China Lake: An Evan Delaney Novel

The author quotes Pascal, "Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it with religious conviction." Evan Delaney finds herself dealing with an estranged sister-in-law who has joined a cult. To put it in the author's words, "She jumped on the bus. It's on fire, tires blown out, heading for a cliff, and she's honking the horn, thinking she's saved." Members of the cult have their own agendas that become clear as the novel progresses. Evan is trying to protect her young nephew. As you read the story, you can understand the frustrations of trying to convince people that something is very wrong, especially if you are dealing with officious bureaucrats. There are casualties along the way, some unexpected. You have to be careful whom you trust, but might find some unexpected allies.

I'm not surprised that although this has a number of five star reviews, it also has a fair number of one star reviews. This style of writing isn't for everyone and I'm going to try to indicate whether the individual "you" reading this will like it or not.I grew up on the pulp fiction of the 40's, published on cheap paper in magazines with unbelievably garish covers. These were overwritten stories that produced a visceral effect on the readers.The stories were taut, fast paced, and also preposterous and unbelievable. And I with many others loved it.If you're not willing to park your brain somewhere while you read this, you won't like it. This is for those who enjoy admittedly trasy fiction which is skillfully handled as this is. Suspension of disbelief is required for this, but if you're willing to just relax and be taken on a roller coaster ride, this is the book for you.

Being a long time fan of Stephen King, I regularly read his books and his Entertainment Weekly column. Through him I discovered The Drive By Truckers, who are AWESOME musicians and now China Lake AND Meg Gardiner. I read this book in about 3 sittings. It moves well, characters are believable and well drawn and the plot is great. I won't add any more plot lines, since the other reviewers have done so. GET IT, READ IT AND THEN DO WHAT I AM DOING, KEEP READING MEG GARDINER! There are five books featuring this main character, so just coming along it is nice to be able to follow the character for four more books!

Meg Gardiner writes a great crime thriller. The action starts fast and keeps going. I was instantly engaged with the opening scene, a confrontation at a funeral between mourners and picketers, and from there, the emotional impact just doesn't let up. Meg gives us us characters we care about -- a lot -- and doesn't let us breath a sigh of relief till the very end.

Meg Gardner's writing style is engaging and entertaining. She has a vivid imagination and China lake will take you a way for a while. The attention to geographic detail, while not taking it all the way to boring, strikes a nice balance here. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Looking forward to the next one.