The Voice of Armageddon

Before Timothy McVeigh bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Building, there was Lars Colonius. A psychopath with a genius IQ, Colonius is tired of living in the shadows. He is determined to gain public notoriety by killing a celebrity. He nearly shot the Vice President of the United States but realized he was the wrong target. Now, he is determined to commit the ultimate act of assassination to which all future assassinations will be compared. Referring to himself as the Voice of Armageddon, Colonius mails threatening photographs and tapes to the FBI, warning them of impending Armageddon. Colonius befriends a powerfully built, mentally challenged young man whom he has cruelly nicknamed Einstein. He teaches Einstein to take photographs; he also teaches him to pretend to be a deaf mute who hands pieces of paper to strangers, imploring them for assistance. Billy-Joe Armbruster, a petty thief, reads Colonius' diary, which outlines Armageddon. His plans for blackmailing Colonius are foiled when he is attacked while taking a shower: Einstein grips Billy-Joe's arms tightly behind his back while Colonius suffocates him with a dry cleaning bag. Together, Einstein and Colonius murder anyone else who jeopardizes Armageddon. Some of the creative methods Colonius uses to dispatch his victims are too deplorable and heinous to describe here. The FBI creates a task force that is headed by Carlton Ambrose, a psychoanalyst who becomes Colonius' nemesis. By carefully analyzing the photographs and tapes and creating a psychological profile, Ambrose desperately tries to track down the madman's location. Unfortunately, Ambrose always seems to be one step behind Colonius and his obedient servant, Einstein. The tension mounts as the day of Armageddon draws nearer. The lives of many are in jeopardy. David Lippincott's "The Voice of Armageddon" is a classic thriller that predates the age of terrorism that has gripped America since 911. It is also social commentary. The average man lives a life of anonymity. Many people cry out for their "fifteen minutes of fame." Some will go to extreme measures to obtain it. Hence the onslaught of reality television shows and talk shows where people are willing to humiliate and degrade themselves and others for a few minutes of attention. "The Voice of Armageddon" is a fast paced, intriguing read. I like how each chapter begins with an entry from Colonius' diary which adds a bit of realism. The ending is very thought provoking, and sad. Sad because Colonius, who was raised in a broken home, must've been a very lonely, depressed person with low self-esteem in order to feel that he needed to kill many people in order to obtain the attention that he'd been denied all his life. How many others like Lars Colonius are out there waiting to commit acts of terrorism? Are these the type of individuals that are recruited into terrorist organizations? Those who seek both vengeance and notoriety? It is a sham