The Mongoose Crew included Sergeant Thompson, Corporal Jimmy Ortega, Specialist Morales, Specialist Tommy Cutler, and Specialist Mickey Frank. US forces were in Mogadishu to save the lives of innocent Somalis in the midst of a civil war between General Mohamed Farrah Aidid’s forces and other clans. Lieutenant Ambrose of the CID is investigating a chain of heinous crimes that occurred in Mogadishu during the fall of 1993 and thereafter. After being questioned, Mickey and Jimmy reunite with Thompson, Morales, and Cutler to discuss the case and share whatever information each of them has available. The Mongoose Crew had no idea what was coming their way. Lt. Ambrose would lift the lid on the worst crime spree of his career and would need all the help he could get to hunt down the perpetrators.

In his book The Mongoose Crew, author Marcus F. Fair helps us to realize how precious life is. This suspense-filled thriller is a real page-turner from beginning to end. The characters of The Mongoose Crew are all well-defined and come to life in the story. Each location and event is vividly described, making it easy for the reader to form a mental picture of the crime scenes. The story is smooth flowing and interesting, filled with surprising twists and turns along the way. I enjoyed Marcus F. Fair’s writing style, fast-paced and succinct, making for a jam-packed quick read. All-round, an exceptional story, well thought out, and highly recommended to adults only as some scenes are age-restricted.

Right from the outset, The Mongoose Crew by Marcus F. Fair, in a seemingly short narration of events, delivers intermittent punches to the reader. The genesis of the story lies in 1993-94, when the Chief Protagonist, Specialist Frank, his friends Sgt. Thompson, Corporal Ortega, Specialist Morales, and Specialist Cutler, all US Army Marines, are posted in Somalia, East Africa. They have nicknamed their team 'The Mongoose Crew', and are part of a US humanitarian mission to save the lives of innocent Somalians in the midst of a civil war. In November of 1994, CNN reports that the mutilated bodies of young women are being washed up on the shores of Mogadishu. All the victims are either grown women or underage Somali girls. Some bodies are missing limbs, some are decapitated, and all were sexually assaulted before being killed. Since the murders have nothing to do with the army, they are ignored and the evil is left behind when the US Army withdraws from Somalia. However sometimes evil can follow people even across the oceans.

Everyone has secrets, and so have all the Marines in The Mongoose Crew. Frank, now 45 and long out of the US Marines, is married and living happily with his wife and their twin daughters when he is visited by a CID Officer, Lt. Ambrose, who questions him about the period when he was in Somalia. Frank reveals nothing and sends Lt Ambrose packing. He goes to a payphone and secretly calls his Mongoose Crewmate, Jimmy and they meet in Dallas. From this point, the story takes off like an express train. Secrets spill out. Marcus F. Fair builds up the tension, page by page, to a horrific finale, that leaves any reader trembling in a kaleidoscope of emotion. The development of the book is excellent, and the protagonists are powerful and memorable, for good or bad. I would say that this is a riveting book and is recommended.