Today I’m delighted to be sharing an excerpt from The Deserter – a Tale of the Foreign Legion by Wayne Turmel as part of a blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club.

Blurb

Algeria 1908.

Gil Vincente is a Boer War veteran, broken and adrift on the rough streets of Marseille. Desperate, he seeks discipline and renewed purpose in the unforgiving ranks of the French Foreign Legion. At first, he finds it, but not for long. When a treacherous soldier frames him for murder, it forces the new legionnaire to run for his life.

Now Gil must fight to clear his name while pursuing the real killer through the rugged Atlas Mountains. With the Legion on his heels and time running out, will he find justice or be forever branded a coward and deserter?

Excerpt

War is coming, and Gil finds himself assigned to the stables, preparing the mules to go into battle.

The rumors were true, or at least true enough. A harka, a war party of Berber tribes in the Atlas Mountains over the border in Morocco, was raining holy hell on the fort at Béchar. Yet another crazy religious fanatic claiming to be the Mahdi, no doubt. It seemed there was a new descendant of Muhammad claiming to be the Messiah every few months. The Germans were also poking their greedy, arrogant noses into the cities of Casablanca and Rabat, but they were the politicians’ problem.

The fort was three hundred and fifty miles away, and no train ran through the trackless desert. As Thibault predicted, it was going to take mules, boot leather, and a lot of walking cannon fodder to put the crazy buggers back into their place.

The next morning, Gil and half a dozen others arrived at the stable. He eyeballed his compatriots. They came from several smaller troops. Some he recognized from Le Chat Noir, and he offered them a friendly nod. Others came from God only knew where. From the looks of them, he couldn’t decide if they’d been handpicked for talent or evicted by their peers for being useless. Time would tell.

Thibault, on the other hand, was in his glory. He wore a completely clean uniform, his kepi at a jaunty angle. “Alright, you’ve heard. We have a hundred new beauties coming in, twenty at a time, at the end of the week. The empty stables need prepping, and we have to make sure there’s enough quality tack for every mount.” Then he gave one of his dry laughs. “Heh heh, I hope you don’t mind the smell of grease.”

Mounts. It was hard for Gil to imagine anyone actually riding these ugly monsters. The huge Johnny that tried to bite Gil’s hand off the day before let out a bellowing honk, and the wet plop of manure on straw gave everyone a chuckle. Seconds later, they waved their hands in front of their noses. A couple of them gagged. City boys, then. They’d best not expect him to pick up their slack.

As for the grease, it was mostly tallow. That made the leather stronger and more supple, but since it was primarily animal fat, attracted crowds of flies that seemed to think Legionnaires made a delightful change from their usual diet of mule crap and sweat.

The prospect of action has always inspired soldiers, and Gil’s companions were no different. For most of the afternoon, there was a lot of fly-swatting, friendly conversation, and accomplishing a little more than the bare minimum. Most of the men were Hungarian or Serbian. Their thick accents, remnants of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, made it hard for Gil to understand their grammatically butchered French. It wasn’t a loss. He wasn’t much for conversation anyway. Still, it was a pretty good clue as to how they got this assignment.

Each mount required a simple saddle, a breast collar, and two belly-straps. The animals needed to carry a soldier, baggage, the man’s rations and its own feed. That was a lot of leather, metal rings, bits and saddlebags to prepare. Gil grunted and laughed when required. Otherwise, he kept his head down and willed his fingers to remember their training. By noon, his knuckles ached, and grease burned into every crack in his skin.

The Deserter will be released on 17 February 2026 as an ebook and will be available on Kindle Unlimited.
It is currently available as a paperback at
Amazon US • Amazon UK

Praise for The Deserter

“The Deserter evokes classic blood-and-sand adventures like Under Two Flags and Beau Geste. With meticulous research and compelling characters, Turmel has brought the desert saga back to thrilling life.” ~ Frank Thompson, author, The Compleat Beau Geste

“A two-fisted historical adventure that weaves visceral action, rugged landscapes, and raw emotional depth into a haunting tale of honor, betrayal, and the elusive hope of redemption.” ~ David Buzan, bestselling author of In the Lair of Legends

Wayne Turmel

Wayne Turmel is a Canadian ex-pat now living and writing in Las Vegas.  He’s the author of seven novels, the latest is The Deserter – a Tale of the Foreign Legion. His short stories have earned critical acclaim, including nominations for the prestigious Pushcart Prize.

Turmel’s longer works delve into the rich tapestries of history and the thrilling depths of urban fantasy, inviting readers into meticulously crafted worlds. At times humorous, sometimes dark but always with a careful eye for dialogue and detail.

He lives with his wife, The Duchess, and Mad Max, most manly of poodles.

For more information about Wayne and his books click on the links below
Website • Twitter / X • Facebook • Instagram • Bluesky
BookBub • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads

More information on the Coffee Pot Book Club and other works of quality historical fiction can be found on Twitter and Instagram.

Book Title: The Deserter – a Tale of the Foreign Legion
Author Name: Wayne Turmel
Publication Date: 15 January 2026
Publisher: Achis Press
Pages: 295
Genre: Historical Fiction / Adventure