Ghost Country by Patrick Lee
B&N Synopsis
For decades, inexplicable technology has passed into our world through the top secret anomaly called the Breach.
The latest device can punch a hole into the future . . .
What Paige Campbell saw when she opened a door into seventy years from now scared the hell out of her. She and her Tangent colleagues brought their terrible discovery to the President—and were met with a hail of automatic gunfire after leaving the White House. Only Paige survived.
Fearing a terrifying personal destiny revealed to him from the other side of the Breach, Travis Chase abandoned Tangent . . . and Paige Campbell. Now he must rescue her—because Paige knows tomorrow’s world is desolate and dead, a ghost country scattered with the bones of billions. And Doomsday will dawn in just four short months . . . unless they can find the answers buried in the ruins to come.
But once they cross the nightmare border into Ghost Country, they might never find their way back . . .
This was a pretty quick read for me, but I really enjoyed it. I love all things associated with post-apocalyptic America, and after investing three years of my life in Fallout 3, anything that does PAA with Washington, D.C. has my complete attention.
The characters were believable, as was the plot, although I saw a few things before a few of the characters. That was its only sticking point. If I – a journalist with not a whole lot of tech skills and scientific can-do – can spot some obvious technological oversights, then you lose a few points.
All in all, if you’re looking for a fun read to pass the time on a rainy night, pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed.
Book 10/40
Fever Dream by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
B&N Synopsis
At the old family manse in Louisiana, Special Agent Pendergast is putting to rest long-ignored possessions reminiscent of his wife Helen's tragic death, only to make a stunning-and dreadful-discovery. Helen had been mauled by an unusually large and vicious lion while they were big game hunting in Africa. But now, Pendergast learns that her rifle-her only protection from the beast-had been deliberately loaded with blanks. Who could have wanted Helen dead...and why?
With Lieutenant Vincent D'Agosta's assistance, Pendergast embarks on a quest to uncover the mystery of his wife's murder. It is a journey that sends him deep into her past where he learns much that Helen herself had wished to keep hidden. Helen Pendergast had nursed a secret obsession with the famed naturalist-painter John James Audubon, in particular a long-lost painting of his known as the Black Frame.
As Pendergast probes more deeply into the riddle-the answer to which is revealed in a night of shocking violence, deep in the Louisiana bayou-he finds himself faced with an even greater question: who was the woman he married?
This was interesting, as it was set in New Orleans, which is something of a departure from the usual Pendergast novels. Having lived in Louisiana and visited the city a few times, I was better able to follow the book in my head. Many of the places they visited in the book are places I’ve also visited. It’s always nice when that happens.
We only really got three our regulars this time around – Laura, Vinnie and Pendergast. I’ll give Constance a half-day’s attendance, as she wasn’t in the majority of the book.
I liked the back story on Pendergast’s wife – Helen. It’s nice to see her finally fleshed out here. For the most part, the story was enjoyable. Not exactly what I’m used to in a Pendy novel, but still quite good. The only thing that was bothersome was toward the end at the house when Pendergast agonizingly drew out the thousand descriptions of sight, sound and smell to the “bad” guy. I literally told him to, “Get on with it already!”
But other than that, it was great. Wonderful story and the set up for the next novel was excellent!
Book 11/40