Summer 1976 in the pre-election days in DC. The wounds of Vietnam are still fresh. Two generals, Keith Zetchik and ‘Holy Joe’ Tedstone, are itching for the same Pentagon opening. Washington Tribune crime reporter Wat Tyler (former Army Special Forces Captain, spec ops and CMH award recipient) is good friend of Holy Joe’s son Johnny Tedstone. One fateful night, Zetchik and Johnny are gunned down. This follows a few days earlier when Zetchik’s wife was killed at their Chesapeake Bay home.

Tedstone and Zetchik were in Vietnam together. Each ended up being involved in a My Lai style slaughter. And one was involved with a local drug smuggler funneling cash to the VC. Wat had a young local girl on the inside of the smuggling ring and was closing in on the American connection until she was brutally murdered.

A third general, Hector Weschler, is retired and positioning himself for a cabinet post in whatever new administration is put into office. Has done well for himself. Married into an old money family, politically middle of the road, hoping for the Secretary of State, Defense, or NSA with an eye on the oval office following. He provides Wat with valuable background intel from Vietnam about Zetchik and Tedstone.

DC Homicide is hot to trot on this high-profile case. Three murders and worried there are more to come. So it the DEA. So is the CIA. The CIA agent is a Vietnamese national who used to work for the VC, got turned and joined up with the CIA. This all makes for an uneasy set of alliances between Metro DC cops, DEA, CIA, and a nosy reporter who’s connected by his friendship with the now-deceased Johnny Tedstone and wondering if he might be next on the killer's list.

Wat is far from just a curious reporter. The connections to Vietnam and Johnny drive Wat to dig far deeper and faster than DC Homicide, finding a tangled web of connections between and amongst the players of this saga. We are kept at a distance about just how it all comes together until very late, so be patient. You will be reworded. Wat is an engaging character and having him partner with the CIA agent is fortuitous. Apparently this book is part three in the author’s Nixon’s America trilogy. Do the other two feature Wat or is the link that all three are set in the middle 1970s.The time frame and location are right up my alley.

I’ll let you know.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Published a month ago, Feb 28, 2025.

An interesting send up of US Political History
Before my time (era wise I was born early 70's so not "vested" in the times)

Good characters. I did not believe the romantic angle.

The chapters were compelling and the story paced well

In this magnificent conclusion to his 'Nixon's America' trilogy David Chadwick once again lifts the lid on a hornet's nest of secrets and lies as Americans struggle to come to terms with the aftermath of Vietnam and Watergate.
The author captures a moment in time and brings it to life with brutal realism. The atrocities of war cast long shadows and fear of further corruption at presidential level is rife.
Wat Tyler, a crime reporter, is one of the most significant and interesting investigators to lead a series of hard boiled novels in recent years. I do hope he will return as I definitely want to know what happens to him next.
The author's style is compelling and addictive. He brings honesty and integrity to the factual backdrop and adds an intensely poignant and hugely complex plot that never disappoints. A thrilling ride through the dark alleys of 1970s America with a supremely accomplished author.

Vietnam vet and crime reporter Wat Tyler senses chaos when a close friend and a high profile Pentagon figure are murdered on the same night. With the fallout from Vietnam still heavy in the air, it isn’t long before other players enter the fray and leave Wat making connections to a life he thought he’d left behind

The story evolves over the entire course of the book and never leaves you hanging. Dialogue throughout is particularly sharp and the cast list is kept tight. With intriguing insights into the Vietnam conflict and the politics of the time, Hot Metal Hobo delivers much more than just a high adrenaline thriller.

My thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy. I have left this review voluntarily.