Review: Terrorism all too real...
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 20, 2012
Mark Terry's Valley of Shadows filled the bill for a good summer beach read with his tale of the evil Kalakar, a jihadist with a stinger missle on American soil and Dr. Derek Stillwater, a Homeland Security Specialist, who chases Kalakar down to the final curtain of a terrorist act aginst a campaigning U. S. president. Even the placid gulf waters of Captiva, FLA were stirred by this compelling story that grows more urgent with every chapter to an exciting and satisfying conclusion. Terry breaks no new ground in this bad guy-good guy chase but all elements of the book are sound with a well crafted plot, storyline tension and dimensional characters.Two Pakistani Generals have initiated a terrorist plot against the U.S. and they have a willing agent in Kalakar who is helped by John, an LAX air traffic controller. The target is a potential U. S. President and side plots include explosions in various U. S. cities and a heinous act killing hundreds at JFK airport. All the while, Dr. Stillwater is giving chase and ferreting out clues to the true nature of this horrific jihad with able help from FBI Agent Sandy O'Reilly. With competing agencies, it often seems that the worst enemy of the war on terror is the bloated and bureaucratized U.S. government but Stillwater knows this and swashbuckles his way around to the dismay of many and the thanks of a few.You may not want to fly or visit an airport after reading Valley of Shadows but it is entertaining and well worth the angst.