Review by Juliesaraporter217 -- Gringo

[Juliesaraporter217]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Gringo" by Dan "Tito" Davis.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Three Out of Four Stars

Dan “Tito” Davis's memoir Gringo: My Life on the Edge as an International Fugitive is a suspenseful, dramatic, at times humorous, but repetitive look at his life as a drug dealer and fugitive.

Davis began his life in rural South Dakota. While in college, he made extra money by selling drugs called White Crosses or ephedrine. He spent time in prison. After his release, he was framed by a cohort for selling meth. He then spent 13 years on the run traveling from Mexico to Venezuela.

Davis's book is filled with suspenseful moments of dishonor among thieves and Davis putting his life in the hands of some frightening characters. He lived in Colombia under the protection of the Medellin Cartel and its enigmatic leader, Pablo Escobar. This was a world where Davis may have received financial benefits but a life of suspicion from law enforcement and drug kingpins plus constantly looking over his shoulder was not worth it.

There are some heartfelt passages particularly with Davis and his wives. His marriage to his first wife, Julie fell apart because of his illegal activities. It is moving when he writes that he never saw her or his stepdaughter again.
His second wife, Mary Luz also had it bad. After she stood by him when he hid in Venezuela and they attempted to build a new life, he got caught and had to leave her forever.

While the book is pretty dark, there are some moment of genuine humor usually provided by Davis's own narrative. Many times he looks back on his decisions such as trusting unsavory people or telling too much to a friend's wife who divorced the friend and reported Davis to the FBI with derision. He calls himself “Gringo stupido” (Stupid foreigner) realizing what a fool he was.

The book while good does get repetitive after awhile. The situations overlap as Davis moved to a new location, made some local friends, thought he was going to settle there, then did something naive or stupid to send him on the run again. After awhile it becomes hard to believe how long he spent on the run leaving this Reader to think it was dumb luck that kept him from getting caught sooner.

I give this book Three out of Four Stars. While flawed and repetitive, this book is recommended for lovers of true crime books and people who like to read a good story filled with suspense, humor, and drama.

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Gringo
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[Ana Megrelishvili]

I really enjoyed engaging humor of the author. "Stupid Gringo" managed to make me laugh is the even in the tensest situations. Thanks for a great review.