Joe Carpenter still agonizes over the death of his wife and daughter a year after their plane crashed. He can't work, he's let his friends fall by the wayside, his grief is almost palpable. One day, he is contacted by someone who can put him in touch with a survivor who walked away from the crash and who knows why the plane went down. Is he interested? You betcha. Thereby hangs the tale. Hints and clues lead to a shadowy government organization, mad scientists, and maybe even aliens. Sound familiar?

Despite an uneasy (for me) leaning toward government within government, Koontz has crafted an intriguing tale of co-operation, suspense, and near-future thrills. His characters come to life as we are introduced to Barbara Christman, a compassionate, defiant FAA flight crash investigator, Charles and Georgine Delmann, in-laws who have shown Joe what it means to have family and Mahalia, the go-between, who masquerades as Demi Moore. Tagging along during his search for Rose, the survivor, the mean, evil, nasty, bad guys keep tabs on him via a variety of surveillance devices and minions. Their tenacity and skill frustrate Joe until it becomes apparent that they are more than they appear to be. Why? Well, buy the book and find out. You'll be pleased you did.

Rodger has read a lot of science fiction and fantasy in forty years. He can only shake his head and say, "So many books, so little time."