My Book Sleeve would Read something like This

This story will interest those who long to understand the pain and suffering found in the Middle East

Though one can never condone the actions of a suicide bomber, my novel attempts to understand the person behind the violence. What are the individual complexities and internal conflicts that drive such destructive behavior? I sought to understand these issues by giving a voice to a potential suicide bomber.

The Boy in The Vest is 106,292 words long and takes place in war-torn Afghanistan. After losing his father, Yushua struggles to provide for his family. Water flows from communal taps and wood must be gathered for heat and cooking. When old enough, he is enrolled to receive religious instruction. After the Americans arrive, things take a turn for the better. Yushua gets involved supplying Americans with the only thing Afghanistan has plenty of—heroin. The arrangement works well until an American soldier uses his military advantage in a deadly double-cross. Yushua loses not only family members, but his mentor. This is a devastating loss. The death must be avenged even though the soldier disappeared back to his homeland. Obstacles abound, but Yushua’s martyrdom operation is on track until love derails it.

The author is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA, where it was stressed that there are two sides to every story. This, and the insights acquired during his career in law enforcement, were what drew him to research the modern phenomenon of the suicide bomber, and played a considerable role in the telling of this story. His findings and conclusions may seem implausible, but the tragic reality is that the experiences he writes about in The Boy in the Vest have happened, and continue to happen.

Mr. Rude has self-published two novels, one regarding police misconduct, JusThis, and one about wrongful incarcerations, Brand of Justice. Reviews of the books can be found on Amazon and Goodreads. After writing these books, Mr. Rude appeared on the Fox affiliate in Minneapolis/St Paul and was interviewed on several radio programs.

Readers who enjoyed The Kite Runner, Son of Hamas, and The Arch and the Butterfly will be hard pressed to put this story down.