Book Review: Capitol Reflections

After my whining about my book boredom, Lynellen came by with two books that she recently finished reviewing as part of the Amazon Vines program. This happened to be on top and, after reading the back cover, I was intrigued. As it turns out, I was right to be intrigued.

This is a medical-ish mystery/conspiracy theory thriller type book - it's hard to pin into a category, honestly. But the convolutions of plot reminded me of early Tom Clancy or any Michael Crichton. (I say early Tom Clancy because I mean in his pre-sellout, do anything to make a buck and forget having any interesting details or plot days. Yeah, not a fan of his current work - but loved Red Storm Rising and the like.) In Capitol Reflections, you meet Dr. Gwen Maulder, an epidemiologist with the FDA and follow her as she tries to find the cause behind the untimely death of her best friend. What follows is a fast paced, page turning romp.

Yes, there are a few predictable pieces, but not all of your initial thoughts end up being dead on (close, but not completely) - and even despite that, you're still intrigued and the pages just keep flipping themselves. The story really sucks you in and carries you along, and even makes it possible to follow the few hops backward in time that aren't clearly delineated in the chapter headers, but that are crucial to the story. (Normally, time hopping in a book that isn't about time travel is a huge pet peeve of mine, but for this book, I'll make an exception.)

All told, this was a great read and, especially given my current frustration with the slooooow books I'm am dragging through, just what the doctor ordered. Four and a half coffee beans out of five.