Saving Cascadia

John J. Nance's 17th book, Saving Cascadia, departs from the formula used in many of his earlier novels, which focused much of the action in airplanes. While fans of the genre may be disappointed in this new direction, they will still get some edge-of-their-seat flying time - just in helicopters rather than jetliners - combined with a ticking time-bomb in the form of an earthquake. Seismologist Dr. Doug Lam has spent years researching his theory of Resonant Amplication: the idea that continuous small resonances sent into a "locked zone" can eventually trigger the big one for the Pacific Northwest, an earthquake larger than any the region has seen since the Alaska earthquake of 1964 or the largest tsunami to hit the region which was triggered by a massive earthquake in 1700. For 300 years, seismic activity has been building up in the Quilieute Quiet Zone, just waiting for the trigger to release another magnitude 9+ earthquake. All someone needs to do to trigger that major catastrophe is to "pull the plug" on the pent-up seismic activity, and construction of Cascadia Island's new casino resort may have done just that. Now Doug has to figure out a way to stop the devastating tsunami he knows could take many lives at any moment and save the woman he loves. Saving Cascadia has all the requisite features of an eco-thriller: a discredited scientist, impending natural disaster, politicians who refuse to see the truth, conflict between family members and a heroine on the run from unknown bad guys. Rather than allowing this novel to become just another formulaic thriller, Nance uses his significant scientific knowledge to raise the bar for the rest of the genre. Having completed extensive research for his 1988 book on earthquakes, On Shaky Ground, Nance is dealing with familiar subject matter in this offering. Solid research is a prerequisite for any author who wishes to add a true psychological thrill to their adventure tale. Presenting a scenario that has the potential to happen creates greater tension and engages the reader's imagination more quickly. Here Nance handles the earthquake research with confidence, providing enough context to create credibility without bogging down the pacing with too much background. Where Saving Cascadia does fall flat is in the romance between Doug and Jennifer Lindstrom (pilot and CEO of Nightingale Aviation). The relationship felt forced, as if it was added purely to create additional tension, but only succeeded in hindering the exact tension it was meant to enhance. Since there seemed to be little spark there, Jennifer's supposed jealousy felt contrived and distracted from the action spinning quickly out of control. Nance displayed a much more able hand in the relationship between Jennifer and her father, Sven. The complex psychological mess swirling between them rings true and aids in fleshing out both their characters, while also ratcheting up the price-tag on the natural disaster when their conflict threate

This was the first book I have read by John J. Nance. The concept was interesting, but I couldn't help but comparing it to the old "Earthquake" movie: ruthless capitalist knows there is a problem and refuses to deal with it, as hero seismologist attempts to save his corner of the world while at the same time his own personal life is in disarray. Involved is a whole host of other characters with their own stories. The comparisons just were overwhelming to me. I kept thinking that the author was going to concentrate on the flying/helicoptor rescue bits of this novel, but it just wasn't to be. Overall the book kept me interested and I felt it fairly well written. However, I just kept thinking the author was holding something back. If the book was more edgy I think it might have been better and far more interesting. **SPOILER** Everything just ties up entirely too nicely, and I think that is part of the problem. If looking for a relatively interesting book to pass the time, this one might do it.

With Saving Cascadia, Mr. Nance shows once again his expertise all things technical. He has expanded his world, and his expertise, beyond his avionic specialty, and it is a new and refreshing side to his writing that kept me awake and reading well into the night. In this novel, we move into the world of geological phenomena, and as always, Mr. Nance has written in an incredibly educated and precise manner, with a clarity that even the least 'geologically knowedgable' can easily comprehend. As a previous occupant of the Northwest Coast, I am well versed in just how devistating it will be when the subduction zone ruptures. All it takes is a walk along the cliffside beaches of Southern Oregon at lowest tide to see the total destruction which was caused by the last great quake along the coast. Once the sand has washed away in a storm, your walk will show you the bases of massive tree trunks, twenty feet or more across, sitting in a deep green clay, eight feet or more below the current cliff tops. These massive trees literally sunk under the seas when the coast ripped and fell away, straight down, into the openings left by the tears in the zone. It is both shocking and humbling to realize the true enormity of these movements and the destruction they have caused, and will again. Mr. Nance explores not only the technical aspects of why the zone exists, but also how our intense disregard for the earth can, and most likely at some time will, cause the very destruction he posits in this novel. His Dr. Lam character is a man who not only knows deeply the geology of the earth in his location of expertise, but is capable of making the type of intuitive leap which seperates the merely educated and intelligent from the truly brilliant. Mr. Nances second, or possibly first, goal in writing this novel was indeed involved in avionics, his original specialty, as he drew his characters of air rescue, giving the reader a true insight into the dedication of professional air rescue personnel and the dangers they face every day. The interactions among the characters are realistic. Just because the world seems to be coming to an end doesn't mean that people don't still have the same issues continuing in their lives that they had before. Yes, I had guessed Dr. Lam's personal situation before learning the truth near the end of the novel, and wasn't surprised. A truly honorable man would have acted just as he did. And I was glad that a truly strong and determined, but emotionally damaged woman was able to stand up to the father who caused he so much pain in her life. I was able to deeply relate to both her strength and her pain, and was glad she finally found it within herself to stand up and say "No more", and yet get beyond that pain to forgiveness. And even a spoiled, self centered, horney old multi billionaire can pull his heads out of the sand and start thinking about someone other than himself when faced with the destruction of so many souls, especially when it

In my opinion, in Saving Cascadia, John J. Nance has written another excellent thriller. As a professional geologist, I found his research on the Cascadia Subduction Zone to be authentic and believable. As a novelist who writes about some of the same subjects as John, both wildfire and earthquakes, I found Saving Cascadia to be a page turner - the kind you stay up with all night - fast-paced, suspenseful, brilliantly plotted, with realistically flawed characters thrown up against one challenge after another. Linda Jacobs

US Geological Survey seismologist Doug Lam is positive that the Washington state barrier island Cascadia is on the verge of an earthquake. Still Chadwick and Noble company approved construction of Mick Walker's posh casino-hotel and convention center on the island. Feeling remorse and guilt, company engineer Diane Lacombe possesses proof that her company knew about the dangerous deadly potential of building on the fault line. However, before she can do anything with her evidence, Diane is forced to flee the Seattle area as someone wants the CD with its proof and her silenced.. The quakes begin with the first tremor centered on the ocean floor but close enough to the coast to feel it in Puget Sound. The first major quake hammers coastal Bellingham, but help is impeded due to a thick fog. Next Cascadia Island shakes with a ferry containing a hundred guests on the way to the new facility sinking and the new hotel collapsing. Cascadia Island seems destined to become a twenty-first century Krakatoa sinking beneath the ocean while a deadly tsunami is heading to destroy much of the state potentially killing millions. The tragedy in Asia provides a stark reality to John J. Nance's action tale that with each concentric widening circle gets more and more pulse pumping. The story line is action-packed with heroes, victims, and culprits who only care to bury the truth in the rubble. Because of the recent Asiatic devastation, SAVING CASCADIA is more than just a disaster thriller as Mr. Nance makes the case that what happened in the Indian Ocean rim could occur here. This scary terrific thriller should raise alarms in that other Washington. Harriet Klausner