Barry Swanson's Lost Frequency Surfaces Thrills

Lost Frequency

By Barry Swanson
 

                Barry Swanson has written a taut, suspenseful thriller about an international race to discover a communication tool to translate a Lost Frequency into a language. How will such a tool be used by the victor in this race? Will it sustain good or diabolical purposes? Clues to this discovery lay with pods of whales. Have you ever wanted to talk with whales? Think of what we can learn from each other. Wisdom of the ages, shared. Will the human race thrive from what they learn, or struggle to survive as they use it against each other? And what is the fate of the whales?

                A Puget Sound family’s legacy moves to a new generation when David Parker takes the reins. He uses a different approach as he begins covert work researching whale pods and their behavior. This is a perspective that hasn’t been tried before. His technology company team believes it can find the way to decipher and propel this promising advance for humankind. But can their solutions be stolen?  And are they even on the right track? If successful, can humankind cooperate and collaborate in its use? As David Parker’s worthy opponent believes, “This is not the way that people interested only in power and influence think. For them, it is zero-sum. Power cannot be split. Power must always end up on one side. That’s the way the game is won.” The people in power are playing this game to win.

                The mystery deepens as to just what the tech team is actually solving for. In the meantime foreign spies are infiltrating, stealing secrets, and eliminating anyone who gets in their way. “You are Prometheus, Mr. Parker . . . . Stealing fire from the gods to give to us mortals. Let us hope we do not burn ourselves.” The greatest threat is to David Parker and his family, and that is not something he had bargained for.

                The explanation of the research in process is thought provoking. The work is clearly presented by such interesting characters, each with their own deeply held motives and reasons for participating. The descriptions of the whales’ grandeur, beauty, intellect, and lives are heartfelt and inspiring.

                The author is a marine naturalist, a steward of the environment, and a singer/songwriter. Barry Swanson lives with his family in the Pacific Northwest on the beautiful Salish Sea. Prepare yourself for an intense thriller. Throughout this adventure, the author’s respect for the worldwide work of researchers, scientists, and for the marine mammals that populate our waters breaches the pages.

Mercy River by Glen Erik Hamilton

Mercy River

By Glen Erik Hamilton

                Welcome to Mercy River, Oregon where you’ll “feel a growing energy in the town like kids before summer vacation. Or maybe animals before an earthquake.” Author Glen Erik Hamilton shares a gripping mystery thriller where friendship is tested, and dangers surround criminal actions that threaten a person’s belief in whether justice can ever emerge. This is the fourth novel in the award winning Van Shaw mystery series that started with the first book winning the Anthony, the Macavity, and the Strand Magazine Critics awards.

                Now Van’s friend and fellow Veteran Leo, is accused of murder and jailed in the secretive, small town of Mercy River in Oregon. The victim was the front man for a team of private military contractors hired to recover stolen opiates. The accused is doing little to help his own defense, and is eerily silent on much of what happened that night. The bonds of brotherhood and friendship are sorely tested as Van works to uncover what actually happened and tries to show his friend’s innocence. This drama unfolds over the background of a raucous U.S. Army Rangers weekend reunion and town-wide party of a growing Veteran support network. Devoted celebrants rally around this network’s founder and highly decorated special operations general.

                The memorable characters are skillfully created. Van Shaw is an Army Ranger Veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and within his tough exterior he hides a loyal heart and a haunted spirit. He’s motivated by an ethical code formed through his own extraordinary experiences. A loner, he struggles with the complicated emotions of a life of what could have been, with his ex-girlfriend Luce. She also turns up in Mercy River, in the name of friendship. Now Van must focus his energies to try and survive a chilling fight against this deadly adversary who is lurking in plain sight.

                This award winning, best-selling author knows a lot about the Pacific Northwest. He grew up aboard a sailboat in the Seattle area, and spent much time sailing the islands in the area. He now lives in Burbank, California with his family, but left his heart in Seattle and visits frequently.

                To hear more from the author listen on YouTube where Wendy Kendall & Carl Lee Co-Host A Novel Talk with Glen Erik Hamilton