Review by tomus_cone -- Gringo

[tomus_cone]

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

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Within the pages of Gringo: My Life on the Edge as an International Fugitive a reader can find a detailed account of the author, Dan “Tito” Davis, as a drug dealer, headed south of the border in order to evade the law. When he does he encounters assassins, cartels, kidnappers, and a very well-dressed mule. This book has the potential to be a rollicking adventure full of excitement, but is more likely to appeal to true crime readers and fans of biographies than adventure/thriller devotees.

The set-up is intriguing enough: we see a young man enter the various drug trades in college through marijuana and on to shipping cocaine between Mexico and various points in the U.S. The characters feel real, appropriate for an autobiography. All of this is told as backstory to the main adventure, his time south of the border, but it’s well done. In particular the moments of tension are developed remarkably well. The slow build at the beginning also builds stakes in the characters, giving the reader a sense of attachment to Tito and a strong understanding of what his motives really are. How he was raised and the value of masculinity to him also matches well with his adventures throughout Central and South America.

The book is a memoir, a detailed account of a portion of someone’s life, and it works well. The author gives great detail to the places and events, and the characters have at least some measure of depth, even the minor ones. Every element of the story makes sense and drives Tito to his inevitable conclusion.

Gringo does lack in consistency. While the work itself is quality reading, there are no characters that carry you through this journey other than the lead, no setting that keeps you, and no thematic draw that maintains your attention. Upon reaching the conclusion of the book I felt some dissatisfaction and couldn’t place my finger on why until I analyzed the text.

I give this book three out of four stars. While it was slow paced at first the details kept me going until I reached the middle of the text and the thrill of it all began to really pick up. The personal drama gave me more stakes with Tito, the life of crime began to have far more risks involved, and the law started to close in more intently. Were it not for the slow going of the beginning, I’d give this a full four stars as an excellent read.

******
Gringo
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon