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A Thriller by Karen Robards, Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster, March 2016.
** An e-copy was provided by Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster, Inc. and Edelweiss for an honest review.
Darkness by Karen Robards
At first I wasn't sure I'd like DARKNESS . I really, really didn't like the first few pages and hesitated reading any further. But I'm glad I did. That first scene helped me feel like I was a player within the story and made me more invested in the outcome. And, if I hadn't persevered, I would have missed a gripping and fast-paced thriller that kept me up half the night reading.
The story revolves around the unlikely partnership of James 'Cal' Callahan, a 34-year-old former member of the Air Force Special Operations Command, and Dr. Gina Sullivan, a 28-year-old ornithologist and assistant professor of environmental studies at Stanford, and their efforts to safely escape Alaska's Attu Island in the Bering Sea.
Cal is a private contractor on assignment for the CIA/U.S. government, escorting a rogue, former CIA, computer hacker back to the U.S. The hacker has discovered intelligence info on how a foreign entity caused a plane to crash near Denver a year before. On the way home from Kazakhstan, their plane is blown up over the Bering Sea, with Cal being the sole survivor.
Gina is one of twelve scientists spending their Thanksgiving holiday conducting studies on pollution hazards to Attu Island, which was abandoned by U.S. and Japanese troops after WWII. While sitting in a motorized rubber boat watching a pair of rare white-tailed eagles soar away from her, and gauging how much time she has to get out of an approaching winter storm, she spots a low-flying plane moving erratically across the sky. The plane explodes and she desperately searches for survivors. On spotting Cal, she helps him into the boat, and they battle the choppy water and heavy snowstorm to get to some kind of shelter on shore. Thus begins a tense partnership to remain alive on a snow ravished island teeming with murder-minded terrorists.
He is wary of her survivalist abilities and wonders if she's part of the group that blew up his plane. She's worried about his need to stay off the grid and thinks he's going to get her murdered. With such a rocky start, they find it hard to trust one another, but they utilize their complementary skills to stay alive and to get back to the mainland.
The story picks up speed just a few pages in and continues at a rapid pace through to the end. The two main characters are three dimensional with flaws, prejudices and self-doubts. They also are smart and confident whenever their special knowledge is needed. The setting is almost a character in itself, as description of the landscape and interesting facts of what happened to Attu Island after WWII are scattered throughout the book. With an exciting, fast-paced plot, the narrative flows along seamlessly while Cal and Gina look for a way to escape their human predators and get off the island.
If you like your books exciting, full of intrigue and with a dash of history, DARKNESS is the story for you. Clear off your schedule, because you'll want to read this smart thriller all the way to the end in one sitting.
If You Like This, You Might Like: DR. CHARLOTTE STONE SERIES by Karen Robards, TEXAS RANGERS and MORGANS OF NASHVILLE SERIES by Mary Burton, TRACERS NOVELS by Laura Griffin, EVE DUNCAN SERIES by Iris Johansen
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