The Drifter

I highly recommend Nick Petrie's The Drifter and his follow-on books in the series.

The protagonist, Peter Ash, struggles with the debilitating effects of PTSD. Despite his desire to escape from society, he finds himself drawn back into it after the suicide of a fellow Marine. As he helps the man's widow with home repairs, Ash stumbles upon a shocking discovery that thrusts him back into a society filled with deceit and intrigue.

What makes this novel stand out is Petrie's sensitive and deep portrayal of Ash's struggle with PTSD. Ash's experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan have left him haunted… show more.

Wrapped up in an exceptional thriller with exquisite writing is Petrie’s ability to capture the encompassing and ever-present struggle of dealing with PTSD.

A veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan, Peter Ash’s main symptom manifests physically as debilitating claustrophobia, resulting from the house-to-house combat he experienced during the Battle of Fallujah.

Concurrent with this presentation are the many themes plaguing the OEF/OIF community; suicide, unemployment and underemployment, aimlessness, and isolation. 

As a veteran of two deployments to Iraq and having been diagnosed with PTSD, I found Petrie’s descriptions and portrayal of veteran issues so true to life that I was… show more.