Struggling to rebound from a series of embarrassing blunders that have
jeopardized its political life at the start
of this lively thriller,
NASA makes an astounding discovery: there is a meteor embedded deep
within the arctic ice. And it isn''t just any meteor. Inside the huge
rock, which crashed to earth in 1716, are fossils of giant insects
proof of extraterrestrial life. Yet, given NASA''s slipping reputation,
the question arises: Is the meteor real or a fake? That uncertainty
dogs NASA and its supporters in Brown''s latest page-flipper, a finely
polished amalgam of action and intrigue. Trying to determine the truth
are intelligence agent Rachel Sexton and popular oceanographer Michael
Tolland, both among the first to suspect something is amiss when the
meteor is pulled from the ice. Their doubts quickly make them the
targets of a mysterious death squad controlled by someone or something
that doesn''t want the public to hear the meteor may be a fraud.
Together, Sexton and Tolland scramble across arctic glaciers, take
refuge on ice floes, are rescued by a nuclear submarine, then find
themselves trapped aboard a small
research vessel off the coast of New
Jersey. All the while, the nation''s capital is buzzing as to whether
NASA has engaged in
deception. Or is NASA just a dupe for aerospace
companies that have long wanted a bigger share of space contracts?Brown (Angels & Demons) moves into new territory with his latest.
It''s an excellent thriller a big yet believable story unfolding at
breakneck pace, with convincing settings and just the right blend of
likable and hateful characters. He''s also done his research, folding in
sophisticated scientific and military details that make his plot far
more fulfilling than the norm.