A Review
Written 15 years in the future, this would be an historical novel. But being written in the present, it stands as a warning to what is possible if access to the very real Hanford Nuclear Reservation is abused.
The first chapter made me a bit leary of the novel that was being developed. But the book ended up being a legal thriller parallel to those written by John Grisham, et al. The explosions in Lab Building 5 rocked the Eastern hills of Washington State - registering on seismographs as far away as Seatlle. But, according to the Covington Nuclear Corporation it was a minor mishap - with no real dangerous consequences. Their scientific reports all seemed to indicate that it was so. They, however, made no mention of the missing security guard or the radiation warning that had been issued, or the gunshot heard on that fateful night.
How were Emily and Ryan Hart, the father daughter team (almost, anyhow) that had been handed the case weeks before it went to trial, to handle the highly paid attorneys representing Covington Nuclear and its employees before a judge that had his back pockets being filled with the profits of Covington Nuclear. They could not do so without some legal magic, some illegal searches, and putting their lives on the line on more than one occasion.
The result is a finely tuned, well-written, legal thriller that will hold the reader’s attention - especially after getting through the opening chapter. Both the courtroom drama and the action in and out of town would not let this reader put the book down. With a free day ahead, I kept reading till nearly 4:00 AM in order to reach the books end.
The book, as written, was not disappointing in the least. However, being published by a Christian publisher, Bethany House, I found it surprising that there were no direct or implicit spiritual lessons in the book. I am still uncertain whether this was a good or bad thing. There was nothing in the story that would offend the Christian reader, but there was also nothing in the book that would draw the Christian reader into the story that would not also appeal to the secular reader. This does not prevent the book from getting a five-star review from this reviewer.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.
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