The Bamboo Viper: Lester Johnson, a former Marine Corps sniper (code name: The Bamboo Viper), is forced to confront his memories of those he loved and those he killed during and after the Vietnam war. He finally comes face to face with one of his torturers in a Houston mall. The Chameleon: In volume two of The Bamboo Viper, life becomes perilous for Lester Johnson and those around him. Lester, The Bamboo Viper, a former Marine Corps sniper-turned-assassin for the government, gets help from an unexpected source on the eve of his wedding to the beautiful Mandy, when a ghost from his past shows up to haunt him. Mandy: In volume three of The Bamboo Viper, The Viper enlists the help of an organization he started while in the Marines called The Second Arrow. When The Viper needs help, Mandy steps up and and takes command as a member of her own secret organization that fights for peace and freedom for all without the aid of the government. The Methuselah Society: The Bamboo Viper is flown deep into the Cajun country of Louisiana after being shot by one of the members of The Second Arrow, an organization set up by The Viper made up of some of his old sniper friends. Mandy takes him to the secret location of The Methuselah Society and starts his healing process with a shot of serum known only to The Society. A Change Of Heart: The Bamboo Viper has strong feelings about Mandy's involvement with his work as an assassin. He goes back to Vietnam to bring closure to his lost love, Cara, and to put an end to the life of a Vietnamese man who, according to The Viper's government contact, is in the munitions business and a threat to all mankind. But he discovers that this information is far from true. The Exit of Xuan: The Bamboo Viper and Mandy (The Chameleon) take Xuan and his family to a Lake Houston resort to recover from their flight from Vietnam before they make the drive to The Methuselah Society's secret compound. Xuan surprises them with a last minute confession that changes their whole course of action and sends them on a search for a traitor who could bring their whole organization down. The Exit Of Xuan is the sixth volume of The Bamboo Viper series. The Bamboo Viper and The Wolverine: The Bamboo Viper is reunited with an old enemy, The Wolverine, after being separated for forty years. Lester is made aware that The Wolverine is still playing a game they started in Vietnam. What he isn't aware of is how many are playing on The Wolverine's team. Deception: Lester Johnson, The Bamboo Viper, is at home in the swamps of Louisiana resting from gunshot wounds. His wife, Mandy, and their son, Aidan, are with him. An old friend from his past in the jungles of Vietnam shows up and triggers The Viper's memory of a time forgotten. The President of the United States is about to be assassinated and he must get to Washington to stop it. He kisses Mandy goodbye and leaves. When he reaches Washington, the real deception begins. The Secret of Cat Ba Island: Satisfied with their lives, Lester Johnson, The Bamboo Viper, and his wife, Mandy, The Chameleon, are finally enjoying life with their baby son, Aidan, when Lester's past catches up to him and slams him back into reality. His son is kidnapped."You've got until sundown," he warns the government, "to put my life back together." He is sent on a mission he had always known was coming, but had somehow avoided until now: To kill the President of the United States. With the help of Mandy and the men of his team, The Second Arrow, he manages to buy a little more time and, while doing so, recalls another violent time in his past, a mission that takes him back to Vietnam and The Secret of Cat Ba Island.
About the Author: James Butler grew up in Texas during the depression era in a city with heavy Mafia influence. People were living on food stamps and coupons. He's not your average writer. He believes in getting on with it. His view is: Everyone knows the sky is blue and the grass is green, so why waste time explaining it? In 1957, he dropped out of college and joined the Marine Corps. He was a combat engineer, that is, land mines and demolition. He then participated in the largest atomic bomb test ever conducted in the United States. After the Marines, he married and traveled abroad. His wife of 51 years is his main critic. Charles Darwin and Ayn Rand are his favorite authors. James Butler has been self-employed for most of his working life. He was in construction, cabinet and boat building and a little farming. He has seen life from many viewpoints. He has always been a writer, but never tried to publish his work until Amazon Kindle was brought to his attention. He didn't start writing for publication until well into his seventies. He and his wife live in seclusion in the mountains. He writes, she edits and they feed the wild animals. His books have been published in six languages.