|
|
|
Reviewed by Jeff Needle
6/19/2007 9:31:44 AM
Jason Harrington is a school teacher near Denver, Colorado. He loves his job, despite the difficulties of dealing with some students and a few of his colleagues. One day, he receives a disturbing phone call and a horrible note, indicating that he will soon die. At first, he brushes the messages aside as idle threats, but these threats soon become all too real.
Four police officers have recently been killed in the line of duty. The person, or persons, responsible have set Jason up to take the blame. Not knowing who to turn to, Jason flees his home and hides in the nearby woods. He has no one who he can call — he assumes the police, and the assassins, are monitoring all his known contacts. But one person, Kelly Nicholls, an old girl friend with whom he had not been in touch for several years, has reappeared in his life. She is the only one he can contact for help. But would she come to his aid?
As the story unfolds, Jason and Kelly devise a way of figuring out just who is after Jason. Who hates him so much that they would pursue him, frame him, and try to kill him? They hire a private detective, a fellow named Lou, who manages to unravel the plot. (I think I enjoyed the Lou character the most — a gruff, sloppy fellow who sounds a bit like a caricature of the typical movie PI.)
There are plenty of bad guys here, including members of the Russian Mafia. Of course, there are some good people here, too. Lou remains a wild card throughout the book. Whose side is he on? Will he sell out to the highest bidder? The reader is left to sort it all out.
“Chaos” is a fast read, and not very demanding on the reader. Written at a popular level, it’s a good choice for a summer book. At times it can be a bit preachy (it is a Mormon novel, after all). And it is, alas, predictable in spots. But it maintains a good pace, and the characters are well drawn. I actually cared about Jason and Kelly and hoped that it all would turn out for the best.
Jeff Downs knows his way around a page. He knows how to plot his story. I think he will, in time, get a bit better at making the “surprises” a bit less predictable. But for light summer reading, for those who like a good mystery, "Chaos” is a good choice. I think most readers will enjoy the story.
|
|
|
