In 2018 a group of Dominican dissidents stage a covert invasion of Haiti. Ms.Anderson is in a unique position as an embedded reporter who finds herself on the front line.

This short story focuses less on the action, which is over fairly quickly, than on the political situation, causes, and consequences. The author spent his formative years in Haiti, and it shows in his writing with a clear knowledge of the folk customs, language use, and history of the area. What is also reflected is first hand experience of combat, and of how quickly engagements can be over. The Haitian troops come off well, as expected: the reporter is embedded on their side and it focuses entirely on their side of the conflict.

Written in first person from the reporter’s point of view, the story is split into three parts: the invasion and then its consequences. I don’t know much about the political situation between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, but by the end it is fairly obvious that both governments are taking firm action over the incident. The word ‘Fiasco’ in the title refers to the political mess, not a funny or absurd situation, and it’s not an amusing read. It is incredibly unsentimental and takes a very realistic tone about the past problems in Haiti, the nature of warfare, and the likely fate of soldiers caught wearing false colours behind enemy lines.

I am struggling to review this as I can’t quite get a handle on who it is intended for. This book may have trouble finding an audience – it has too much politics for action fans, and too little for the political intrigue market – although readers from the region, specifically Haiti, are likely to love it. What makes it really different and kept me reading, was the amount of local detail. I don’t know how much of it is accurate, but he paints an interesting picture of the country and its president’s desire to stand on their own two feet.