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BOOK
ILLUMINATIONS
From Merrimon Book Reviews
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Pipeline
by Peter
Schechter
A California black-out during the heat
of summer shocks the nation. All the infrastructure needed for
society to function collapses when the generators no longer
function. Hospitals and prisons no longer provide the needed
safety nets. As the death count rises, the black out becomes more
than just a minor inconvenience. Even in the wake of the
fall-out, few politicians seem willing to risk making tough decisions
about America's energy dependence. Meanwhile, in South
America, a meeting between a Peruvian senator and managers of a large
natural gas company plan a new strategy that seems to be a good more
environmentally friendly solution to America's precarious dependence on
the Middle East for energy needs. Is the plan too good to be
true? with an urgent call, Special Assistant to the President
Tony Ruiz has a new assignment to investigate the plan, an
investigation that will lead him into the maneuverings behind the
emergence of a new Cold War, a war fought on different terms than the
last. Will Tony Ruiz be able to discover the truth and at
what cost?
Peter Schechter's PIPELINE is
a fast-paced, action-based political thriller. Drawing on several
headlines from Russia's aggressive tone and South American politics to
California's past energy crisis notched up several steps and the push
for more environmentally friendly energy solutions, Peter Schechter
creates an all too real terrifying scenario. Scenes change
rapidly, creating tension as more and more players become involved with
the plot. Peter Schechter creates global connections between
several characters. Long intricate political and historical
asides do not slow down the race to discover the connections between
all the pieces. Rather, Peter Schechter highlights each
connection with a series of vignettes of focused scenes and characters
representing the various sides. Fans of Cold War suspense will
appreciate the chilling possibilities of Russia's re-emergence as a
challenge with which to be reckoned. Most intriguing are the
parallels and contrasts Peter Schechter draws between Tony Ruiz and his
Russian counterpart, Daniel Vladimorovich Uggin. Although both
have similar beginnings in certain ways as hard-working non-political
characters, each one rises and falls due to choices made and other
factors. Tony Ruiz is an admirable character, but one who also
makes mistakes. Tony Ruiz is definitely a character worth
developing in future geo-political thrillers, especially in contrast to
other players.
PIPELINE escalates
news headlines into a terrifying scenario where America is poised to
become an unexpected pawn in the hands of a familiar historic enemy now
using new tactics. The author's impressive biography (founder of
a Washington strategic communications firm, adviser to presidents,
political advertising writer, counseling international organizations
out of crisis, foreign language fluency, etc.) adds an exciting
international dimension. PIPELINE
provides relief from the all too common proliferation Mideast terrorist
thrillers with history reframing new unforeseen threats to America's
survival among present-day changes in the international political
landscape. Future Tony Ruiz adventures would benefit from more
concentration on characterization, such as the parallels between Tony
Ruiz and his counterpart, if done so without sacrificing the fast-paced
action herein. As is, in this his second novel, PIPELINE is a fun, fast-paced work
of suspense in which simple actions and decisions create escalating
scenarios. PIPELINE
leaves a reader's imagination thinking of new possibilities and
dangers.
Publisher:
Harper. Reprint edition (February 23, 2010)
Author
website
Reviewed by Merrimon,
Merrimon Book Reviews
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