Book Details:
Genre: Suspense
Publisher: The Story Plant
Publication Date: March 2012

Clark Hayden is a graduate student trying to help his mother navigate through the loss of his father while she continues to live in their house near Washington DC. With his mother’s diminishing mental capacity becoming the norm, Clark expects a certain amount of craziness as he heads home for the holidays. What he couldn’t possibly anticipate, though, is that he would find himself catapulted into the middle of a terrorist operation. As the holiday festivities reach a crescendo, a terrorist cell – which happens to be across the street – is activated. Suddenly Clark is discovering things he never knew about deadly chemicals, secret government operations, suspiciously missing neighbors, and the intentions of a gorgeous IRS auditor. Clark’s quiet suburban neighborhood is about to become one of the most deadly places on the planet, and it’s up to Clark to prevent the loss of hundreds of thousands of innocent lives in the nation’s capital.

This was a really enjoyable book. I didn’t know what to expect going in, but I wasn’t disappointed. Lots of unexpected twists and turns. Being a native of the D.C. area I loved the author’s details about the area, especially Jammin’ Java. Loved that place!

The pacing is very well done in this story. Gilleo gives you just enough to pique your interest, but without giving you too much. He does a great job of keeping the mystery going. The subplots were also well done, adding just enough to be interesting, but without taking away from the main story. All in all an exciting read. Will definitely keep my eye on this author.

AUTHOR BIO:  Mark Gilleo holds a graduate degree in international business from the University of South Carolina and an undergraduate degree in business from George Mason University. He enjoys traveling, has lived and worked in Asia, and speaks fluent Japanese. A fourth-generation Washingtonian, he currently resides in the D.C. area. His two most recent novels were recognized as finalist and semifinalist, respectively, in the William Faulkner-Wisdom Creative writing competition. The Story Plant will publish his next novel, SWEAT in 2012.