Jon Jefferson

Natural disaster books and movies are fun despite the way they always finish in a rush. In "Wave of Terror," terrorists are trying to force a huge tsunami to destroy a large part of the world. Astronomer, Megan O'Malley and FBI Agent, Chip Dawtry, have to work together to make sure they aren't successful.

This was an easy read and a quick page-turner. The tension gradually mounts and the dialogue between Megan and Chip had me continually smiling. It was humorous and I enjoyed their references show more to various movies they had seen. It was a bit cheesy but still enjoyable.

If you're interested in science and natural disasters and want a quick read, "Wave of Terror" might be for you. show less

I like disaster and save-the planet action stories. Any sort. Movies -- Towering Inferno, Earthquake, Volcano, Sharknado, Deep Impact. Love 'em all. Disaster books -- One Second After, The Alliance, The Virus, EMP. Big Scale S hitting the fan or large scale sinister plots averted at the last moment...it's my secret genre obsession. :) When I saw a book called Wave of Terror....oh hell yeah....I had to read it! I expected to get more than my daily reading allowance of cheese. But, this book show more really surprised me. While there is still cheese, this is a totally kick ass story! Entertaining, not overly melodramatic, just enjoyable to read. Very cinematic. I could easily see this being made into a movie.

Is this classic brilliant fiction? Nope. It's an action suspense story, not Ivanhoe. I read this book purely for entertainment. Sort of like watching a Stallone film. I'm not looking for brilliant film-making...I want to see shit explode and ass kicking. Same with this book....I wanted the action and entertainment. And it delivered. Pure mind candy.

The basics: Astronomer Megan O'Malley travels to La Palma in the Canary Islands to use the large observatory there for 3 days. She paid a lot of money for her time there, and she's hopeful that she will find Planet 9. But, it seems small earthquakes will be her nemesis. Every time she gets lined up for some top notch photos of the night sky, the shots are all fuzzy from vibrations. Strangely enough, she discovers after her trip that the seismic records from her time at the observatory don't show any earthquakes anywhere near La Palma. The discrepancy annoys her enough to start doing research into what happened. What she discovers is so much more than just minor tremors. Potentially millions of people could die. Nobody will listen to her except Chip Dawtry, an FBI agent specializing in terrorist threats. Can they prevent a mega-tsunami that could destroy the entire eastern seaboard of the United States?

Between the movie references and the Monty Python quotes, Agent Dawtry had me hooked immediately. The character is intelligent, more than slightly nerdy, and doesn't know how to take no for an answer. Megan is the same way. When she discovered the danger, nobody would listen to her. She had to stick with her evidence and convince people...not many listened. In fact....only two.

I would have been less surprised by this book had I looked closer at the author's name before I started reading. Jon Jefferson. Co-author of the Body Farm series and Death's Acre (with William Bass). Of course he can also write a entertaining action story! Wave of Terror is well-written. The suspense builds at a nice even pace and the action keeps the plot moving. A generous sprinkling of humor and characters that work well together strengthened the story.

Now, I do have to say that I am not a scientist. What I know about astronomy I learned from the Science Channel and Neil deGrasse Tyson. Geology -- I know an earthquake makes the ground shake and a bit that I learned in high school earth science. That's about it. So I have no clue if the scenario in this book is actually possible. I do know that it makes for an action plot entertaining enough to keep me reading. Sort of like the grandiose plots of Bond villains. Go big or go home, right? I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I really don't care if it could actually happen or not. I can suspend reality and believe for awhile that it is possible....and let these characters save the planet. Why not? I'm not reading a fictional account about a terrorist attack causing a 150 foot tidal wave because I love realistic fiction. Just have fun....and go with it. :) Like they say on Mystery Science Theater 3000.....it's just a story, you should really just relax.

As for what happens....not saying a word. No spoilers from me. Read the book! :)

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** show less

This story had an interesting concept, but it lacked a crucial piece of a story: conflict. There are a few places that conflict could be added, and it felt like it was going to develop at some point, but then by the end, it nothing close to a conflict arose. There was only a very minor internal conflict with the main character and her new stage in life.

What this felt like, due to what I've said above, was the opening scene for another work this author might have in mind. On it's own, it show more wasn't satisfying and left me a bit annoyed. I enjoyed Jefferson's writing and build up of his main character as well as what we see of the world building, but all that seemed to be of no consequence by the time I was done.

I'll be checking out other work from this author because I liked his style. My only hope is that there's something more to them than I found in this one. show less

The body farm is easy to imagine because I watch Bones, the TV show.

I love Jessamine Carter, the ME for Chattanooga, currently filling in for Knoxville as well. She drives a red Carrera, that fits her personality and allows her to cut travel time off her commute.

“Do men really believe that’s what six inches looks like? Try three and a half.”

Humor and death do go hand in hand, don’t they?

Dr. Brockton, is a forensic anthropologist and professor at the University of Tennessee and stages show more bodies at the body farm for research. I found myself chuckling at the writing even though the scenes were gruesome.

Jess and the doc are an item. She takes charge of that too. The banter between them is is humorous, snarky and fun, the teasing laced with sexual innuendo. They are complex characters and Jefferson Bass does a great job of bringing them to life. I must warn you though, he isn’t afraid to kill off his characters, so be careful who you become attached to.

Oops…didn’t see that coming. Now the real investigation begins. The details of deciphering clues, step by step, are stories I love to read about.

The writing is not as heavy and dark as some of the thrillers I have read, but it does raise a serious question for me. Why do we feel that by refusing to talk to the police, without a lawyer present, automatically makes us guilty. Just because you’re innocent, doesn’t mean the justice system will find that. Sometimes, instead of using clues to find the answer, they assume the answer and look for clues to make the pieces fit. I watch enough True Crime, and the crime TV shows to know this. That makes it easy for me to relate to what is coming down and it truly pisses me off.

Tragedy, love, sacrifice, revenge, anger and rage. Complex and fully developed characters allow me to sympathize and empathize with them, hoping they will find the answers they are looking for.

I didn’t see the ending happening the way it did, but I loved the dramatic flourish. Full of all the details for a great murder mystery with some thrills and suspense thrown in, along with characters to die for.

Talk about being close to your work, be sure and check out the bio of this fantastic writing duo.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Flesh and Bone by Jefferson Bass.

To see more visit http://www.fundinmental.com show less