A Deadly Exchange

By Sheryl Stafford

Former POW Matthew Spencer thinks his days of confinement and torture are over at the end of the Vietnam war. Not so. Years later, when he and his wife, Alexandra, embark on a leisurely cruise on... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0595156770
• ISBN13: 9780595156771
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Writers Showcase Pr
• Length: 364 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 1.0" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Reviewed by Denise's Pieces Book Reviewers

A DEADLY EXCHANGE is a fast-paced, exciting novel. It captured my interest from the first chapter and soon became an exhilarating journey. I can honestly say that I could not put the book down.The story unfolds with a couple sailing around the Bahamas on a simple vacation. There was nothing simple about this trip. It soon became a nightmare of terror surrounded by life or death drama involving drugs, murder, kidnapping, and ruthless people in power. The author has managed to weave a tale of suspense and danger that will have readers biting their nails until the very end. I found my own heart pounding with anticipation at more than one point.The characters are strong and the plot is believable and frightening. For lovers of well-written mystery/suspense novels; this one is for you! There is never a lull in the action or suspense. There is also a very touching love story that emerges throughout. This one seems to have it all.I highly recommend this book. Well done Ms Stafford. I hope to see many more of your stories in print.

A Deadly Exchange

What can I say! I couldn't put this book down. Sheryl Stafford captured my attention at page one and held it throughout the novel. Her work is every bit as good as Grisham or Mary Higgins Clark. My one complaint about A Deadly Exchange is that I wanted more! I highly recommend this book and rate it five stars.

Wonderful

A DEADLY EXCHANGE is a taut thriller that you won't want to put down. Matthew Spencer, former POW during Vietnam, and his wife, Alex, have finally made the time to take off into the sunset aboard their sailboat. Setting sail towards the Bahamian Cays, they are unaware that drugs have been planted in their boat, due to an unfortunate mix-up. Raoul Chavez, the head of the Colombian drug cartel, wants his drugs and he is willing to go to great lengths to attain them. In hopes of getting Matt to cooperate and hand over the drugs, Alex is kidnapped and at the mercy of Raoul and his band of criminals. Matt, tired of waiting for contact, hunts down Raouls' lair and attempts a daring rescue, but is he the hunter or the hunted?A DEADLY EXCHANGE is extremely well written with very little extraneous scenes or dialogue. The flow of the story was very smooth and the plot was nicely timed and thought out. A major plus for the book is that the main characters are "real" people, a normal married couple. Believing the characters to be real, through their actions and thoughts, is always a sure sign that a book has a great chance to catch and keep a reader interested, regardless of what the storyline is. It just happens that A DEADLY EXCHANGE offers an exciting storyline in addition to the believable characters and wonderful writing. The chapters are small, mostly three to six pages, which I thought would be a bit annoying, but I was actually grateful since it gave me an extra moment to take in what I had just read. If there was one thing missing from the story, I'd say that it was the epilogue. I really would have liked to have a clear-cut ending, but that's just my personal preference, and it in no way detracts from the overall appeal of this book. A definite must read!

WOW!

The author, Sheryl Stafford, obviously researched or is familiar with both sailing and the Caribbean as her scenery and nautical terms and descriptions not only open the imagination but are accurate. A Deadly Exchange is one of those books you so often hear described as "one you just can't put down." I began the book with the intention of getting in a few minutes of recreational reading before going back to work but found myself riveted and couldn't stop turning pages. The characters, scenes and descriptions kept me hungry for more and wondering what would happen next. A Deadly Exchange is about a middle-aged couple, the husband being an ex P.O.W. from the Vietnam War who are on a sailing vacation in the Bahamas and run into quite a bit of trouble. The characters are obviously based on the author and her husband and are realistic and easy to relate to and understand as they are thrown into a situation where they are forced to struggle for their lives. I would rate A Deadly Exchange with five stars because it was so well written it left me with the feeling of wanting more and wishing I could continue to follow the lives of the characters even though the story had concluded. A Deadly Exchange is so well written that you will find yourself unable to put the book down. I am looking forward to reading the next masterpiece by the author, Sheryl Stafford, and hope it will be soon. Thank you so much for fueling my imagination and taking me so eloquently to other places beyond my reach...

This would make a great movie

This suspense novel by Sheryl Jane Stafford is action packed from beginning to end. I was also easily able to identify with the two main characters -- Matt, an aging Vietnam veteran who is still haunted by his years in a prison camp, and his younger wife Alexandra who loves her husband dearly. They are now fulfilling a lifelong dream, that of buying a boat and sailing around the Bahamas. Little do they know that this idyllic life they have planned for themselves will be violently disrupted as they unwittingly become involved with a drug dealing cartel.The plot is action driven and the bodies drop like flies, most of them brutally tortured. It all feels real though, too real. And Ms. Stafford's mastery of the details of boating and the waterways of the Bahamas add to this authenticity. The story is simple. There are good guys and bad guys. Sometimes they do seem a little clichéd, but that didn't stop me from turning the pages to find out what would happen next. Good escape fiction.One thought I had throughout was what a great movie this would make - casting it in my mind with my favorite stars and picturing the special effects of the boating chases. Hopefully, this will happen. In the meantime though I recommend it for suspense fans who don't mind a bit of violence.