A Vietnam War novel about a young paratrooper with the 101st Airborne who is recruited into a Special Ops Unit controlled by a rogue CIA Agent
Book #1 of The Vietnam War Series, Melody Hill, is the story of Duff Coleridge, a young man from the mountains of Tennessee. Duff would choose his hometown of Melody Hill over heaven any day, but he realizes his only chance for a better life is to leave home and join the military. The year is 1966 and Duff becomes a paratrooper with orders for the First Brigade of the 101st Airborne. He is on his way to Vietnam.
Rapidly becoming a natural warrior, Duff’s reputation with a Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol unit leads him into the shadowy world of black ops. Too late, he discovers his CIA boss is more rogue than “company” man. And when a mysterious French-Vietnamese woman approaches Duff, he becomes trapped in a dangerous web of romance, lies, and intrigue. Should he trust his dubious leader’s assessment of this beautiful woman as a potential Vietcong spy? Knowing the wrong decision could lead him into a deadly trap, Duff is determined to find the truth before it’s too late.
A Vietnam War novel with writing that has been widely compared to the likes of Tim O’brien’s, The Things They Carried and John Del Vecchio’s The 13th Valley, Melody Hill does not disappoint. Expertly crafted with historical accuracy, Melody Hill is an excellent Vietnam War Novel and military fiction at its best, challenging espionage thrillers as well as military romance books with its broad appeal. You don’t want to miss this thrilling prequel to the award-winning novel, The Gomorrah Principle.
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A Reader Review of Melody Hill
5.0 out of 5 stars A book for EVERYONE who wants to understand his veteran FATHER or FRIEND
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2016
I have now read ALL of DeStefanis’ novels. And I love them all. MELODY HILL and THE GOMORRAH PRINCIPLE both stand alone, so the reader can read either one first. DeStefanis has written now three Vietnam-era books of fiction that are on par with the best of James Webb, del Vecchio, Tim O’Brien, and Josiah Bunting. His descriptive writing is so realistic, the reader knows and feels that the author is a veteran “who has been there.” I myself was commissioned after the War in Vietnam was just over, but DeStefanis’ story rings true with the many stories I heard from friends and veterans just a little older than me, stories of corruption of Vietnam’s puppet government and the CIA and the US military often caught in the middle. The author’s description of combat are vivid, and his writing is so descriptive that the reader can feel and smell the muck at the bottom of the ever-present rice paddies. I am so glad that this author chose to become an author. The current group of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans will appreciate the honest and accurate story-telling of this author.