Primal Threat

I like Earl Emerson's books...but not this one. The story and characters were so predictable that I skipped to the end, which was no different.

Another exciting novel from Earl Emerson, this one a well-written survival adventure which begins in a deceptively mild manner but quickly builds in tension after an unexpected horrifying incident in the wilderness. I couldn't put the book down after that point. Emerson kept the tension building in a very believable way, skillfully and elegantly juxtaposing the present with the past and revealing his various characters' inner flaws and strengths along the burning path to the story's final climax.

I preferred this story because the characters were much more believable and the situation was interesting and could possibly be true. I liked the suspense in this story and it moved right along with very few lulls. Lots of characters to keep track of, but he handled it very well by making them each distinctive and rememberable and some even enduring.

i found this to be a really good book-typical of earl emerson-- im now reading firetrap and it is shaping up to be another excellent effort.

Nadine Newcastle was only the latest in a seemingly endless stream of casual romances for Zak Polanski. An accident victim whom he had rescued after a car crash, their fling had lasted for only a few months. It is the end of August as Zak and four friends are mountain biking in the Cascade Mountains of Northwest Washington State. Three of the men, including Zak, are firefighters. The area had been in a drought for months, to the extent that all the backwoods in the State had been declared off-limits to motor vehicles, hikers, bikers and riders on horseback. Deciding that they're "not going to have a campfire, none of us smokes, and bicycles don't throw off sparks," they determine to take their planned exercise weekend, notwithstanding the ban. "The part Zak liked best was that there would be no cell phones, no GPS finders, and except for their bikes no appurtenances of the modern age. For one weekend they would be largely independent of modern amenities, knights errant jousting with one another on the climbs, racing down the miles-long descents at breakneck speeds, roaming a section of the Northwest where they were unlikely to see another human being for at least three days." Uh-oh. Wealthy, aimless 20-year-old William Potter III ["Scooter"], five of his best friends and the girlfriend of one of them, all of whom had attended the same private schools and were raised in the same atmosphere of luxury, "stuck in a netherworld between reckless brats and self-satisfied billionaires," have also decided to go into the mountains, but in a Porsche, Land Rover, Jeep and truck, with lesser motives: to see if they can find Zak and his fellow cyclists, to get payback for Zak having dated Nadine after she had dumped Scooter. The convergence of the two groups, when it comes, needless to say has disastrous consequences, veering totally out of control. Earl Emerson is the author of 11 books in the Thomas Black series and several standalones, of which this is the latest. The author here makes palpable the magnificent scenery and the grandeur of the mountains, and he tells a tale describing the consequences of fear and panic when they take one over. This reader learned more about serious cycling and wildfires than I'd ever known, all of it fascinating [the former] and horrifying [the latter]. I had two minor complaints: The plot seemed to get a little unreal at about the midway point, although the suspense generated soon overcame that; and occasionally there were phrases I found awkward which pulled me out of the story briefly, e.g., one character was "more confused than an orphan at a family reunion." But these are small quibbles. "Primal Threat" was an absorbing and suspenseful tale, and the book is recommended.

Zak Polanski is haunted by the death of his sister in a car wreck when Zak was twelve. Zak was unable to rescue his sister who was trapped in the car nor was he able to save his family from the disintegration that followed his sister's death. Zak is now a firefighter and is considered a pro at freeing persons trapped in a vehicle after a crash. His fellow workers have no idea of the fear and memories that invade Zak's mind every time he is forced to attempt a rescue. Nadine Newcastle comes from a very rich family. When she is trapped in her vehicle after a crash, Zak rescues her. Although Zak's relationships with women are usually short-lived, he feels that this will not be the case with Nadine. Zak's intolerance when it comes to rich people, and Nadine's old boyfriend Scooter's constant interference, makes the relationship between Nadine and Zak difficult. Even though Zak advises Nadine to contact the police about Scooter's stalking, Nadine thinks this is something that will just go away in time. Although Zak and Nadine have quit seeing each other, they are still in contact. Zak and his friends take a bike excursion into the mountains in spite of the fact that there are forest fire warnings. Scooter and his buddies follow Zak's group-and there are terrifying consequences. Forest fires are raging all around and Scooter's group contributes to the fires. One of Scooter's friends accidentally plunges to his death. Scooter's gang blames Zak and his friends. The war for survival then begins. This is a haunting and terrifying story. The story of the two groups will stay with you long after you have laid aside the book. I learned more than I ever wanted to know about forest fires and the damage that the fires can do. I also learned a lot about the sport of biking. It is amazing the feats that Zak's group performed. It is also unbelievable the outlook the spoiled rich boys had on life and how set they were on revenge. Armchair Interviews says: A 5-star read that feels oh-so-real.