Shadow of the Drill by Rhani D'Chae

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Rhani D’Chae is not a man, but she sure writes like one. That’s not to say women are less talented or less skillful writers than men. Three of my top five favorite authors are women. What I mean is Rhani D’Chae knows how to write hard-boiled characters just as gritty and believable as those written by Mickey Spillane, Robert B. Parker, and Jonathan Kellerman.

With Shadow of the Drill, D’Chae introduces the world to Decker, known by the nickname the Drill. Decker is a strong, well-built man who gets paid to hurt people. Some might say he enjoys his job at times. Once upon a time, Decker wasn’t quite so strong. Years of guilt eat away at the man over a brutal attack on a friend he wasn’t yet strong enough to defend. But times and circumstances have changed when Decker crosses paths with the three fugitive rapists responsible for the brutal attack on his friend.

This is a revenge story told in vivid and graphic detail. D’Chae’s mastery in the art of storytelling is on full display. At first it’s likely you’ll not like the character Decker. He’s not too far from being a thug himself. But over the course of the story, the author draws the reader in and, soon enough, you find yourself rooting for him. It’s what great writers do. Stories like this are usually told by men. But trust me when I say Rhani D’Chae gets it right. An entertaining read!




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