by Lee Goldberg
SYNOPSIS
There's a saying in Barstow, California, a decaying city in the scorching Mojave desert . . .
The Interstate here only goes in one direction: Away.
But it's the only place where ex-LAPD detective Beth McDade, after a staggering fall from grace, could get another badge . . . and a shot at redemption.
Over a century ago, and just a few miles further into the bleak landscape, a desperate stranger ended up in Calico, a struggling mining town, also hoping for a second chance.
His fate, all those years ago, and hers today are linked when Beth investigates an old skeleton dug up in a shallow, sandy grave . . . and also tries to identify a vagrant run-over by a distracted motorhome driver during a lightning storm.
Every disturbing clue she finds, every shocking discovery she makes, force Beth to confront her own troubled past . . . and a past that's not her own . . . until it all smashes together in a revelation that could change the world.
REVIEW
I have read Crime Fiction and Horror novels for as long as I can remember, but my only knowledge of Science Fiction has come from an obsession I had with The X-Files when I was younger! Recently I have been trying to expand my reading and have read and (surprisingly to me) really enjoyed a few books with a Sci-Fi element. Of these books, I have to say that Calico is my favourite!
This story starts in a very typical 'Crime Thriller' style, with a detective investigating the death of a man who runs in front of a campervan. As Beth is looking into what happened, she is also made aware of a few other incidents that have taken place in Barstow that don't seem to add up. Then, when the local coroner points out some unusual discoveries during the autopsy of the dead man, Beth has to start facing the possibility that this might be linked to the disappearance of another man who was last seen at around the same time. However, if this actually is true, it also means that Beth has to take a leap of faith and face the fact that there may be much bigger factors at play - factors that cannot be explained with good old-fashioned Police work!
My main worry when choosing a book which has Science Fiction component is that it will be overly complicated but this wasn't the case here at all. Calico was so readable - it was definitely unconventional and unique but it was completely captivating and I was totally lost in the storyline from start to finish. It's a really exciting mix of a modern police procedural, science fiction, military thriller and even a western (which I never thought I would enjoy but was brilliantly written)! All of these elements work together to create a thoroughly entertaining thriller.
Thanks to Anne Cater - @RandomTTours, Lee Goldberg - @LeeGoldberg and Severn House - @severnhouseimprint for the opportunity to read and review.
Publisher: Severn House Genre: Thriller / Science Fiction / Time Travel
ISBN: 978-14483145604
Pages: 320pp
Comments