Impact By Douglas Preston

Wyman Ford, former CIA, hero of two other Preston novels (Tyrannosaur Canyon and Blasphemy) has been asked to investigate the source of some very radioactive gems that are showing up in large quantities on the black market. The search takes him to Cambodia where he investigates a mine shaft that appears to be the source. His mission was to investigate, take pictures and report but the people running the mine were using child labor and terribly mistreating them, working them to death and dumping the bodies in open graves. Ford took it upon himself to move the workers out of the area and then blow up the whole complex including the overseers and the mine. The people in Washington were very angry; they had lied to Ford and Ford soon learned that they had an entirely different reason for their interest in the mine. Apparently two huge meteors were tracked to have landed in the Atlantic off the coast of Main and in the Cambodia location. Shortly after, the radioactive stones started showing up. The Government was concerned because of the danger of the gems in the “wrong hands”.

In Main, Abby Straw, the rebellious daughter of a Lobster fisherman was taking pictures of constellations when the meteor crashed into the sea and she got a digital picture. Her immediate thought was meteors are worth a lot of money and she had the savvy to use the picture to triangulate a very close location as to where it hit the ground. She found the point of impact but she could not find the meteorite.

At the same time a young analyst, Mark Corso, at the National Propulsion Facility, an organization that plots the orbits of planets has discovered something very special about the meteor. The NPF has traced the origin of the meteor as Mars, but Corso has been secretly studying the phenomenon and using classified tracking information finds that the Meteor originated on one of the moons of Mars. Careful study of satellite pictures show what appears to be an ancient alien machine.


The planet Earth is threatened by more than a natural happening. Wyman Ford’s pictures and GPS statistics taken in Cambodia indicate that the meteorite did not hit the Earth at the mine’s location, the pictures, clearly, showed that it left the Earth at that spot!

This was a good thriller, likeable characters and an improbable but interesting and fun plot; the Government bumbling as usual but Wyman Ford, Abby Straw and Mark Corso work together to an exciting conclusion. I enjoyed this one very much.

The Night Stalker By James Swain

Abb Grimes a convicted serial killer of eighteen women is in prison waiting execution. He has requested that ex cop Jack Carpenter find out what has happened to his grandson who is missing and may have been kidnapped. Carpenter is a “missing child” specialist with many years of success. Abb’s son, Jed is the prime suspect for the disappearance but Carpenter does not think that Jed did the deed.
And so we have the beginning of a riveting thriller. Jack’s former police associates need his help but will not tolerate his methods. The FBI comes in and tries to get Jack off the case they are convinced of Jeb’s guilt, One of the Cops keeps putting more obstacles in Jack’s way and there are more killings which implicate Jed.
This was a splendid mystery with action, suspense and several unexpected twists.

Immunity By Lori Andrews

A genetic Doctor and scientist investigates the alarming and terrible death of a DEA agent who, suddenly went into spasms while on a stake out in New Mexico. His face and body suddenly started to swell to the extent that he breathing was stopped; the swelling was so severe that the bones in his feet were crushed by his shoes. The Doctor discovers similar deaths throughout the South West and concludes that the deaths are either a natural epidemic that is beginning or a lethal biological weapon being used by terrorists.
Homeland Security is headed by a self serving, dictatorial , political hack who refuses to pay attention to the Doctor’s concern. Later, the source of the disease is found to be in the water supply; someone is contaminating a certain water fountain. As the contamination grows, people begin to become hysterical and the blame shifts to the Native Americans who have been quite vocal lately in demanding more rights.

This is a taught and fast moving thriller; the search for the culprit is hindered by Government bureaucracy but once they discover the person responsible, it is a race to stop him from contaminating a major water supply that could kill millions.
This was a “can’t put it down” story.

First Daughter By Eric Van Lustbader

This is a new novel by a versatile and interesting writer. Not too long ago, I enjoyed one of his earlier novels “The Testament” which had a religious underlying theme; this new one deals with religious fanaticism, politics and deception in a contemporary setting where you might be tempted to connect some of the characters in the current administration.

An ultra conservative President who believes that his administration has been guided by God has only a few weeks left before a new President elect is sworn in. He is afraid that his successor is a “Godless” man who will change the “Christian nation” that he has promulgated.

The President has chosen a certain liberal religious group as a target to be attacked as a terrorist group hoping to sway congress to keep his conservative policies. As he puts his “attack dogs” to the job, the President Elect’s daughter, Ali, is abducted. A top ATF agent, Jack McClure, is assigned to help find the seventeen year old because he is a friend of the President elect and Jack’s daughter,Emma, who was killed in an auto accident went to the same school. Although Jack works best on his own, he is required to report to the President’s Director of Home Land Security and an FBI agent. The interplay and tensions are very well done.

Lustbader uses McClure’s guilt in connection with his daughter’s death and her relationship with Ali to create a kind of ghostly situation where Jack sees and speaks with Emma as he searches for Ali. I think it took away from the story.

The first chapter of the novel “Inauguration Day”, sets the stage for tense and exciting action that takes place during the preceding month.

This was a good thriller with an interesting protagonist and a couple of neat surprises well worth reading.

The First Patient By Michael Palmer

The President of the United States is acting strangely, there is strong evidence that he may be going insane. Those close to him are very concerned but are covering up because the President is very close to being reelected and his first term was very good for the country and the next term could bring lasting peace and prosperity. The President’s personal physician has mysteriously disappeared and an old and close friend is asked to take his place. The friend may have to invoke the 25th Amendment which transfers the power of the President to the Vice President. The administration has enemies; there is a possibility that the President’s illness may not be to natural causes. This is a good, fast moving, medical thriller that gives a lot of insight to the things that go on in Wachington, DC and the White House.