More Mini Reviews

Power Down
By Ben Coes
St. Martin’s Press
$24.99, hard cover, 449 pages, 978-0-312-58074-2 (2010)
This is a terrific first novel by Coes who worked at the White House as a spec writer for former President Ronald Reagan. He was also the campaign manager for Mitt Romney’s 2002 gubernatorial campaign. This action-packed novel reminds me of a Mission Impossible movie – full of impressive locations and heart pounding adventures.
The book begins with a hydroelectric dam being blown up and one of the world’s largest offshore oil field destroyed by terrorists. Though hundreds die, the crew chief of the oil platform, Dewey Andrews, survives and even manages to kill the terrorist leading the attack. Andrews, a former Army Ranger and Delta, (think an older Tom Cruise), vows to find the men behind the attack and a high stakes cat-and-mouse game begins.
The action begins in Columbia where Dewey barely escapes with his life. Soon other targets are destroyed – including a major port in California. Dewey is from Maine and when the FBI gets involved, it becomes clear that Bath Iron Works is also in the terrorist’s sights.
This is a fabulous thriller that moves at a relentless pace – complete with absorbing characters, a flawed but likable hero, an all-too-believable storyline, and edge of your seat suspense. I can’t wait to read this talented writer’s next novel.
Buy it on Amazon here.

Micro
By Michael Crichton and Richard Preston
HarperCollins
$28.99, hard cover, 429 pages, 978-0-06-202002-8 (2011)
At the time of his death in 2008, Crichton had written a substantial portion of this novel. Richard Preston, a bestselling author in his own right, was chosen to finish the manuscript. The novel is about groundbreaking technology that allows the shrinking of objects and even people to explore the forests of Oahu, Hawaii in search of new drugs and applications for humanity. Preston does a great job of capturing the painstaking technical details of micro life – complete with all its wonders and dangers.
What starts out as a recruiting expedition by seven graduate students at Cambridge, Massachusetts soon evolves into survival on a micro scale – with this unlikely band of young people shrunk to a size where facing a wasp or an army of ants is a life-or-death situation.
The students face not only natural enemies – but full-sized humans who are out to kill them before they can report how this technology is being used for destructive purposes.
Micro was an entertaining read. But I kept thinking about the novel that Crichton is known for: Jurassic Park. No offense, but after the thrill-ride of being chased by dinosaurs, it’s kind of tough to get all worked up about being stalked by insects.
Buy it on Amazon here.

The Pack
By Jason Starr
Ace Books
$25.95, hard cover, 341 pages, 978-0-441-02008-9 (2011)
I’ve reviewed books recently about vampires and zombies, so I thought I’d try for a trifecta by reading a novel featuring another type of creature common to movie-going audiences: the werewolf. The Pack is about Simon Burns, a senior account manager who is unceremoniously fired from his job at a New York City advertising agency.
He is furious with his boss for letting him go, but after talking things over with his wife, he decides to become a stay-at-home dad for his young son. He soon meets a trio of other dads at a playground and immediately notices how bonded they are, how physically fit and confident they are. When he’s asked to meet them for a guy’s night out, he immediately accepts.
But that night turns into something far more than what he had imagined. He blacks out and wakes up in the woods in New Jersey. Upon getting home, he finds out that the boss he was angry at for firing him has been murdered – killed by a wolf.
Soon Simon is experiencing disquieting changes in his body, his perceptions, and his outlook on life. He suspects what has happened to him, but refuses to believe it. The evidence is soon overwhelming and Simon must use all of his new-found powers to just stay alive.
This is a clever, suspenseful novel that treats the werewolf genre with sparkling originality of thought. It grips you right from the beginning and keeps you turning the pages. Though there were some plot missteps – especially at the end – it was a ride worth taking.
Buy it on Amazon here.