Review: "Chisolm's Debt" is a gripping tale of justice, revenge and paying old debts.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 24, 2013
"Chisolm's Debt" by Frank Zafiro is both a well-written crime fiction story and a suspenseful war story chronicling events set during the Vietnam Conflict.  The story alternates between the present, where retired police officer Thomas Chisolm is busy trying to make amends for things that he saw during the war, and exciting flashback sequences that may remind readers of movies such as "Platoon" or "Sniper."  As the story develops, it becomes clear that the novella is really about Chisolm finally coming to terms with guilt he has felt about things he either did or failed to do more than forty years earlier.  Zafiro's story is a profound and thoughtful examination of the burdens that combat veterans carry with them and what being a good person really means."Chisolm's Debt" is set in the same universe as Zafiro's popular River City novels and short stories.  The novella allows Chisolm--who was an important supporting character in "Under a Raging Moon," "Heroes Often Fail," "Beneath a Weeping  Sky" and "And Every Man Has to Die"--to finally get a starring role.  Long-time Zafiro readers will appreciate the way this novella reveals more about events that were first mentioned in "Under a Raging Moon," but being familiar with that book is not necessary to follow and enjoy this story.  Although it would not be surprising if people who liked this novella decided to read one or more of the River City books to see more of Chisolm in action (and the Kindle editions of the four main novels are only $.99, so there wouldn't be much financial risk involved in learning more about him).