Book Review: Mirage

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Mirage     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Don Passman
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Thriller   Government Agency   Terrorists   Medical
Warner, Oct 2000, $25.95, 336 pp.

A bomb explodes in the Los Angeles office of EXC. The law enforcement experts trace the location to the desk of computer cryptographer John Berger. A few hours later, a bomb erupts in Orlando. Though dissimilar in most ways and no terrorist group claims credit for either one, the FBI wonders if there is a link between the incidents.

Not considered important enough, they assign the investigation to a minor leaguer, LA agent Jill Landis. The EXC incident leaves her questioning what really happened as the prime suspect Berger, an intelligent Stanford grad, provides a terrible alibi. He claims to have played in a chess game at the Convention Center. Not only was there no game, but many of his named opponents were in other parts of the country and even outside America. As Jill digs deeper, she begins to see a connection between the bombings and a military experiment shut down three years ago. However, as John becomes a target of killers, Jill concludes that the two bombings were a pretest for a much more dangerous terrorist act that she must uncover and stop with her only lead being Berger, whose mind is rapidly deteriorating.

MIRAGE is an exciting thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seat throughout the tale. The story line moves rapidly forward, but in logical steps as subplots cleverly rejoin the main theme. Fans who enjoy a combination terrorist-medical "brainwashing" thriller will believe that Don Passman is a VISIONARY who brings freshness and light to the genre.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner