Book Review: The Noriega Tapes by Lance Karlson

Wow. This was a fantastic find – well, technically it found me, but either way…

I am a child of the ’80s and was certainly familiar with Noriega and Panama and the misdeeds that surrounded both, but in no way was I aware of the extent of the corruption or the U.S. spillover. Lance Karlson has done a marvelous job bringing a little-examined component of history to light, and done so in a format that is compelling, fast-paced, and informative.

I’ve never read anything like it – and I read a lot, including a lot of fiction and non-fiction history, thriller, and action. I haven’t come across Noriega or Panama, beyond the Canal, featured before, and the freshness of the story coupled with the dramatic and engaging writing, meant that I was drawn in from the opening pages and never let go until everything wrapped up in the end.

Karlson has done an excellent job painting a picture of a time and place that I was unfamiliar with in any specific sense, making it come alive throughout the course of the book. He has a deft hand at description and scene-setting. The characters were well-rounded and felt wholly real. The pacing was consistent with just enough action, secrets, and misdirection to keep me engaged and entertained throughout.

This was a great find and I for one hope to see more from Lance Karlson!

Thank you to the author for my obligation-free review copy and for shedding light on the sacrifices of men like Hugo Spadafora who worked tirelessly to halt the corruption that was festering in the Americas at this time…