How does it compare to audio works by the same author?
Advantages:
Good story . Could it be possible?
Disadvantages:
Disjointed beginning . Tends to ramble a bit .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
This is David Zeman's first novel, and shows distinct promise for the future, despite being a litle difficult to read at first.
THE PLOT
After the prologue, which plays very little part in the main plot but is nevertheless essential reading, the story starts with three sub-plots.
1. A mysterious illness starts affecting small town USA, where people lose the ability to speak or move, or communicate in any way (AND NOT JUST TEENAGERS). 2. Colin Goss, mega-rich owner of a pharmaceutical company and rampant fascist, mounts a very real and powerful threat to the incumbent president. 3. Michael Campbell, an olympic hero, is rapidly gaining prowess and stature within the government.
As the illness spreads across America and around the world, with health organisations unable to find a cause or cure, Colin Goss gains support for his campaign.
The president's hand is further loosened from the reins of power when his vice-president inexplicably comes down with the illness, prompting the choosing of a candidate to fill his post.
It is at about this point when Karen Embry, a freelance investigative reporter, begins to suspect that the three things may be connected and goes out looking for evidence of a conspiracy.
When the proposed candidate for the vice-president's vacant post is killed in a hit-and-run which is certainly no accident, Michael Campbell is offered the seemingly ill-fated position.
Karen Embry, unsurprisingly, is the only one who suspects that there may be more to this appointment than at first meets the eye, connecting it to the conspiracy theory she is already working on.
Suddenly, everything begins to look more rosy for the president: the syndrome starts to abate in America, whilst still running rampant across the rest of the globe, and Goss' popularity begins to fall dramatically.
Then Michael Campbell's wife is kidnapped.
The twists and turns that follow will leave you as knotted as a discarded puppet, and going any deeper into either the storyline or the ending would certainly detract from the pleasure you will get by reading the book, as well as overloading the website.
Zeman's use of multiple storylines at the beginning of the book, despite being rather testing for the reader, allows a good simultaneous insight into the main themes which are necessary for a complete understanding later on.
His characterisation is thorough, if a little too deep and unnecessary at times, but his flowing prose style keeps the pace ticking over at quite a satisfactory pace.
I usually prefer my thrillers with a sting in the tail, but I found this book very entertaining.
Conspiracy theorists rejoice, Zeman's given you something to think about.
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