The Alarmists by Don Hoesel

Here is a suspense novel that is written from a sociologist's POV, no wait, it's from the villain's POV, no wait, it's from the POV of a scruffy henchman who roams the desert. In other words, this is a bird's eye view of a story about the Mayan calendar ending on 2012 with a diabolical villain who actually wants the world to end; and it's up to Brent Michaels to figure out how it's going to happen.

Typical professor submerges himself in facts and details from seemingly random violent acts because the elite military group can't do it without him. The story traces across continents which is fun.

Hoesel does a great job with character development. The evil guys are evil and the good guys behave, but there is a quality within the characters that make them breathe the same air you do. You feel the desert heat, you feel the concussion from explosions, and you can taste the tea.

I seriously hate stories that jump from one character's Point of View to another character's POV. It is irritating to me and interrupts the story flow for me. However, this story kept me turning pages and that is a very good sign of a good tale told well. You won't be disappointed in it. I give it three stars out of five.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Alarmists Bethany House (April 1, 2011) by Don Hoesel


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Don Hoesel is a Web site designer for a Medicare carrier in Nashville, TN. He has a BA in Mass Communication from Taylor University and has published short fiction in Relief Journal. He was born and raised in Buffalo, NY but calls Spring Hill, Tennessee, with his wife and two children. The Alarmists is his third novel.


ABOUT THE BOOK

The 2012 phenomenon that's going viral around the globe has led sociology professor Jameson Richards to study the impact on society when, like the Y2K scare, 12/21/12 comes and goes with hardly a wrinkle.


This is the date that, according to the Mayan calendar, the doomsayers predict the world will end. Richards teams up with General Michaels, a scientist stationed at the Pentagon whose job it is to monitor the world's fanatics, keeping an eye out for potential terrorists. Together they uncover something sinister going on beneath the surface, linked to billionaire and media mogul Jeremy Maxwell, who also happens to be a huge manufacturer of weapons systems.


The 2012 date has captured Maxwell's attention too, and he's looking to cash in on the public's fear and paranoia. And what he instigates--along with his corrupt partners--nearly starts another war in the Middle East, while also bringing the world to its knees economically. It's up to the professor/general team to blow the whistle on Maxwell, hopefully in time to avert a major catastrophe.


If you would like to read the first chapter of The Alarmists, go HERE