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Review of IN THE WEEDS, from Michele Stegman 10/21/2017 12:05:58 PM
I first “met” Mark Ozeroff when I edited his first book, Days of Smoke, for Asylett Press. In the Weeds, is his second book and it is well worth the wait!
In the Weeds by Mark Ozeroff is a story of a Vietnam veteran working through his own brand of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the early 1970’s. Sometimes gallant and heroic, Slats Kisov often does more than just bend the rules and the law. But through it all, he retains his own morality, which includes helping the weak and helpless without thought of his own personal loss or gain.
This one-man vigilante wrecks havoc on those who trample the rights of others and he does so with a huge helping of humor. I laughed out loud on every page. In the Weeds reminded me of M.A.S.H. Lots of humor even in the midst of war and ugliness.
Slats is far from perfect, however. He learned to smoke “weed” in Vietnam, and sees no reason to stop when he comes home. It is more than a comfort to him and, as a pilot, he sees no reason not to “help” out a family who grows marijuana by flying loads of their crop into Florida.
Ever at odds with the local police chief over civil rights, brutality, and the cop’s downright stupidity, Slats eventually gets into big trouble with the law. While watching helplessly as other veterans succumb and spiral downward, inviting death rather than live with their PTSD, Slats maintains his humor. Through the support of a girlfriend, the weed growing family, an airplane, and a little girl, Slats learns to deal with his own demons and stop his own self destructive life-style.
In the Weeds is heavy on the flying aspect of Slats’s life, providing details about flying and airplanes that only an experienced pilot could supply. But those details are well-written and interesting. Any pilot will greatly appreciate this book. Mark Ozeroff twists the English language more than Slats twists the law to provide a read that, although troubling at times, never lets up on the humor. I highly recommend this book.
