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Body Sharing: The Drug War,
the CIA, and Haitian Voodoo by Kent Ravenscroft, M.D. Lulu
book review by Randall Radic
"For the first time in months, Victor felt fire in his belly and a certain glint came into his eye."
According to the dictionary, voodoo is "a body of primitive rites and practices, based on a belief in sorcery and in he power of charms, fetishes, etc., found among the natives of the West Indies and in the southern United States, and ultimately of African origin." This sounds scary enough by itself. Toss in Caribbean drug cartels, the CIA, and a dashing plastic surgeon and you've got one heck of a thriller. Body Sharing is a cross between Vince Flynn, Stephen King, and William Burroughs. In other words, electrifying, eerie, and demented—all at the same time.
Rex Devereux is a plastic surgeon, who does 'face-jobs' for the CIA's witness protection program. After Rex works his magic on the face of a protected witness from Haiti, all hell breaks loose. From the viewpoint of the drug cartels, the witness' death is vital, and the death of Rex and his family would be a nice bonus. Rex ends up in a Louisiana bayou, where he almost succumbs to the spells and conjurations of the Houngans. Almost, but not quite. In the end, Rex teams up with Victor, a voodoo priest, to thwart the evil plans of the drug cartels.
Dr. Ravenscroft demonstrates a real knack for writing blistering action scenes, involving sexy women, pagan priests, crazed drug runners, and 40-foot Cigarette speedboats. The dialogue is crisp and realistic, and the story is structured so that the tension builds. Body Sharing is a real treat for the senses.