SAVING CASCADIA by John J Nance
In each and every book John J Nance writes someone or something is on a timetable - and usually this is a timetable leading up to a calamity. That is certainly the case in his new novel SAVING CASCADIA. The Pacific Northwest is sitting on the precipice of a major earthquake occurring and all it is going to take is a little push to bring on the terror of Mother Nature at her most violent. Nobody writes about events like this as good as Nance does and in this novel he is at his scariest best.
Doug Lam is a seismologist living in Washington State, He has been predicting for some time that a major earthquake could be triggered by the construction of a massive resort on Cascadia Island. He thinks the pile drivings could trigger a fault and cause it to break loose underground setting off earthquakes and eventually a tsunami. He has some scientific studies that support his theory but not enough to convince the powers that be.
Lam's girlfriend Jennifer is also not convinced. She thinks he is being an alarmist of sorts. But Doug and Jennifer have other problems. She wants to get married but he won't take the steps to finalize his divorce from his estranged wife. Jennifer knows he loves her but can't fathom why he is dragging his feet.
Everything comes to a head on the opening night of the Cascadia Resort. Almost immediately tremors start to shake the foundations of the buildings and cracks appear in some of the structures. Doug is there trying to convince owner/operator Mick Walker to send everyone home. Jennifer and her father Sven, who operate a helicopter service, are also guests of Walker's. As the night becomes more and more traumatic their helicopters become essential avenues of escape.
Reading this novel is like watching a repeat of "The Towering Inferno" or "The Poseidon Adventure." You get to know the characters well enough to care about them when they are trapped in perilous situations. Then with time running out you become more and more anxious for their well being.
Nance creates solid characters and even more solid situations. You believe his storyline could actually happen and that makes it even more intense. By paying attention to detail (without overwhelming you with scientific data), Nance builds the emotions and suspense one page at a time.
By the end of the story you are reading at a breakneck pace because you just have to find out what happens. That means you are hooked and have to finish it - and that is a mark of wonderful storytelling.
So carve a few hours out of your busy schedule to read SAVING CASCADIA. Once you start you won't be able to put it down.
SAVING CASCADIA is published by Simon and Schuster. It contains 352 pages and sells for $25.00.