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Index Interviews: Ellis Paul Jill McCorkle Build-A-Song Part VI: Tips For Tunesmiths Web Resources for Developing Characters Upcoming Events Calendar Return to This Issue's Index Return to Homepage Subscribe
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Mystery/Thriller Book ReviewsPage Three of ThreeMidnight Come Again by Dana StabenowSt. Martin's Minotaur, May 2000.Hardcover, 304 pages. ISBN: 0312205961. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
Private investigator Kate Shugak endured physical pain and
a gut-wrenching loss in her last case (See, Hunter's Moon).
Reeling from the loss of the love of her life, Kate
literally disappears into the Alaska wilderness, much to
the consternation of her many friends. Alaska State Trooper
Chopper Jim Chopin sets out to find Kate, but nearly gives up
when he is recruited to work undercover for the FBI in Bering,
where the FBI suspects that some Russian mob members
are smuggling plutonium into the country. Jim
takes a job at Baird Airlines where, much to his surprise,
he finds the elusive Kate -- also working under an assumed name.
Kate knows that the Russians are up to something, but she
thinks that whatever they are up to is tied into the local bank.
As the investigation heats up, Kate worries that she
again has brought her friends into danger. Can she solve the case
and find a way to mend her broken heart?
The wild beauty of Alaska has never seemed so close and so real as when Dana Stabenow describes it in her two Alaska-based mystery series; the scenery itself is a mysterious and silent character which pervades the story. In this ninth entry in the series, we see more of Kate's inner fears, doubts and her struggle to join the world of the living once again. The likeable Jim Chopin plays a larger role in this book, and his thoughts give a new and interesting perspective on Kate and the events that unfold. Emotionally complex and moody, Midnight Come Again is expertly paced, and skillfully executed. Highly recommended. The Rift by Walter J. WilliamsHarperPrism, April 2000.Paperback, 932 pages. ISBN: 0061057940. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
A massive earthquake measuring
8.9 on the Richter scale
hits on the New Madrid fault line
causing massive destruction to major
cities, including St. Louis, Chicago,
Nashville and New Orleans. The quake
also knocks the mighty Mississippi river
off course; the river breaks through
dams and levies and develops
dangerous rapids and large waves.
Most towns in America's
heartland are either flooded out
or littered with debris and
wrecked homes. The devastation
is so widespread that the U.S.
government cannot immediately get
help into most of
the disaster-stricken communities,
and soon lawlessness breaks out in many
areas.
After the disaster, the story turns to
the survivors who are forced to
deal with the results of the
destruction -- no phones, no electricity,
gas leaks, looters, flooding, fires and
frequent aftershocks.
The survival stories focus
on the lives of several people including Jason,
a young boy who survives in a
boat after losing his mother;
Nick, an African-American engineer who survives
the quake and begins looking for his daughter
only to face unrestrained
racism in the deep south; and
Jessica, a heroic young general in the
U.S. Army, who is
put in charge by the president to retain
order and deliver aid, but
faces countless obstacles.
The Rift is a fascinating novel, that is not only a great disaster story, but also a great survival story as well. As a side interest, author Walter J. Williams includes excerpts from historical articles and letters written about the previous devastating quakes in the region (the last of which occurred in 1811), at the beginning of each chapter. Williams also does an amazing job of developing his characters. Readers will cheer for Jason and Nick who end up stuck together on a small boat after the quake and go from one incredible ordeal to the next. Williams also focuses on the differences between people in America's heartland, including racism, and how relations between people both fall apart and come together in times of desperation. The Rift, although a lengthy 900+ pages, is an incredible read, that holds readers interest with every page. Highly recommended. Valley of the Shadow by Peter TremayneSt. Martin's Minotaur, March 2000.Hardcover, 269 pages. ISBN: 0312209398. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
In A.D. 666 Ireland, Sister Fidelma is both a
religieuse and a daláigh of the Irish courts, which
is a bit like a French examining magistrate.
Fidelma's brother, Colgú of Cashel, the king of
Muman, sends Fidelma and Brother Eadulf to
the hidden valley of Gleann Geis on a diplomatic
mission. The people of Gleann Geis are mostly
Druids, but have agreed to allow the building of a
Christian church. Near the valley, Fidelma and
Eadulf come upon the site of a grisly ritual
murder of thirty-three young men, whose bodies
are arrayed in a circle. The chieftain of Gleann
Geis, Laisre, seems reluctant for Fidelma to
investigate the slayings. When Brother Solin, the obnoxious
secretary to the bishop of Imleach's northern rival, is
found slain Fidelma is the chief
suspect. Fidelma and Eadulf have their work cut
out for them -- they must clear Fidelma's name and
solve the riddle of the murdered men before it's too late.
Sister Fidelma's latest adventure further develops the theme of the historical struggle between the older, pagan beliefs of Ireland with the newer beliefs of Christianity, as well as the struggles between the more liberal teachings of the Irish Catholic church and those of Rome. Peter Tremayne (the pseudonym of famed Celtic expert Peter Beresford Ellis) does a brilliant job of integrating his detailed knowledge of the period into an absorbing mystery novel. Fidelma is intelligent, courageous and outspoken, yet sometimes her inner doubts and feelings slip through, making her a compelling character. With intrigue, assassinations, political maneuverings and a high body count, Valley of the Shadow has enough action and adventure to rival any modern day detective story. History buffs and lovers of a tightly-written mystery puzzle will definitely want to pick up a copy of Peter Tremayne's latest offering. Mystery Reviews Page One | Page Two | Page Three Click Here to Return to the Book Reviews Index ** To visit the archives of mystery books reviewed in The IWJ, please click here. |