David Haskell (1)

This story begins twelve years prior to the anomaly with many people perishing because there was no cover sufficient to save them. By chapter two, it's twelve months before anomaly and I'm sitting here in awe, wondering why few people realize how serious this is. At this time, readers also see a letter pertaining to a project of national security. This letter is addressed to Colonel Shane Douglas making him aware he is to be a liaison between scientific staff and researchers, the SFO show more Contingency Crew. The letter closes, "Your fellow citizens are counting on you." Chapter three begins twelve weeks out from anomaly.

Meanwhile, during this time, Government agent Jo Osborne has been looking for some normalcy in her life so she's been hanging out at gun shows. She's called away by Director Zellweiger who tells Jo she must go on main assignment to see what they are up against. But first, there's an 'outsider', Dr. Dean Eckert, Jo must deal with. Jo's ordered to go down to the seabase, once she has Dr. Eckert in custody.

Jo meets Dr. Eckert and learns he is anything but normal. Dean is aware of a secret only government agent, like Jo, should know. Shortly after meeting with Jo, Dean is traveling with her at the wheel. Dean claims they stole his research. Jo explains they have a safe copy and she reminds him he has everything he needs in his head and that puts him in danger. Realizing they are on a pier, driving into water, Dean screams. Jo accelerates and flips a few switches, and the vehicle becomes a submersible, transporting them down to Wilkerson Seabase.

One would think Wilkerson Seabase would be amazing, but the liquid walls that hold back the ocean, soon become a stale cage. Dean and other scientists, brought there, undergo intrusive interviews, prior to the concussions that cause the facility to flood.

The story is definitely thought-provoking. When Dean is later kidnapped, we learn what containment measures are put in place to avoid exploitation. Meanwhile, Police Chief John Masters and the town of Joffrey devise their own plan. Soon, all will learn, if they got to Dean in time and if the crew on board Space Force One succeeded.

I liked the pace at the end as it showed the patience that is needed for the undertaking involved.

In closing, this suspense thriller is intense! People on earth are living a hellish nightmare knowing that prolonged suffering is eminent for those afflicted. There are triage, evacs, and eulogies. We see hypothesis and some excellent analogies which got me in the mood to read more thrillers. A vitally important theme of this book is that containment, contingencies, and concessions must occur if nations are to come together to allow humanity to be saved.

I received this book through the generosity of the author for an honest review. show less

For a first time author this blew me away. Naturally there are many things which could be changed, or tweaked, and they shouldn't be. This is a little gem.