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The Alfred P.
Murrah Federal Building two days after the bombing.
Timothy McVeigh, with the
assistance of Terry Nichols, destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal
Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was the most significant act of
terrorism on American soil until the September 11 attacks in 2001,
claiming the lives of 168 victims and injuring more than 680
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BOOK
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The Gatekeeper
by Michelle
Gagnon
The kidnapping of
sixteen year old Madison Grant draws Special Agent Kelly
Jones's fiance Jack Riley into a case tied to an unthinkable terrorist
plot with an unthinkable ransom, a ransom that demands a father choose
between his daughter and his country. Meanwhile, the FBI assigns
Kelly to the case of the murder and dismemberment of a
senator. As Kelly tracks down the clues to this crime, she
investigates the fanatical fringes of American society who might resort
to murder rather than the political process to achieve their
goals. More terrifying than any one fanatical group itself, she
unveils the mysterious figure of The Gatekeeper, an anonymous but
powerful force uniting the hate groups towards one common goal in one
of the worst domestic terrorist attacks on American soil. At
first, the two cases seem disconnected but could they be related?
Will Jack and Kelly uncover the culprit and the plot before it is too
late or will the case lead them into perils from which they might never
recover?
Michelle Gagnon's new thriller THE
GATEKEEPER chills the reader with an all too plausible scenario
of the enemy within now united, of a blind patriotism turned so
fanatical that it will stop at nothing to achieve its goals, a goal
even more horrifying than the means itself. Seemingly isolated events
become more ominous as the links between them are uncovered, but even
more terrifying is the twisted mind manipulating these fringe
groups. The kidnapping plot itself magnifies the horror of the
plan as Michelle Gagnon turns her vision from the broader look at hate
politics to the dilemma and emotions faced by Madison's father.
By detailing these human moments, Michelle Gagnon unmasks the
twistedness of political obsession, an obsession that seeks to destroy
what it claims to value.
Michelle Gagnon's THE GATEKEEPER
is a page-turning thriller that speeds up to an action-packed shocking
ending. She takes Kelly into the most dangerous case she has
faced to date. Readers of the Kelly Jones series will discover
even more development of Kelly Jones as a character. Her
relationship to both Jack and the FBI receives more attention here,
building up the depth of her character for hopefully more development
in future novels. Michelle Gagnon's thriller achieves its goal in
part due to recent headlines. Set against the backdrop of the
escalation of the divisive political volume in this country over recent
years, THE GATEKEEPER is frighteningly realistic although her novel
does not make use of any real life political personalities. The
more independent or introspective type of reader might find THE
GATEKEEPER even more chilling as one reflects on one's own political
positions while uncovering the terrifying nature of the Gatekeeper, a
force more deadly than any individual group or political persuasion, a
force that turns one against oneself.
What distinguishes THE GATEKEEPER,
however, is the developing portrait of Special Agent Kelly Jones.
Tough, determined and talented, she is also a woman ambivalent about
her job with the FBI. Even her relationship with Jack Riley is
not so clear cut or simple. All these elements add to the depth
of her character, making a reader want to see more of her. In
addition, this book in particular benefits from the complexities of her
character, juxtaposing her humanity to the fanatical absolute values of
those she tracks. THE
GATEKEEPER coalesces into a cliffhanger that will leave readers
anxious for news of Michelle Gagnon's next release.
Publisher: Mira (November 2009)
Author
website
Previous Kelly Jones books: The Tunnels and Boneyard
Reviewed by Merrimon,
Merrimon Book Reviews
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