Get their attention before it's too late... The Quiet War has begun...
In this explosive thriller that resonates with today’s news, we follow Diana Willis, acclaimed journalist and media celebrity, on her quest for truth after a mysterious helicopter crash sends her down a maze of misdirection and murderous intrigue. Surviving the crash, she awakens from a coma to be haunted by recurring dreams that reveal a strange past life and repressed memories from a childhood where she was exploited as a test subject for mind control, remote viewing, and time travel in America’s most secret and sinister projects.
In the struggle to overcome her trauma and find her true identity, she is shepherded by an elusive interdimensional shaman-like mentor from her other life. Through paranormal messaging, he rekindles Diana’s psychic and telepathic powers, which puts her in the crosshairs of powerful controllers who seek nothing less than world domination through mind control and media manipulation. The clock is ticking in Diana’s desperate race to expose this ruthless plot, learn who she is, and bring a message of faith and freedom from another world, hundreds of earth years in the future.
“I returned from our future and there is no fear. I am courageous and free…”
Terry does an effective job of setting wide-ranging scenes. The prologue skillfully introduces a haunting, fantastical tableau and then jumps nimbly to the world of high-flying TV journalists, with attractive descriptions of the work hard / play harder crowd. Later, Terry segues neatly into fantasy: "The air inside the box shimmered and a small book materialized." At times, the overall plot—along with various characters' motives—can be a little unclear, but the individual scenes are affecting and suspenseful, guaranteeing readers will keep turning the pages.
Although the focus is mostly on plot and theme, Terry brings Diana to life, alongside her small coterie of supporters. It's fascinating to watch her transition from sharp investigative reporter to a sojourner trying to figure out how she relates to the surreal new world she finds herself in. Diana is ably partnered with former colleague Gabe, who is also facing mysterious changes, but he and Diana form an earthy friendship that provides a welcome and believable anchor to the story’s more fanciful elements. Readers who appreciate strong female leads in paranormal thrillers will eagerly race to the end to see how the courageous Diana will avoid her enemies and fulfill her mysterious destiny.
Takeaway: Thriller fans hungry for a touch of the paranormal alike will delight in watching this supernatural mystery unfold.
Great for fans of: Stephen King’s Firestarter, Nathan M. Farrugia’s The Chimera Vector.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A-
