The story opens in the trenches in
France during World War I. Dr. Jonathan Chalmers and his friend, Paul
Baker, enlisted hoping to be involved in the heroic battle to drive
the Germans out of France. Instead they find themselves in muddy
trenches being shot at. Both are wounded. Paul dies and Jonathan is
sent back to the United States, but not before he has an
extraterrestrial encounter that changes his life.
This book is described as a conspiracy
thriller, but it doesn't fit the genre. It starts with history and
moves rapidly into science fiction. The opening chapters are well
done. The description of trench warfare is realistic, and we get to
know the hero. However, the rest of the book reads like a meeting in
the Washington bureaucracy. Jonathan's character becomes two
dimensional and none of the other characters are fleshed out at all.
I felt the book lacked focus. The plot
covers hundreds of years and picks up most of the political and
scientific controversies from WWII on. On one level, it's interesting
to see how the author pieces all the historical incidents together
and throws in some religion and science fiction. However, as a
thriller, it misses the mark. There isn't enough action. If you love
meetings and getting a peek at the bureaucracy, this is the book for
you. If not, give it a miss.
I reviewed this book for the Amazon
Vine Program.
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