Set in
France during the Holy Crusades of the 1100s, The Jester is a tale regarding a quest for justice by the common person and manages to combine a love story, adventure, and mystery all into one.  While far from Patterson’s usual fare, this work of fiction is a David and Goliath tale where you continually cheer the underdog on and can’t wait to see those responsible for his pain brought to justice.

The protagonist is Hugh De Luc, an indentured innkeeper, who joins the Crusades after being promised his family’s freedom in exchange for his service. The Crusades, however, are not pertinent to the main story line other than that they set the stage for Hugh’s acquisition of a holy relic that’s value is unknown to him but ends up costing him everything he holds dear as others swear to possess it at all costs. This sets in motion the key storyline of The Jester as Hugh goes in search of the monsters responsible for his pain, even resorting to taking up the role of a jester to gain the trust of those against whom he seeks retaliation. Fortunately, for Hugh his wit gains him allies and allows him to uncover truths beyond his imagination.

While some reviewers have stated their disappointment that the work does not faithfully adhere to historical facts, I believe that fiction is written for enjoyment and non-fiction for fact so when I read The Jester it totally met my expectations. I do agree with some reviewers, however, that this book with its graphic scenes of sexual behavior, torture, murder, and rape make it a totally inappropriate choice for a young audience. Overall, though I found it to be a story about a reluctant hero, a common man, who after facing great tragedy in his own life was still able to master the will and courage to empower his friends to fight their own war against injustice while finding within himself the power and strength to love again.

The Jester, while providing the reader with an enjoyable 100% modern high-speed thriller, is filled with the brutality and inhumanity common to the era of the crusades when Knights in shining armor didn’t save damsels in distress but rather slaughtered innocent victims like cattle and burned entire villages for the cruel liege lords. While I have always enjoyed Patterson’s novels I must admit that this may be my all time favorite since it veered away from the common everyday mystery genre and allowed me some insight into a long ago period in human history.

Tags: the jester, james patterson, andrew cross, crusades, historical fiction, inhumanity, murder, rape, knights, lieges, nobility, common man, uprising, injustice

The God of Animals is a wonderful debut novel written by talented young writer, Aryn Kyle who manages within the confines of this work to explore the clashing together of old versus new cultures and while pulling no punches leave the reader with a sense of hope. Since this was a coming of age chick book, I did not think that I would find too much of interest in the reading but I was surprised to find that Ms. Kyle’s extraordinarily gifted perceptive reminded me why I love reading in the first place.  

Set in present-day
Desert Valley, Colorado and featuring some of the truest characters I’ve read in a long time, this novel is full of subtly powerful scenes. The plot’s main character is twelve-year-old Alice Winston whose stark life on her overworked father’s horse ranch sets the scene for her struggles with her sense of self as she tries to deal with the loss of her older sister to a rodeo cowboy and her invalid mother. The author’s descriptions regarding the harshness of rural life is candidly depicted against the apparent ease of suburban living showing the west as it truly is rather than a portrayed romantic myth. The climax of the story comes when
Alice, during one of the hottest summers in fifteen years, must choose between leaving her hard life on the ranch and staying to help her father save it and her family’s dreams along with it.  

Aryn Kyle’s haunting first novel, The God of Animals, will take you into an adult world of secrets showing the cost of growing into adulthood amid adults who are often cruel and won’t hesitate to lie and cheat.  Sadly, Alice and her family discover this when they are called upon to weather a devastating betrayal and a series of violent events that test their love for one another and proves the power of forgiveness. Containing an adult measure of betrayal, desire and complex joy, this coming-of-age tale incorporates a combination of compromises and dreams making for a beautiful story about families, horses, love, and death.

Tags: the god of animals: a novel, aryn kyle, debut novel, coming-of-age fiction, horses, drama

Cradle and All, reminiscent of Rosemary’s Baby, is a reworking of James Patterson’s 1980 apocalyptic thriller, Virgin that manages to pit the intensity of faith against the certainties of science.  As the action progresses the reader is speedily drawn between the hallowed halls of the Vatican to America where a media frenzy is under way and then on to a small-town in Ireland, as Patterson takes the novel’s central premise and uses it to tackle issues of faith with admirable aplomb.  

Beginning with the Vatican’s Pope Pius revealing the secret of Fatima to Father Nicholas Rosetti, the storyline continues with, ex-nun turned private investigator, Anne Fitzgerald, being hired by Boston Archbishop, Cardinal Rooney, to investigate the case of a rich, sixteen-year-old Newport, Rhode Island, girl who is eight months pregnant and according to reports still a virgin. The Catholic Church is particularly anxious about the girl’s condition because the real-life secret guarded by the Church since Fatima, in 1917, prophesied that there would be two pregnant virgins: one that would bear the Savior, the other the spawn of Satan. During the course of her investigation, Anne is unaware of the secret only learning later that there is indeed a second girl, from Ireland, that is also pregnant and is reportedly a virgin. To assist Anne with investigating the two pregnancies Father Justin O’Carroll, a priest, who fell in love with Anne while she was a nun, is called in to help observe and protect both of the girls. As the children grow in their mothers’ wombs, a faith-testing struggle between good and evil unfolds. The novel’s considerable suspense arises from Patterson’s treatment of the central question regarding the possibility of modern day miracles actually occurring and then sharpening the tale with the inclusion of supernatural events and a truly twisted ending. 

While not subtle, this novel tackles issues of faith with great aplomb, as it also tells a spooky tale of a world plagued with polio epidemics, famines, and floods, forcing the reader to root for the faithful few. Anyone who finds mature themes objectionable should probably stay far away from Cradle and All since sexuality in general, and rape in particular, are graphically depicted, as well as, the subplot of emotional involvement between an ex-nun and a dashing priest. Their involvement underlines the intensity of the emotional tangle felt by those who were not meant to be in the religious life.  Overall, the book has a semi-believable preface with the only thing that might cause a bit of disbelief being created with how the clergy in the book deal with the two girls, especially since the main priest assigned to handle the whole situation repeatedly shows that he is not above violence if he perceives he is fighting evil. Cradle and All is definitely a solid story that will keep you up at night wanting to read until you finish the roller coaster ride of suspense that the book offers.

Tags: cradle and all, james patterson, virgin births, spawn of satan, son of god, catholic church, fatima

Maslen’s Bob Books Set 1 – Beginning Readers are unlike many programs as there is little to no direction for the parent. However, they go back to the 1950s style of teaching and are carefully crafted to introduce the sounds in a systematic way with the very first book requiring that the child only know the sounds for M, A, S, and T and one sight word (on). After the first book, the remainder of the first set of 12 books will introduce the new reader to the rest of the alphabet and short-vowel sounds. Additionally this same set carefully reviews everything learned and introduces a few common sight words. As your child advances, the series continues with a second set of 12 books that reinforce previously learned material by adding more text per page and introducing new concepts. However, it is important to note that some parents were disappointed to find that the progression slowed after their child finished the first set of books (despite the continuity found in later volumes). With later volumes the difficulty increases, especially when you begin the third set, which has 10 books and introduces still more text and some compound words. Then By the fourth set of 4 books, your child is ready for the blending words and longer compound words that are introduced so that by the final set of 4 books your child is able to read longer stories and handle the concept of long vowels. One of the advantages to these books is that a child must be able to read, from cover to cover, one book before progressing to the next one giving them a real incentive to master each one.

While overall, I found these books to be exemplary, confidence building works, a few things might be improved on, such as the words being handwritten which creates spacing and letter shape variations that some young readers find difficult. Additionally, the wonderful illustrations in the book can create difficulty for children who become engrossed in them instead of the text so for those children I would recommend McGuffey’s Eclectic Readers

For most children, however, I think these books are perfect for teaching them to read since they make it possible for them to sound-out the words and each book only introduces only one or two words or simple phrases that tell a story in the end. Additionally I liked them because they used words that were easy for children to learn and remember, they were short allowing success to come quickly, and they are fun for children to read. Bob books will definitely provide a head start for any child entering kindergarten.  

Tags: bob books, beginning readers, bobby lynn maslen, john r. maslen, childrens literature, learn to read, reading confidence

James Scott Bell’s skill as a writer, coupled with his experience as a trial lawyer, makes No Legal Grounds a provocative, fast-paced thriller that manages without the use of x-rated language or lewd scenes to create a suspenseful, knowledgeable, creative, and inspiring piece of fictionalized literature. With some unforeseen twists, this masterful storyteller gives the readers characters that ring true from the rebelling teenage daughter to the protagonist doubting that there is any hope of escape.   

The protagonist is attorney Sam Trask who, along with his wife, Linda, his rebellious seventeen-year-old daughter, Heather and his twelve-year-old son Max faces threats and terrorism from the antagonist, Nicky Oberlin, a demented sociopath who after Sam deletes what at first appears to be an innocuous email will stop at nothing as he maliciously stalks his prey. This riveting thriller challenges Trask’s view of right and wrong when he is forced survive in a world where all the rules have changed and where the law he has sworn to uphold conflicts with his need to protect his family from a madman who stays within the limits of the law giving him no legal grounds of protection.  

Sam’s who has finally gotten his life in order, after putting behind him his old drinking and success-at-any-cost ways, is suddenly thrown into a family nightmare when his old college buddy, Nicky Oberlin, arrives in town. Nicky knows some of Sam’s college secrets and looks for angles to attack while Sam struggles through a professional crisis and family turmoil until he is ultimately forced to decide whether or not to protect his family by acting outside the law he’s believed in all his life. The reader is pushed to the edge along with Sam as he tries to maintain his law practice while dealing with credit cards that are mysteriously maxed out, a poisoned animal, and the kidnapping and sexual victimization of his daughter.  All the while, Nicky knows not to break any laws and with each frustrating step, that Sam takes to protect his family Nicky manages to make himself look like the victim while Sam finds himself deeper and deeper in trouble with his firm, his family and with the law.  

Dealing with the dark things that can happen, the reader should be made aware, however, that this is not an inspirational feel-good piece but rather an honest look at one man’s struggle to protect his family and overcome society’s evils. The heart of the story is in Sam’s heart and soul, as someone who knows the law inside and out, he struggles against a surprising threat to his family and is forced to decide if he is willing to step over the legal line for the sake of his wife or children.
Bell’s previous novels focused on crimes after the fact but in this case, the lawyer is faced with a crime in process against his family making it a heart wrenching drama that will keep the reader reading until late into the night. Therefore, if you are seeking a suspenseful tale of intrigue without an R rating I would highly recommend this book as it meets all the requirements of an entertaining and chilling adventure into the life of an unsuspecting man of faith.

Tags: no legal grounds, james scott bell, faith, christian mystery, suspense, legal drama, fiction

Cockburn’s book Rumsfeld: His Rise, Fall, and Catastrophic Legacy is undoubtedly the most revealing book on the market today with its portrayal of our country and government’s power base appearing as nothing more than a legalized mafia. In the book, Cockburn traces Rumsfeld’s start as an
Illinois congressman, through his service to the Nixon and Ford Administrations, and then his temporary departure from politics when he becomes a big business CEO until he is called to be secretary of defense for the Bush Administration.

The book is an eye-opener for the masses putting to rest any question of the evil that is being perpetrated on the unsuspecting population, causing one to wonder why we are allowing these unholy sociopaths to ruin the world for all us with their greed, bigotry, and self-serving interests. Honestly, however, we are the ones to blame as we turn blind eyes to politicians and corrupt businessmen allowing them to flourish and take advantage of our own lack of moral fortitude, despite knowing that having no conscious they will do anything in their quest for the almighty dollar.  

Some of the absurdities pointed out in the book include Rumsfeld’s incompetence regarding the Iraq War when the country turned into a living hell instead of blessing the country with his promised riches. According to Cockburn, Rumsfeld was of the mindset that if an underpowered invasion would make him be seen as another Douglas MacArthur, then it didn’t matter that countless American service personnel would lose their lives or live the remainder of their lives with irreversible injuries, the invasion had to proceed. Of even less importance to Rumsfeld were the several hundred thousand innocent Iraqi men, women, and children that died as a result of this unjust and unnecessary war. Of course, Cockburn notes that Rumsfeld was an expert at covering himself by never taking a chance of making a miscalculation by saying he didn’t do numbers and claiming not to do foreign policy or diplomacy when he caused our troops to miss out on the capture of Osama by intentionally snubbing a Chinese military attaché. However, the book also points out that while his conduct could possibly result in our own civil war when economic decline sets in due to the huge budget deficits, the American people must share in the responsibility since they enabled his conduct. 

Shamefully, for America, Rumsfeld is now receiving a comfortable retirement even though he personally monitored and authorized the unconstitutional torture of suspects including Lind, the American picked up in
Afghanistan, and the license he gave troops for what happened at Abu Ghraibbut.

Andrew Cockburn’s unauthorized biography of Donald Rumsfeld is a “must read” that clearly shows Rumsfeld’s failure as a wartime Secretary of Defense, and his disastrous record in managing the Pentagon’ s budgetary activities. Documented by an analyst for the Pentagon’s Office of Secretary of Defense, there are numerous available reports describing how Presidential managerial problems have created a historical pattern of shrinking forces, aging weapons, and continual pressure which resulted in out troops being sent to
Iraq ill-equipped and untrained for war. However, he also states that “Donald Rumsfeld cannot be blamed for the Pentagon’s managerial dysfunctions” since he established several transformation panels, including a financial management transformation panel. In turn this panel found that “the management information provided by the Department of Defense’s accounting system was corrupt and unreliable making it impossible to link budget decisions to policy intentions.” Nevertheless, while the Bush Administration shoveled money into the Pentagon jacking up spending Rumsfeld chose to effectively ignore the findings of the Friedman Report, demonstrating a level of incompetence that magnified the Pentagon’s deviated policies to an unprecedented degree.

Cockburn’s well written book shows how Rumsfeld was a bully who surrounded himself with yes men while also showing him as a dilettante afraid to make hard decisions. Combine these twin character flaws with skyrocketing defense budgets, and you have a prescription for a financial catastrophe that will plague the
United States for at least a generation and undermine the government’s ability to pay for the perfectly predictable costs of an aging population. Cockburn also draws an interesting and eerie parallel between Rumsfeld’s role as a secretary of defense in both the Ford’s and Bush Jr.’s Administrations where his extremely hawkish stance on world matters, his disdain for the opinions of experienced military personnel and his confidence in weapon technology becomes dangerous when he plans the Iraq War. However, even given his faith in weapon technology, he is incapable of choosing ones that are cost-efficient (turbine tank) or even ones that work (missile defense.) Cockburn further illustrates his case by telling how Rumsfeld cancelled the outdated Army’s Crusader, a self-propelled howitzer, replacing it with a far more expensive, super hi-tech Future Combat System resulting in the same contractors being paid much more money and being given a far longer period of time before they would have to deliver any new hardware to our combat forces. Decisions like this make it easy to see how the groundwork has been laid for even higher defense budgets in the future.  

Cockburn’s tight editing makes this book a compelling narrative, however, I wish he could have shed some new light on what was behind Rumsfeld’s resignation since I wonder how much Dick Cheney might have had to do with it. In general, while the book doesn’t cover as much ground as I would have liked it to, it is not a bad introduction for those who want to learn about Rumsfeld or get a brief idea of who he is. Brimming with powerful revelations, Rumsfeld is thoroughly researched, clearly written, and makes its case convincingly and as a result is sure to emerge as a must-have piece of investigative journalism as America grapples with its difficult involvement in
Iraq and the uncertain path the country faces today.

Tags: rumsfeld: his rise, fall, and catastrophic legacy, andrew cockburn, government incompetenced, bush administration, iraq war, mismanagement, budget deficits

In his novel, Hide & Seek, Patterson relates his story through two points of view: the first-person voice of Maggie Bradford, and a third-person narration that is often filtered through the eyes of Will Shepherd, a psychopath who loves to hurt women. Maggie is a beautiful woman who is considered by some to be a terribly talented pop singer and by others as a black widow killer, since she seems to be involved in the murder of both of her husbands. It is clear in the beginning that the murder of her first husband was justified as she was obviously battered but when it appears that she has also murdered husband number two, a celebrated soccer star, questions begin to surface. To make matters more complicated Maggie has two children, Jennie and Allie, that she will do anything to protect so when it appears as if the despicable Will has made advances on young Jennie, Maggie refuses to defend herself at her murder trial.

Many professional reviewers have used the word “suspenseful” to describe HIDE AND SEEK but I have to disagree as I had a really difficult time believing that this work was a creation by James Patterson as it came no where near the standards that I have come to expect from this author. I found it sad that I never felt compelled to care about what happened to Maggie despite the fact that she was portrayed as an abused woman trying to make it on her own while raising two children. That may have been because I found the story line very predictable and was not surprised when the culprit was disclosed. Furthermore, I felt that it lacked the aspects needed to make for a good suspense thriller since it spent more time describing the sexual intimacies between the characters and describing sexual violence than providing a compelling dialogue and action to keep the plot moving. Don’t misunderstand this review, the book is well written and James Patterson sets the scenes well it’s just that I found it lacking compared to his other work or maybe it was because I viewed the characters as three dimensional as a piece of paper.

Tags: hide and seek, james patterson, mystery, sex, suspense, murder, courtroom drama

Before beginning this review, I think it is important for those reading it to understand what the terms mean so bear with me as I begin with this concept in mind. The word Euthanasia means “good death” or as others would explain it “the intentional termination of life by another at the explicit request of the person who dies.” However, there are different kinds of Euthanasia which allow for different options the first of which is Passive Euthanasia which allows for the hastening of death by the altering of support thus enabling nature to take its course. This type of euthanasia includes removing life support equipment and/or the stopping of currently employed medical procedures. The second type is Active Euthanasia which involves the causing of death by a direct action, in response to a request by the patient. The third type of euthanasia is Involuntary Euthanasia where a person has not explicitly requested aid in dying, such as a patient in a Persistent Vegetative State. Lastly, there is Physician Assisted Suicide where the physician supplies information and/or the means for committing suicide either through a prescription for a lethal dose of sleeping pills, or a supply of carbon monoxide gas.

In the book, Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide the authors explain how the development of new and improved diagnostic procedures and treatments have complicated the practice of medicine where elderly, frail, and disabled patients dying of chronic, irreversible conditions, is concerned. In this book, they address how the use of advanced “life-saving” technology is problematic, often only serving as a means to prolong the dying process, causing the physician to face many ethical and legal decisions when determining for whom these expensive diagnostic procedures and treatments are appropriate.

Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide is separated in two distinct parts. The first encompasses the moral and ethical issues for legalizing physician-assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia with Dworkin and Frey arguing (in a sometimes very hard to follow style) that physician-assisted suicide is morally permissible thus allowing the patient the opportunity to make their death as painless and dignified as possible. They continue their argument by stating that the current rights of family to withdraw life support is technically no different than physician-assisted suicide because there is no moral asymmetry between these two forms of treatment. They continue by stating that the only difference between switching off the ventilator, prescribing morphine to hasten death and providing a pill that will kill a patient is that with the pill the patient is allowed to be control. Furthermore, they argue that since refusing life-saving treatment is permissible any patient, not in the depths of depression, who has been determined to be competent, informed, and terminally ill should have the right to voluntarily request their physician’s assistance since it places the patient in control of their own destiny. Dworkin and Frey also cover the issue of public policy and physician-assisted suicide as they contemplate why the legal system would have a harder time dealing with physician-assisted suicide than with withdrawal of life support or termination of artificial hydration and nutrition.

In the second half of the book, Sissela Bok takes on a factual argument, which is much easier to follow, in which she argues against Dworkin and Frey’s morally based conclusions surrounding physician-assisted suicide. To accomplish this Bok shares her study of physician-assisted suicide in the Netherlands where out of the 9700 requests received for physician-assisted suicide 3700 were granted with 1000 of these people being legally incompetent to make such a decision. Her views offer a broader perspective and since it is backed with clinical and historical data is much more convincing than that of her co-authors.

Overall, the authors did a wonderful job of presenting both sides of the physician-assisted suicide debate and in educating the reader to the sensitive issues that are at the heart of this debate. Considering that this debate goes far beyond the active consideration of killing by physicians; it is a good book that supplies a lucid exposition of both sides of the argument. Between the two sides of the argument the reader will learn the differences between “letting a patient die” and “intentionally ending life”, as well as, hear the debate surrounding the moral reasons as to why this type of suicide should be legalized and the grave risks that society may have to deal with if it is. Although this book is designed to target readers who have not yet made a finalized opinion concerning the controversy of physician-assisted suicide, it is a book that will enable readers to better understand this highly controversial issue.

Tags: euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (for and against), dworkin, frey, bok, euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, controversy, passive euthanasia, active euthanasia, patient rights, moral issues surrounding euthanasia

The Pursuit Of Happyness focuses on the obstacles that Chris Gardner had to overcome in order to rise from his poverty-stricken childhood and successfully achieve his goals as an adult. Ultimately, this success was defined by the fact that he knew exactly what he wanted, he knew why he wanted it, he believed he could achieve it, he had faith that it was on its way and lastly he took action on every level to make it happen. Through it all, however, he never glosses over areas of the story that could have been cleaned up to make himself appear a little more saintly but rather honestly relates what happened to him showing that we are all where we are due to the decisions that we make. However, while Gardner’s message is one of hope, not rage or vindication, you may find yourself pausing in the latter quarter of the book to wonder how deep his self-examination really went

The few things about his story that bothered me included Chris’s insistence on putting his mother on a pedestal despite her being incarcerated twice, once for attempted murder and another time for welfare fraud and the fact that she was too weak to leave an alcoholic husband who repeatedly beat both Chris and herself. Secondly, Chris’s constant references to his sexual exploits and drug use, especially after talking about not being to provide food for his wife and child were quite chilling and the book never says if he straightens out or not. Another thing I found offensive was his willingness to overlook racial slurs from a rich oil tycoon and then to take advantage of that man’s death by unethically selling all the stock in the man’s portfolio before the estate had a chance to clear probate all in the name of the almighty dollar. Additionally, I found it anything but honorable, that Mr. Gardner would ignore his young daughter all together and then send the young son that he supposedly loved so much to live across the country with a woman who had already abandoned him just so that he could continue to achieve his goal of becoming a wealthy stock broker.

However, despite these questionable character flaws and the book’s use of raw language and some too graphic sexual scenes, The Pursuit of Happyness, tells a story that is exceptionally candid giving testament to others that no matter where you come from - with focus, persistence, determination you can get to where you are going - if you just don’t give up. Additionally, the book, by its graphic nature causes the reader to feel all the pain that Chris feels, especially the deep-seated hate for his stepfather.

Overall, the story covers a gamut of trials and tribulations, including dysfunctional parents, illiteracy, child abuse, drug addiction, and ultimately, homelessness and tells the tale of an intelligent and skilled individual who made a number of bad career and personal choices, and ultimately overcame them. Therefore, while not a book for young teens its vision for achieving a better life is a message that every young adult should hear. The reader must be aware however, that the reading of this book will not leave you with the same heartwarming feeling that was inspired by the Will Smith movie since the book shows the not so nice aspects of Chris’s life, many of which were self-created. In general, while not a prizewinner it candidly describes the good, the bad, and the in-between thus making it a competent autobiography of a poor kid who makes good.

Tags: the pursuit of happyness, chris gardner, overcoming, autobiography, inspirational, accomplishment, success

Michael Palmer, M.D.’s book Fatal, while quite entertaining, is well-researched, giving the reader shivers as it explores and dramatizes the important issues surrounding the effects of toxic waste and the dangers surrounding childhood immunizations. According to Barbara Loe Fisher, “it is up to us to tell everyone we know how important it is to read this first-time ever fictionalized expose on the dangers inherent to the mass vaccination system… and we need to do what we can to educate as many people as we can about vaccine risks while the book is still available.” She further adds that Dr. Palmer, who has a son with Asperger’s Syndrome, is very aware that as vaccination rates have climbed, there has been an alarming increase in the incidence of a number of so-called immune-mediated diseases and conditions such as asthma, allergies, juvenile diabetes, and autism.

In Fatal Dr. Palmer features Dr. Michael Rutledge of Belinda, West Virginia, who has returned home following the death of his wife, Ginny, from a rare form of cancer. He is convinced that her death is the result of the local mining company illegally dumping toxic waste into the ground water only adding fuel to his vendetta against the company that he feels is also responsible for the death of his father. As an internist and emergency specialist Dr. Rutledge’s suspicions increase as he notices a recurrence of people being admitted with horrifying Elephant-Man-like symptoms accompanied by a gradual descent into paranoia.

Meanwhile, two women, unknown to each other, are compelled to travel to Belinda and into Matt’s life. The first is Nikki Solari, a
Boston pathologist who comes to attend the funeral of her roommate, Kathy Wilson, who died of the same debilitating disease that Matt had seen in some miners that he had treated in the emergency room. The second is D.C. consumer advocate, Ellen Kroft who in another plot line, is drawn to Belinda in search of an unwelcome visitor, from Belinda, that threatened her granddaughter’s life if Ellen didn’t vote for approval of the new Omnivax vaccine. These three strangers - Rutledge, Solari and Kroft - each hold a piece to a gigantic puzzle that must be solved quickly to prevent injury to untold others while they combat evil on all sides that could cost them their lives. Thankfully, for Matt and the others he has befriended a band of not so backwards mountain men who repeatedly risk their lives to come to his aid as he seeks to uncover the mystery of the Belinda mine. Many other very interesting characters are introduced in this gripping tale of greed, murder and medical mystery that will revive the for and against arguments about vaccination.

As is the case with most of Mr. Palmer’s novels, Fatal has a moral message and in this work, he presents valid arguments against marketing medication without sufficient double blind testing. This being said his research is validated with Sandy Mintz, an Alaska vaccine safety and informed consent advocate, stating that, “we need to recognize this book’s profound potential to impact the public’s blind assumptions about vaccine safety and do what we can to promote it.”

Fatal is a believable and frightening story that will implore you to consider the possible dangers of both toxic waste and childhood immunizations, made even more compelling in the in light of the potential of mandatory mass vaccination for smallpox. What is especially impressive about this work, however, is that, in spite of having a strong agenda, the author never wanes from telling an exciting tale.

Tags: fatal, michael palmer, dangers of childhood immunizations, childhood immunizations, vaccines, toxic waste, mystery, murder, big money, pharmaceutical companies, small pox vaccine