LibraryThing member satxreader
Good read. And it has a dog! :-D It's not all that plausible, all things considered, but it was fun to read, with likable characters.
I'd be willing give this author another shot.
I'd be willing give this author another shot.
LibraryThing member viking2917
A worthy heir to Lee child and Jack reacher
LibraryThing member Vicki_Weisfeld
This exciting debut thriller pits U.S. Marine lieutenant and veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars Peter Ash against a mysterious conspiracy involving psychologically damaged vets, some serious explosives, and $400,000 in cash. Ash has post-traumatic stress, a“white static” that rises up
When Ash hears of the suicide of his former comrade Big Jimmie Johnson, guilt motivates him to try to make it up to his widow Dinah and her two young sons. He invents a Marine Corps program that supports families by doing free home repairs and sets to work first on the Johnson family’s dilapidated porch. But he can’t rebuild the porch supports until he does something about the huge, vicious, and rank-smelling dog that’s taken up residence underneath it.
Once the dog is secure, he finds another surprise: a Samsonite suitcase filled with money and four packs of explosives. Dinah says she knows nothing about the money, but someone does, because the house was recently broken into and is still being watched by a man driving a big black SUV.
Ash wants to protect Dinah and the boys, but he also wants to get to the bottom of Johnson’s death. At first he buys the police story that his former sergeant was a suicide, but the more he finds out about Jimmie’s recent actions, the more he suspects something else was in play. Although what Jimmie might have gotten himself involved in—either as a participant or a sleuth—is unclear, it must be serious, or people wouldn’t have started trying to kill Ash too.
Rehabilitating the wild dog Mingus, author Petrie has said, was Ash’s “first useful act.” Certainly it has powerful parallels to Ash’s own need to learn how to live with people and civilization again.
Petrie went a little overboard in describing the construction the bad guys’ bomb. I was prepared to accept that the bomb-maker—after all, his nickname was “Boomer”—knew what he was doing. But most of the descriptions of damage done, whether to people, property, vehicles, or psyches, was just right. I also appreciated that Ash’s “everyday” home repair skills were put to new and creative purposes. They make Ash a down-to-earth hero readers can easily identify with and get behind.
Television and movie actor Stephen Mendel—who seems to make a specialty of narrating the thriller genre—does a nice job in the book’s audio version. The characters’ voices are believable—regardless of race or social class—and easy to distinguish, and the women and children are realistic. With his portrayal of Peter Ash, Mendel has made his own contribution to the creation of a likeable protagonist
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whenever he’s indoors too long. This extreme claustrophobia promises to be more than an inconvenience with winter coming on in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the story is set.When Ash hears of the suicide of his former comrade Big Jimmie Johnson, guilt motivates him to try to make it up to his widow Dinah and her two young sons. He invents a Marine Corps program that supports families by doing free home repairs and sets to work first on the Johnson family’s dilapidated porch. But he can’t rebuild the porch supports until he does something about the huge, vicious, and rank-smelling dog that’s taken up residence underneath it.
Once the dog is secure, he finds another surprise: a Samsonite suitcase filled with money and four packs of explosives. Dinah says she knows nothing about the money, but someone does, because the house was recently broken into and is still being watched by a man driving a big black SUV.
Ash wants to protect Dinah and the boys, but he also wants to get to the bottom of Johnson’s death. At first he buys the police story that his former sergeant was a suicide, but the more he finds out about Jimmie’s recent actions, the more he suspects something else was in play. Although what Jimmie might have gotten himself involved in—either as a participant or a sleuth—is unclear, it must be serious, or people wouldn’t have started trying to kill Ash too.
Rehabilitating the wild dog Mingus, author Petrie has said, was Ash’s “first useful act.” Certainly it has powerful parallels to Ash’s own need to learn how to live with people and civilization again.
Petrie went a little overboard in describing the construction the bad guys’ bomb. I was prepared to accept that the bomb-maker—after all, his nickname was “Boomer”—knew what he was doing. But most of the descriptions of damage done, whether to people, property, vehicles, or psyches, was just right. I also appreciated that Ash’s “everyday” home repair skills were put to new and creative purposes. They make Ash a down-to-earth hero readers can easily identify with and get behind.
Television and movie actor Stephen Mendel—who seems to make a specialty of narrating the thriller genre—does a nice job in the book’s audio version. The characters’ voices are believable—regardless of race or social class—and easy to distinguish, and the women and children are realistic. With his portrayal of Peter Ash, Mendel has made his own contribution to the creation of a likeable protagonist
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LibraryThing member KateBaxter
This story is suspenseful from the git-go and it sustains that tension right through to the end. The emotional spectrum is vast yet this is definitely a book for "brothers" and not chick-lit (regardless of a strong "Mother-Courage" role played by one character). The language and subject matter is
Kudos to you Mr. Petrie on your outstanding debut novel and for a job well done.
I am grateful to publisher G.P. Putnam's & Sons and Goodreads First Reads for having provided a free copy of this book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review, the words of which are mine alone.
Synopsis (from dust jacket):
An explosive thriller debut introducing Peter Ash, a veteran who finds that the demons of war aren’t easily left behind . . .
Peter Ash came home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with only one souvenir: what he calls his “white static,” the buzzing claustrophobia due to post-traumatic stress that has driven him to spend a year roaming in nature, sleeping under the stars. But when a friend from the Marines commits suicide, Ash returns to civilization to help the man’s widow with some home repairs. Under her dilapidated porch, he finds more than he bargained for: the largest, ugliest, meanest dog he’s ever encountered . . . and a Samsonite suitcase stuffed with cash and explosives. As Ash begins to investigate this unexpected discovery, he finds himself at the center of a plot that is far larger than he could have imagined . . . and it may lead straight back to the world he thought he’d left for good. Suspenseful and thrilling, and featuring a compelling new hero, The Drifter is an exciting debut from a fresh voice in crime fiction.
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"gritty". The one sex scene is imagined and tastefully rendered. The characters are well-developed and complex. Petrie certainly did his research on the challenges our veterans face. As readers Petrie educates us about the plight of returning veterans, previously deployed to do things that just do not have application in civil society. How can they assimilate when they are trained and tooled for non-civil work and suffer from bodily injuries or those of the mind, such as PTSD? With improved medical techniques, we bring home a lot more veterans than previously but we do not necessarily provide the necessary tools for their ease of re-entry. This book gives one cause to ponder what help we offer our veterans and how much more we could do. It certainly gave me lots to think about.Kudos to you Mr. Petrie on your outstanding debut novel and for a job well done.
I am grateful to publisher G.P. Putnam's & Sons and Goodreads First Reads for having provided a free copy of this book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review, the words of which are mine alone.
Synopsis (from dust jacket):
An explosive thriller debut introducing Peter Ash, a veteran who finds that the demons of war aren’t easily left behind . . .
Peter Ash came home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with only one souvenir: what he calls his “white static,” the buzzing claustrophobia due to post-traumatic stress that has driven him to spend a year roaming in nature, sleeping under the stars. But when a friend from the Marines commits suicide, Ash returns to civilization to help the man’s widow with some home repairs. Under her dilapidated porch, he finds more than he bargained for: the largest, ugliest, meanest dog he’s ever encountered . . . and a Samsonite suitcase stuffed with cash and explosives. As Ash begins to investigate this unexpected discovery, he finds himself at the center of a plot that is far larger than he could have imagined . . . and it may lead straight back to the world he thought he’d left for good. Suspenseful and thrilling, and featuring a compelling new hero, The Drifter is an exciting debut from a fresh voice in crime fiction.
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LibraryThing member zmagic69
It's hard to believe this is the authors first book. A decent story, well executed, with interesting believable characters, excellent story execution, and well written action. The only downside was it was easy to figure out who the bad guys were, and how they were tied together. I will definitely
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check out the next book. Show Less
LibraryThing member martinhughharvey
An enjoyable, quick, mystery read.
First, I read somewhere this is to be compared to with Reacher. No, unless you think the hero is retired military and has no fixed abode count. Reacher is quite different - more violence and thuggery (Reacher is a self-confessed thug), more peripatetic, thinks
But this book. The retired homeless marine with a strange affliction (you'll find out) which I'm still unsure if it adds or detracts from the story. But he's honest and honorable and does his duty protecting a lady naturally, and avoiding a very nasty incident. A decent, light, and eminently readable escape.
First, I read somewhere this is to be compared to with Reacher. No, unless you think the hero is retired military and has no fixed abode count. Reacher is quite different - more violence and thuggery (Reacher is a self-confessed thug), more peripatetic, thinks
Show More
more, and often are commentaries on the locale set in.But this book. The retired homeless marine with a strange affliction (you'll find out) which I'm still unsure if it adds or detracts from the story. But he's honest and honorable and does his duty protecting a lady naturally, and avoiding a very nasty incident. A decent, light, and eminently readable escape.
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LibraryThing member muddyboy
Military veteran (Peter) comes home from the Middle East and finds out that one of his buddies has committed suicide. He decides to help his widow and finds much more than he bargained for. Under her front porch which he is repairing he finds a large amount of cash and a large mangy dog. The wife
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has no clue about the money or the dog. Peter starts to research this and eventually uncovers a terrorist plot to bomb a building much like Oklahoma City. The book is well written and full of twists and turns. The novel was rightly an Edgar Award finalist and marks Mr. Petrie as a new star in the fiction world. Show Less
LibraryThing member mysterymax
The Drifter by Nicholas Petrie has to be four plus stars. The most outstanding part of the book is the development of the characters which is so complete it is hard to believe that this is Petrie’s debut novel. Peter Ash is vet who has come home from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from
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post-traumatic stress in the form of ‘white static’ that threatens to overwhelm him if he is indoors or confined in a small space. When a fellow Marine commits suicide Peter determines to help his friend’s family by doing repairs on their house. Peter struggles through his claustrophobia to get a dog that is frightening the children, out from under the porch. Peter discovers more than the dog, there is also a suitcase full of money, a lot of C-4 explosive and the dog is the smelliest, ugliest, meanest dog you can imagine. The book is funny, sad, thoughtful and a good mystery/thiller. And I loved the dog. Show Less
LibraryThing member kmajort
I picked this up when it came through cataloging.... read the first chapter over lunch, then recommended it to a friend/patron as right up his alley.
I'm back in school, no time to read for fun.... but I kept thinking about the character. So I picked up the other system copy and read it just over
A Marine, back from the Middle East. Trouble w/rejoining "normal" (ha!) society. Learnes a friend/comrade has commited suicide..
Basic storyline, but well done. Fine debut, I'll look for more.
I'm back in school, no time to read for fun.... but I kept thinking about the character. So I picked up the other system copy and read it just over
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lunches.A Marine, back from the Middle East. Trouble w/rejoining "normal" (ha!) society. Learnes a friend/comrade has commited suicide..
Basic storyline, but well done. Fine debut, I'll look for more.
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LibraryThing member SarahStenhouse
Great start and middle but gets a bit unbelievable towards the end.
LibraryThing member kmartin802
This was an excellent thriller starring Peter Ash. Peter served as a Marine officer in Iraq and Afghanistan and mustered out with something he calls his "white static." He has a major case of claustrophobia so severe that he can't spend time indoors.
After a year on his own in the mountains of the
Peter's first problem when repairing a damaged porch is the large, angry dog who has made his home under the porch. His second problem is the suitcase the dog was guarding which contains $400,000 in neatly banded bundles and four block of plastic explosives.
Enemies want their explosives back and are willing to kill Peter and Johnson's family to get it back. As Peter tries to find out who left the money and explosives under the deck, we also follow along as another military vet is traveling around the country gathering fertilizer and fuel oil to make some sort of major bomb.
This was a fascinating story which wove the plight of returning veterans with a financial collapse that is wrecking the housing market into a coherent, exciting, and thrilling whole. Peter is an interesting character who has been damaged by his service but who hasn't lost his honor or his intelligence. His new partner Lewis is also a very intriguing character that I want to know more about.
This is a great start to a series and I can't wait to read more books about Peter Ash.
After a year on his own in the mountains of the
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Pacific Northwest, he learns of the death of his best friend, his sergeant, in Milwaukee. He decides to go there to help out Jimmy Johnson's widow and kids. He's told Dinah Johnson that he is there as a part of some VA program to fix up houses.Peter's first problem when repairing a damaged porch is the large, angry dog who has made his home under the porch. His second problem is the suitcase the dog was guarding which contains $400,000 in neatly banded bundles and four block of plastic explosives.
Enemies want their explosives back and are willing to kill Peter and Johnson's family to get it back. As Peter tries to find out who left the money and explosives under the deck, we also follow along as another military vet is traveling around the country gathering fertilizer and fuel oil to make some sort of major bomb.
This was a fascinating story which wove the plight of returning veterans with a financial collapse that is wrecking the housing market into a coherent, exciting, and thrilling whole. Peter is an interesting character who has been damaged by his service but who hasn't lost his honor or his intelligence. His new partner Lewis is also a very intriguing character that I want to know more about.
This is a great start to a series and I can't wait to read more books about Peter Ash.
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LibraryThing member TomDonaghey
The Drifter (2017) by Nick Petrie. Peter Ash has carried unseen baggage with him when he returns home from a pair of deployments to our war zones. PTSD to him means being outdoors most of the time in the form of severe claustrophobia.
But he was and is a Marine first, and when a guy he had served
Turns out his buddy had been murdered. That means there are some bad operators in town and they must be looking for the money. The widow knows nothing about it. She and Ash go find an old fried of hers that is either behind it all or willing to help because of a past relationship.
This is a fast paced novel with great pacing. At the moment Jack Reacher is safe as the premier traveling vigilante, but it wouldn’t hurt for him to be looking over his shoulder.
But he was and is a Marine first, and when a guy he had served
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with dies it is up to Ash to make things right with the widow and her son. He is a carpenter of sorts and decides the old house she is living in needs a new porch. And the door that was damaged recently during a break-in needs replacing. Under the porch are two surprises: a seemingly “mad” dog and a suitcase loaded with a batch of money.Turns out his buddy had been murdered. That means there are some bad operators in town and they must be looking for the money. The widow knows nothing about it. She and Ash go find an old fried of hers that is either behind it all or willing to help because of a past relationship.
This is a fast paced novel with great pacing. At the moment Jack Reacher is safe as the premier traveling vigilante, but it wouldn’t hurt for him to be looking over his shoulder.
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LibraryThing member jfe16
Peter Ash, like so many others, came home from eight years and two deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq with “white static,” his term for the post traumatic stress disorder that manifests itself whenever he is inside. He’s learned to control the buzzing claustrophobia by limiting the time he
When he learns of a friend’s death, he heads for Milwaukee and sets about making some desperately-needed home repairs for the widow. Under the porch, he finds the mangiest, ugliest dog imaginable and a suitcase filled with money . . . and four bars of C-4. As Peter searches for the owner of the suitcase, he finds himself drawn into a plot with far-reaching . . . and deadly . . . consequences.
The characters populating this tale are complex and well-drawn; with its fast-paced action, intriguing plotline, and building suspense, this page-turner is a thriller readers will find they simply can’t put it down.
Highly recommended.
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spends indoors. To that end, he’s spent the last year wandering the Cascades and sleeping under the stars.When he learns of a friend’s death, he heads for Milwaukee and sets about making some desperately-needed home repairs for the widow. Under the porch, he finds the mangiest, ugliest dog imaginable and a suitcase filled with money . . . and four bars of C-4. As Peter searches for the owner of the suitcase, he finds himself drawn into a plot with far-reaching . . . and deadly . . . consequences.
The characters populating this tale are complex and well-drawn; with its fast-paced action, intriguing plotline, and building suspense, this page-turner is a thriller readers will find they simply can’t put it down.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member lewilliams
Peter Ash is a Marine veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan who came home with PTSD. In the Drifter he sets out to help his former Sergeant's wife in Milwaukee. In the process of repairing he porch and deck, he stumbles upon a large, smelly and ugly dog along with a suitcase that contains $400,000. This
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sets off a chain of events that leads to a climatic ending. Ash is a character I want to and will read more about in as other stories in the series are written. Show Less
LibraryThing member alanteder
This is a solid vigilante-style thriller with a character set-up that will make you think of Lee Child's Reacher, but Petrie's Peter Ash is much more plausible and realistic.
Although ex-Marine Lieutenant Ash's PTSD claustrophobia keeps him sleeping rough in the wilderness or in his truck he pushes
Bonus points for the best dog performance since Robert Crais's Maggie in "Suspect".
A few points off for a finale that wraps up a bit too easily, but it does hint of a possible return of Peter Ash which I am certainly looking forward to.
Although ex-Marine Lieutenant Ash's PTSD claustrophobia keeps him sleeping rough in the wilderness or in his truck he pushes
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himself to help out the family of one of his former Sergeants when the latter is reported as a suicide.Bonus points for the best dog performance since Robert Crais's Maggie in "Suspect".
A few points off for a finale that wraps up a bit too easily, but it does hint of a possible return of Peter Ash which I am certainly looking forward to.
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LibraryThing member susandennis
This was a great start to what I hope is a fabulous new (to me) series. Peter Ash is the kind of protagonist I appreciate. No melodrama, no sentimental crap. Just a man with a mission. In this book, he's helping the widow of a friend. It's a little too much PTSD for me but still a good story.
LibraryThing member highlander6022
Excellent, exciting book. Took a little bit to get going, but the final chapters were a hell of a ride!
LibraryThing member Randall.Hansen
As a first novel, this effort should be commended... of course, I have a thing for struggling veterans as so many come back from war greatly affected by mental and physical trauma. The main character here, Peter Ash, a former lieutenant, is no different... but he has a heart of gold in wanting to
An excellent start, and I am excited to see there are other books in the series.
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help the widow of one of his mates. The story is engaging and fun, even if the end is a bit over the top.An excellent start, and I am excited to see there are other books in the series.
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LibraryThing member RonWelton
Peter Ash of Nicholas Petrie's The Drifter has been compared to Lee Child's Jack Reacher. They may be both drifters but there are more differences than similarities. Jack Reacher doesn't do much introspection and drifting is his only purpose in life. He helps out when he falls into a situation
Peter Ash is a returning vet but with severe PTS. white static. He is claustrophobic and experiences painful anxiety attacks when entering a room. He lives with "A vague crackling unease, a dissonant noise at the edge of hearing" which becomes nearly unbearable when he is inside.
He has come to Milwaukee to help the widow of his sergeant, James Johnson who he has been told committed suicide. While trying to make amends for failing to protect his sergeant the former Marine lieutenant finds himself facing a major domestic terrorist threat.
Petrie has researched into the plight of returning vets. This book reflects much of what he discovered.
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which requires a violent "good Samaritan," but he doesn't go out of his way looking to help. Child's Jack Reacher books are fast paced thrillers but have nothing to say. The Drifter is noir. The U.S. housing bubble has burst. People are losing their homes. A sense of near hopelessness pervades. Returning veterans find themselves unable to find work or a sense of being welcomed and useful.Peter Ash is a returning vet but with severe PTS. white static. He is claustrophobic and experiences painful anxiety attacks when entering a room. He lives with "A vague crackling unease, a dissonant noise at the edge of hearing" which becomes nearly unbearable when he is inside.
He has come to Milwaukee to help the widow of his sergeant, James Johnson who he has been told committed suicide. While trying to make amends for failing to protect his sergeant the former Marine lieutenant finds himself facing a major domestic terrorist threat.
Petrie has researched into the plight of returning vets. This book reflects much of what he discovered.
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LibraryThing member PattyLee
Lee Child is the model. Extremely fast paced and edgy.
LibraryThing member tsmom1219
Outstanding. I couldn't put it down and was really sad to finish it. I sincerely hope there's a sequel. I want to spend more time with these characters.
LibraryThing member terran
This is an excellent character study of a former Marine suffering from PTSD and struggling to exist back in the States. His loyalty to the men who served under him in Iraq and Afghanistan leads him to Milwaukee, WI, where he lends a hand to the widow of a fellow Marine who apparently committed
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suicide. Because he has developed severe claustrophobia following his war experiences, he sleeps in his pickup cab in wintertime Milwaukee, which was rather unbelievable to me. However, the rest of the story is fast-moving and I enjoyed it. Show Less
LibraryThing member zmagic69
It's hard to believe this is the authors first book. A decent story, well executed, with interesting believable characters, excellent story execution, and well written action. The only downside was it was easy to figure out who the bad guys were, and how they were tied together. I will definitely
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check out the next book. Show Less
LibraryThing member lbswiener
The Drifter is a U.S. Veteran. He is a very good soul who found himself with a horrible claustrophobic condition, as a result of war. There are other veterans in the book who also suffer from various conditions, as a result of the war. So as not to spoil the story with this review, it is a bit of a
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thriller at the end. Four stars were given to this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Apparently compared (even by Lee Child) as the 'Next Reacher' it has a similar vibe but doesn't quite work as well.
Peter Ash is a marine vet, returned to the US with almost claustrophobia, the noise and bustle of modern living builds a pressure/noise until he has to leave for the peace and quiet.
Giving a hero a mental illness is a bold choice that needs to handled carefully, and I don't think the author has quite achieved this. You can't just 'power through' such things when it's convenient, you can't have them sometimes able to to cope and only bring the sensations back when they can be managed. For those truly afflicted, there is no choice or willpower involved. Other than that the complex motivations and carefully clues and plotting seemed well contrived.
Peter Ash is a marine vet, returned to the US with almost claustrophobia, the noise and bustle of modern living builds a pressure/noise until he has to leave for the peace and quiet.
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He's spent a year living in the wilderness in the hope that he can forget some of the trauma, but still isn't fully recovered when news eventually reaches him that one of his sergeants has committed suicide. This seems a bit unlike the man he used to know, and in any case he feels a sense of guilt, duty and responsibility, for not looking after the men who were in his care, so he musters the fortitude to travel to the widow and see if he can help. Living out of a truck, he finds that she could use his carpentry skills, so he's rebuilding her porch when he discovers a mildewed suitcase full of cash and plastic explosive. Now he has to find out what his friend has become involved with.Giving a hero a mental illness is a bold choice that needs to handled carefully, and I don't think the author has quite achieved this. You can't just 'power through' such things when it's convenient, you can't have them sometimes able to to cope and only bring the sensations back when they can be managed. For those truly afflicted, there is no choice or willpower involved. Other than that the complex motivations and carefully clues and plotting seemed well contrived.
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Awards
Edgar Award (Nominee — First Novel — 2017)
Anthony Award (Nominee — First Novel — 2017)
Barry Award (Winner — First Novel — 2017)
Hammett Prize (Nominee — 2016)
WLA Literary Awards (2017)
International Thriller Writers Award (Nominee — First Novel — 2017)
Language
Original publication date
2016-01-12
ISBN
9780735215207