Retribution by Ian Conner; Conner Returns to Form in Superb Political Thriller

Retribution by Ian Conner; Conner Returns to Form in Superb Political Thriller

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Ian Conner is an author of great versatility. He samples from several genres and writes brilliant books within them. Dark Maiden  is a Supernatural Horror about a ghost and Native American legend that haunts a lake. The Long Game: An Amy Radigan Thriller is a Political Thriller about a reporter and the Vice President of the United States investigating a conspiracy involving several government operatives and the boisterous POTUS. Cardinals is a Dark Fantasy/Religious Satire about Asherah, God's ex wife who roams the Earth as an immortal vampire. Cooper's Ridge is a Science Fiction novel about the discovery, exploration, colonization, and exploitation of a new planet capable of sustaining human life. Griffin's Perch is an Epic Fantasy about a diverse group of heroes that fight against five vengeance seeking dragons. I once described Conner as “the literary equivalent of throwing everything to the wall to see what sticks.” That Conner can effortlessly travel from one genre to another shows great range and commitment to each book and the worlds that he builds within them.

With his latest book, Retribution, Conner returns to form or whatever passes for form in Conner-verse. It is a Political Thriller similar to The Long Game in that it involves a wide ranging conspiracy involving several key American politicians including the President. It is also a Psychological Crime Thriller about hatred, revenge, and the lengths people will go to satisfy their desire for vengeance.

Alex Conway is a broken man. His wife died of cancer during a previous government shutdown. Now his daughter recently died of influenza during another shutdown and his CHIP insurance has been denied. A lottery win does little to raise his spirits but gives him the resources that he needs for a long term plan of vengeance. He locates information on corrupt politicians that voted against health insurance and lobbied for causes like the NRA. He provides information to expose these politicians. He isn't just satisfied with killing their political careers but he wants to end their lives as well.

Meanwhile various FBI agents, government officials, and tenacious reporters investigate the seemingly random deaths of various politicians. This discovery reveals that these murder victims weren't exactly clean and this puts them at odds with powerful people, particularly the obnoxious President Glass. 

Similar to The Long Game, Conner bases his novel on real world events and people to present an even worse case scenario than what we are faced with, as if it could get any worse. Conner's writing suggests that maybe it can.

The most obvious comparison is the fictional President Frederick Glass whose abrasive unlikable nature and felonious past are certainly based on a former President and current presidential nominee. The book even uses some of the real-life model’s familiar sound bites. 

The opening set during a pandemic with overcrowded hospitals, desperate sick people, deaths of millions, and political inaction is definitely reminiscent of the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Even many of the plot points are also reminiscent of real life: such as a politician who gets away with a hit and run (probably a composite of similar incidents in the lives of Ted Kennedy and Laura Bush), a Presidential staff member who resigns from the Administration and becomes one of its strongest opponents (shades of Michael Cohen), Republican Christian Evangelist organizations, groups, and think tanks gaining enough power to sway the government to fit their needs (several most notably the Heritage Foundation right now), and the various sex, abuse, assault, and financial scandals (it would be easier to say who isn't involved in those in real life. Uhh…give me a minute).

When truth is stranger than fiction and catches up to the plots of Political Thrillers, it almost makes one wonder if there is really a need for fiction anymore? (That's rhetorical. Of course there is).

The plot of Retribution is particularly intricate with Conway’s revenge against the politicians that he blames for his daughter’s death. He doesn't just settle on one means for murder. That's for amateurs. He decides on several: a fatal auto collision here, poison meant to induce heart attacks there, maybe an anthrax laced envelope or two. Those that don't end up dead suffer massive career hits. Conway goes through various channels to find and expose his enemies.

 Conway's means and methods almost take genius proportions to the point where one could wonder if this was something that he wanted to do for some time. After all, a plan like this could take years to research, weigh the angles, and prepare. Is it entirely possible that this could be something that Conway wanted to do but the love for his family stayed his darker thoughts? That question is never officially addressed or answered but the possibility is there. If so, that calls to question whether his motives are purely out of an understandable desire for revenge or long term resentment towards a country whose leaders fail to let it live up to the standards in which they claim.

Conway is an interesting character who gets the Reader's understanding and empathy up to a point. Who wouldn't become angry at the system after their spouse and child die? It is completely believable when one has nothing to strike back at those who have everything. His means while questionable are fascinating from a storytelling standpoint. 

It helps that the people that Conway goes after are incredibly unlikeable in different ways. They are people who spent a long time getting away with crimes and misbehavior to the point that they are complacent. They are insulated in their privilege and power not seeing how their actions affect others. The murders and exposures are for many the first time that they have to face real accountability for their actions.

It doesn't help that Glass, the ringleader in all of this, is the worst character of them all. He is a completely immoral sociopath whose reaction to accusations is to throw other people under the bus, rivals, allies, staff, Cabinet and Administration members. His restrictive policies, hiring of sycophants, and making strict rules for others but allowing himself and his followers leniency creates many of the issues from the corruption, to the pandemic, to the shutdown. Let alone, not being a good President, Glass barely functions as a decent human being. He would almost be a one-dimensional cartoon villain if again he wasn't actually based on a real person who is still gobbling up headlines in his third bid for the Presidency.

While Glass and his cronies are horrible, Conway also is accountable for his own actions. The more enemies that fall prey to his machinations, the less relatable Conway becomes. He is isolated from those around him and ultimately to the Reader. 

Conway's vengeance becomes an addiction as he puts many in his path without realizing the long term consequences that could result. 

By killing the politicians, Conway is only creating martyrs for their supporters and killing the bodies. He is not destroying the regulations, bills, corruption, or the hypocrisy that caused such issues. In fact if anything, it's continuing even worse despite or because of the deaths. 

There are however people in the book who are able to see through Glass's corruption and Conway's violence and bring the truth forward. Randy Cardinale, Glass’s former Chief of Staff goes from being a Glass loyalist to his staunchest critic after realizing that he could no longer justify or defend his former boss’ actions.

FBI Special Agent Daisy West and her colleagues manage to put together all of the seemingly random information of the murders, including patterns, analysis, clues, and countless research into large files, to discover Conway's identity and motives. West proves to be a formidable opponent against him.

Rebecca Gerber and Chloe Sachs, reporters from rival news networks are able to put ratings and professional rivalries aside and work together to cover the stories of the murders and corruption. Their investigation into the Glass Administration is particularly compelling as they face death threats, assault, and in one chilling chapter arrest to expose not only Conway but the political corruption and machinations that created him.

Retribution is another of Conner's brilliant works. It is a superb look at corruption, politics, money, hatred, revenge, and murder.

 

Weekly Reader: Griffin's Perch by Ian Conner; Fantasy World With That Conner Touch

 

Weekly Reader: Griffin's Perch by Ian Conner; Fantasy World With That Conner Touch

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Ian Conner appears to be the author's equivalent of throwing everything to the wall to see what sticks. I have a notion that he wants to write at least one book in every genre, just because he can. So far he has done Folkloric Ghost Stories/Horror (Dark Maiden ), Political Thrillers/Mystery (The Long Game: An Amy Radigan Mystery), Vampire Dark Fantasy/Horror (Cardinals), Science Fiction (Cooper's Ridge). Now he's taking on Epic Fantasy with his book, Griffin's Perch. I don't have one favorite specific author, but because of his versatility and willingness to write so many genres and do them so well, Conner has become one of them.

Denrael of Gesthamin, the last of the current order of wizards, has some big plans to make. His world is being ravaged by five dangerous dragons led by their leader, the diabolical Fury. This confrontation has been predicted for a long time and Denrael knows what he needs. 

Some objects that he needs to defeat the dragons include a golden cluster and a silver scroll. He also needs to create an army that will fight against the dragons. He and his associates come upon some small griffins, created by a former colleague of Denrael's. 

When they grow bigger, Griffin's can become large, strong, and formidable even against dragons. So he recruits the Delphens, a fox-like species, to ride, work with, and fight alongside these powerful creatures. He also has to broker peace between the feuding pixies, elves, and merpeople because the prophecy specifically required these species to work together to fight their same foes. All of these different species, creatures, and characters must find some common ground so they can cooperate and fight the destructive dragons.

This epic fantasy is like all good epic fantasies where the world building is impressive. The only completely original species created are the Delphens and Conner does a great job of creating their biology, social structure, and characteristics while making them individuals. The Delphens were once a mostly farming community but the arrival of dragons and griffins transformed some into a corps of warriors. The Griffin Corps are able to use their physical strength, hardiness, and closeness to nature to bond with and ride the griffins. They treat the griffins like more than just dumb steeds. They share consciousness, mind links, and emotions. The Delphens' relationships with their griffins are that of friends, companions, and siblings in arms.

Two of the best Delphens are Shala and Flinch. Flinch is a quick witted sometimes comic relief who has a running gag of dismounting badly. However, he also has inherited precognitive abilities which requires him to have some dark visions. For him, this quest is one of maturity as he has to shed his childlike impetuosity.

Shala is a much more serious character. She embodies both a hardened worrier and loving nurturer. The warrior aspects occur in her aerial battles. She earns the distinction of being one of the best in the Griffin Corps for her strategic thinking and quick stealth. 

Her nurturing side is revealed when she is one of the character who sets up a nursery to care for and feed the griffins until they age and bond with a rider. This quest is one of independence in which she has to counter many of the requirements expected of her and bring out the best in her people and herself.

Even with characters that are common in other fantasies, Conner does different things with them. Pixies are present with their mischievous and naughtiness. One of the more humorous characters is Glow, a sweet energetic pixy who will give any information if you provide enough sugary snacks for a bribe. But however what we see is that their sense of mischief has harmful long term implications plus they, Glow in particular, suffered tremendous loss in the past. 

The Merpeople are described here as they often are in legends: attractive, but stand offish and prone to emotion. However, they are capable of assisting others and looking at the big picture that what affects everyone else will affect them.

What makes the war between the pixies and merpeople so heartbreaking is that those specific personality traits that made them stand out were controlled and manipulated by outside forces that took advantage of those characteristics to create the conflict and the tremendous intergenerational loss that resulted.

The dragons are the characters with the most interesting backstory. The book even begins at the moment that Fury is awakened for the first time, filled with anger and, well, fury. It's a rich story on how he and his fellow dragons, Rage, Rampage, Wrath, and Scorn were created. I don't want to get into it, but let's just say there was a lot of greed, ambition, jealousy, anger, and complacency that led to their presence. Many of the same emotions that were found in the Pixy-Merpeople Conflict. 

Of course there are the various romances, interspecies friendships and allyships, and tremendous loss that develops during these struggles. Naturally, their world is the site of much death and destruction.

In fact, probably the strongest theme in this book is the interconnectivity of the different species and how they are affected together. They benefit from mutual cooperation and when one species suffers, eventually they all do and their world suffers. Only in coming together can they defeat the darkness and evil around them.

Weekly Reader: Cooper's Ridge by Ian Conner; Fascinating Science Fiction Novel About The Discovery, Exploration, and Colonization of a Newly Discovered Planet Amid Earth's Chaotic and Inevitable End

 

Weekly Reader: Cooper's Ridge by Ian Conner; Fascinating Science Fiction Novel About The Discovery, Exploration, and Colonization of a Newly Discovered Planet Amid Earth's Chaotic and Inevitable End

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: If there is one thing that Science Fiction has told us, it's that if Earthlings ever do obtain the ability to travel to the stars and live on other planets, it's that we inevitably take our problems, our prejudices, violent tendencies, conspiracies, and mistrust with us. After all, a change of location, atmosphere, and landscape may not necessarily change the person within. 

Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles is an example. Bradbury's anthology showed a series of expeditions from Earth to explore, colonize, and ultimately settle on the Fourth Planet from the Sun. In reality, it was an allegory of the European's colonization of the Americas, acting with carelessness and cruelty towards the land and the natives that inhabited the countries first.

Last year, I reviewed Tobin Marks' Ark of the Apocalypse: The Magellan II Chronicles in which the exploration and resettlement of a few Earthlings on a new planet was tempered by the hopeless situation on Earth with the emphasis on the environmental destruction, catastrophic wars, and the suffering of the people left behind. The outlook in Marks' book was so bleak that I turned myself away from dystopian Science Fiction novels for awhile. (It didn't help that it was one of several books in the subgenre that I read for two years straight.)

Another book that explores the dichotomy of interstellar travel with human frailty and error is Ian Conner's Cooper's Ridge. It's definitely a much better book than Ark of the Apocalypse. It explores many of the similar themes of space exploration, Earth's vulnerability, and greedy and opportunistic humans but it does so in a more well rounded way. Yes there are problems on both worlds, but there are people willing to fight against and change those circumstances. 

The book starts at the beginning, well not as far as the Big Bang Theory or the creation of the Universe, but a bit more recent than that. It starts with the discovery of a new planet surrounded by four moons. Being the typical egocentric scientists that they are, astronomers, Barnaby Ridge and Lorraine Cooper name the new planet Cooper's Ridge after themselves. As for the satellites, they are named for Lorraine's favorite flowers: Gardenia, Ginger, Hibiscus, and Heliconia. Even better, Cooper's Ridge looks like it's capable of sustaining human life! A great find indeed.

Fast forward 200 years later and Earth is ready to launch its first expedition to Cooper's Ridge on the large self sustaining vessel, Far Constellation. Because it's a thirty year journey and they don't yet have access to cryogenic freezing, many of the explorers are young- in their teens to early forties so when they arrive on the planet, they can assume leadership positions. Children and pregnant people are also on board so a new generation can be born and raised in the new world. All goes well until meteors from Heliconia collide with the first ship the Endeavor, killing the crew and thousands of civilians and cutting the first expedition to Cooper's Ridge in half. 

Despite the early deaths, humans begin to settle in Cooper's Ridge. Generations go by and some of the younger generations weren't even born on Earth either only knowing Far Constellation or Cooper's Ridge as their birthplace. (They're not Earthlings. Are they Cooperians? Ridgites? Cooper's Ridglings?) 

One of those young people is Cassie Wells who is following in her father's footsteps as an astrophysicist. Cassie is curious about some suspicious activity on the moon Heliconia, references to something called the Hive, and a technology that allows one to travel through worlds via gateways. The more Cassie, her father, and their friends and colleagues dig into the mystery of the Hive, the more they learn that something dangerous is approaching the new home of Cooper's Ridge and that there are some who are willing to kill to keep people from finding out.

Meanwhile, on Earth, people are trying to get to Cooper's Ridge as fast as they can while the planet is being overrun by a group called the Preservationists. The Preservationists' leader, Adolf Hale seems to take a cue from another man from the past whose first name was Adolf and last name started with an "H." He enforces draconian laws to keep Earth's population under control like forced sterilization, genocide of the elderly and those deemed "undesirable" (which could be anyone), and even approves of intentionally spreading a contagious virus to kill. Hale is so sadistic and despotic that he is willing to make some otherworldly alliances to see that his goals are met.

What often makes a Space Travel Science Fiction Novel is the intergalactic setting and in this case with Cooper's Ridge, it works. Instead of a blue planet, Cooper's Ridge is mostly green because it is surrounded by forest with rain pouring down. The four moons are various shades of red from light pink Gardenia to blood red Heliconia. Picture going for a walk some night on a neverending field of green and looking up to see four red moons shining down on you. A planet that is still new, fresh, and untainted by human greed for now. The description of the planet alone is enough to make one want to buy a one way ticket to Cooper's Ridge, at least while it's still beautiful.

Unfortunately, despite a lovely setting, human greed and opportunism is never far behind. A constant theme throughout this book is conspiracy and the cost of maintaining secrets. Conspiracies develop along both worlds: Earth and Cooper's Ridge and threaten to destroy the people in them, the new world that is found, and the world left behind.

Even after Cooper's Ridge is first discovered, Barnaby and Lorraine are ordered not to make it public. However, Lorraine can't resist. She knows that Earth's days are numbered and a breathable liveable planet could be a way out. She bravely makes the discovery known and has to go into exile for the rest of her life. The destruction of the first expedition is kept under wraps as well as the real cause for the crash, because no one wants to admit that there could be fatalities in exploring this new world or about the lethal alien race that caused it.

The biggest conspiracy of all lies in Cassie's discovery of the Hive and the new technology. She and various people around her are chased, threatened, and nearly killed by many who don't want them to reveal what they learned. Some such as Hale want to take advantage of this new information as a means of control and dominance. Unfortunately, this shows that whether on Earth or on Cooper's Ridge, there are people who are willing to destroy others and even the world around them to uphold the status quo and remain in power.

Fortunately, this book also shows that there are people that are willing to make new discoveries, help others, and speak out against tyranny for the betterment of humanity. As long as people continue to do that, there is always hope. Here or on any planet.

New Book Alert: Cardinals by Ian Conner; Lesbian Vampires and God's Wife are Highlights of This Seductive Mesmerizing Dark Fantasy

 

New Book Alert: Cardinals by Ian Conner; Lesbian Vampires and God's Wife are Highlights of This Seductive Mesmerizing Dark Fantasy

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: "God's Wife is a Lesbian Vampire!" 

That sounds less like the plot of a good dark fantasy novel and more like one of those weird cheesy tabloid headlines that could be found in any supermarket in the 80's-90's. But actually that's what Cardinals by Ian Conner actually is. Uh not a cheesy tabloid headline but a compelling mesmerizing dark fantasy about a goddess cast out of Heaven and ready to seek vengeance on the deity who abandoned her and now insists that he is the only way to Salvation.

As he did with his previous novels, Dark Maiden and The Long Game (An Amy Radigan Mystery), Conner proves that no two Ian Conner novels are alike. He can jump from an eerie supernatural horror to a complex political thriller in no time at all. His latest, Cardinals, is a dark fantasy which takes some clever savage gut punches to religion. The only thing that these books have in common are that they all have LGBT characters, particularly lesbians, but even those characters vary in terms of personality and relationships. It's nicely refreshing when an author takes on various genres and writes them so well.

In Conner's book (and according to some theological scholars) God's wife's name is Asherah. She was an actual deity who was worshipped in Canaanite religion. She also appeared in Mesopotamian religion as Ishtar and Egyptian as Isis.

 In Cardinals, it is she and not Lucifer (as told in the Bible) who sparked the angelic rebellion and is cast out of Heaven. Yahweh is so threatened by her demands of equal status,  goal to be acknowledged as co-creator, and her dislike for the humanity that he created to worship him, that he orders her to not only be cast out but not to be referenced in the records that humans are transcribing. This explains therefore why she had scant reference in the Bible and why despite other myths and religions that feature a God and Goddess, the Abrahamaic religions are one of the few that have a solely male deity.

Asherah's story in Cardinals is similar to that of Lilith, Adam's reported first wife who was thrown out of Eden after she refused to take a subordinate position to Adam. Afterwards, Lilith was referred to as the mother of monsters and later metamorphosed in Hebrew myth and legend as a demon who takes the souls of men and children at night. Asherah's in this book story is also analogous to the many religions that began with a goddess as the creator of the universe in agrarian society only to have her fall in status in favor of the male gods. This archetypal story can be found in various myths such as the conflict between Gaia and Zeus in Greek mythology, the war between Tiamat and Marduk in Mesopotamian, and Isis' relinquishment of her duties to Horus, her son, in Egyptian. 

Similar to the female characters in many of these stories, particulary Lilith and Tiamat, Asherah is not only removed from Heaven and very existence is denied, but she becomes demonized. Once she arrives on Earth, she sports a pair of fangs and obtains an unquenchable thirst for blood. She uses her newfound abilities to attack Sharit, a woman who takes her in but becomes her first victim.

 Asherah is not alone however. Once they fell, her fellow angels transform into rubies. Later, Adam's son Seth and his son Enoch gather the rubies and create the Amulet of Cassiel which the prophet Elijah later uses to call the flaming chariot. The rubies are later separated so the Amulet could never be used again. Asherah resolves to get back the rubies, call the chariot, and return to Heaven to have more than a few words with God, even if it takes thousands of years. After all she has an abundance of time to get the job done.

Asherah is a fascinating character. She is seductive, alluring, manipulative, and hypnotic. She is a character that the Reader can't look away from. She is a cunning strategic planner, spending centuries creating a financial empire and entertaining herself with various lovers, mostly female.

She ends many of her encounters by biting other humans which probably is a lot of fun in later centuries. Some guy cuts her off in traffic? Just feed on him. She fights with someone over the latest dress at a sale? Just have Sangre ala Karen. Jehovah's Witnesses or MAGA fans won't leave her alone? Just eh-maybe not. Who wants to be stuck with them for Eternity?

 Asherah isn't likable, in that she often attacks and kills innocent people and cruelly uses others, particularly Amara, a girlfriend in the 21st century. However, her allure is unmistakable. She is one of those type of characters that is so memorable and so fascinating in her badness and single-minded pursuit that she steals every moment that she is in. You are drawn to her and almost, almost are rooting for her. So much so that the book is not quite the same when she isn't around and the plot shifts to the other characters.

However, the other characters are interesting as well, many of which are Asherah's former victims and are doing their best to thwart or aid in her attempts in putting back together the Amulet. There are: Lady Kellena Donnachaidh, a 14th noblewoman turned 21st century CEO who has a personal grudge against the former Mrs. Yahweh,  Suzette Allard, Kellena's loyal assistant and wife,  Yasmeen Obiad, Kellena's bodyguard and head of security who displays ruthless tactics to get the information that she needs,  Sharit Hagel, Asherah's first victim who is still around in the 21st cenury and seeking vengeance and Amara Korkolis, Asherah's current girlfriend who loves not wisely or well. 

Not to mention there various groups after Asherah such as:  The Cardinals , those who have been fed on by a vampire but not given vampire's blood in return (almost more like zombies), The Witches of Tenerife, a coven who are interested in not only Asherah but Amara as well, and the Roman Catholic Church particularly Cardinal DiScotti (the religious kind of Cardinal though she's a vampire too), the first female Cardinal and is on her way to becoming the first female Pope.

With all of these different characters and groups, sometimes it's hard to tell what are the character's real motives. Betrayal piles on top of betrayal and characters shift allegiances almost as fast as they change addresses. Sometimes it's a chore to go back and remember who is allied with whom and whether they are stopping or helping Asherah (or unintentionally helping her even when they think that they are stopping her). Sometimes the plot rubs away with itself.

There is also another flaw in the book. There is an earlier chapter that looks as though it will lead to something important but ends up having only a small impact in the final confrontation. If it had a larger importance and if the character featured in the chapter had actually become a part of the overall narrative, it may have made more sense to have it. Otherwise, it's just a baffling inclusion and seems to be only added to provoke and create controversy rather than exploring it to its fullest potential. 

Other than those flaws, Cardinals is a dark fantasy that like its lead character is impossible to ignore and hard to forget. In the vampire horror subgenre, it, and Asherah are goddesses among vampires.

New Book Alert The Long Game: An Amy Radigan Thriller by Ian Conner; Complex and Multi Plotted Political Thriller Closes Outstanding Reading Year

 

New Book Alert: The Long Game: An Amy Radigan Thriller by Ian Conner; Complex and Multi Plotted Political Thriller Closes Outstanding Reading Year

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: There are some authors that their very name tells you what book that they are going to write. Even in my experience with my blog, I have found that authors have preferences for certain genres and tropes. I see Kathy Ann Trueman or Catherine Dove's name and I know that I will read an Epic Fantasy or Regency Romance. Tom Vater will lead us straight to a Mystery by a European detective in an Asian location. Lee Matthew Goldberg will take you through a trippy Horror or Science Fiction with lots of drug use involved. Melissa Muldoon and Kit Sergeant will take a trip through Historical Fiction with strong confident female leads that are artists and spies respectively. Rob Santana will be counted on for a novel with a modern setting, plenty of biting satire,social commentary, and desperate not always likeable characters doing desperate things. Sawney Hatton is going to take his Readers through a bloody short trip into Supernatural Horror.

Yes, some authors leave their fingerprints all over certain books so Readers can recognize those fingerprints instantly. Then there are authors who are like chameleons. Each book is different from the others and they have next to nothing in common.

Take Ian Conner for example. His novel, Dark Maiden is a Supernatural Horror set in the limited setting of Pequabuck Lake in Nollesemic Village, Maine. It is set throughout four centuries and involves a sinister lake creature that haunts the village, especially two families that it considers its enemies.

Conner's next book, The Long Game: An Amy Radigan Thriller could not be more different from Skadegamutc Ghost Witch if it tried. Instead of supernatural horror, it is a political thriller set in the real world and involves real world issues like environmentalism, censorship, sexuality, hate crimes, xenophobia, and corruption. Instead of being contained in one rural setting,The Long Game goes all over the world from California, to Washington DC, to China, to Vietnam and so on. With such a wide setting, there are many plots that involve many characters unlike Skadegamutc Ghost Witch which features a much more limited cast that take on this demonic entity. Long Game is complex and multiplotted and handles itself well with interesting characters and strong political themes.

The plot or rather plots in The Long Game are rather intricate and varied but I will do my best to summarize (or as Indigo Montoya said, "I will explain. No it's too long, I'd better sum up").

 Along the California coast, Captain James Quinn's ship was sabotaged, nearly killing him. It's followed by another explosion along the San Onofre harbor. It may have had something to do with a sample of water outside the nearby San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station or SONGS that Quinn gathered and had analyzed. This water is revealed to be contaminated and toxic. The mysterious explosions, contamination, and sabotage are being investigated by intrepid journalist, Amy Radigan.

Meanwhile, journalist Amir Husseffgi is reported missing in Saudi Arabia. Even though the Saudi Prince denies any involvement and U.S. President Colin Rockwell swears that he won't investigate it, video footage of Husseffgi's murder and beheading in the name of the prince is leaked. It is revealed Rockwell has been currying favor with the Saudis and doesn't want to break those connections.

On the South China Sea, two U.S. Naval ships are attacked leaving several sailors dead. Vice President Susan Ralston wants to confront the Chinese government but Rockwell refuses. He has been having an affair with the Chinese ambassador, Xin Zhui, and is soon to be caught literally with his pants down. All of this leads to an impeachment investigation towards Rockwell and his affiliations with the Chinese and Saudi Arabian governments.

During their separate investigations into these events, both Ralston and Radigan and their friends and family are viciously attacked. Ralston in a deliberate plane crash and Radigan by an attempted hit. Don't worry, Reader, it all makes sense and everything is revealed to be connected to everything else, eventually.

Connervbrilliantly balances all of these plots rather well. He also has a handle on using them as mirrors for real life occurrences. The most obvious is the murder of Amir Husseffgi based on the real life assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Colin Rockwell's obstreperous misogynistic racist attitude is all too similar to a certain real life ex President. A smart calm independent female Vice President is certainly based on the real life Kamala Harris. They are groundbreaking female Vice President for different reasons. (First African American and Indian American for Harris and first LGBT for Ralston.) Also, the alternate universe scenario reveals that Harris herself, after getting the top job, was fatally wounded during an assassination attempt by a Trump supporter claiming to "stop the steal." (If that doesn't recall a certain insurrection by a multitude of Trumpers egged on by their cult leader, I don't know what does.)

As with many books that I have reviewed these past couple of years have proven, what we once thought existed only in fiction is no longer out of the realm of reality. It would have been ludicrous to assume that followers of a President would believe his claims that the election process was fraudulent and even after several investigations proved that there was no corruption, they still rioted at the Capitol verbally and prepared to attack the former Vice President and several Congress members. Not to mention that even though they had literally millions of eyewitnesses watching it in real time, said former President and his supporters still had people insisting that it was a spontaneous gathering of harmless tourists (or that it was an insidious plot by Antifa or BLM to make Trump look bad, even though they did a good enough job on their own).

After that, it is definitely not impossible to believe that a future President could openly conspire to assassinate his Vice President or pull a gun on those who are charging him with crimes. The only way the Long Game could be more synced to real time is if a 24 hours news station's correspondents could insist that Rockwell's impeachment investigation was a conspiracy and that Ralston secretly worked for the Deep State.

The Long Game is only a couple of steps off from what really happened and what still could happen.

With such a twisted plot, one would suspect that Conner would have trouble juggling such a large cast of characters but he excels at that as well. Many have outstanding moments. There is Randall, a bodyguard hired to protect Radigan and her girlfriend, Lily Pham. Randall is a real softie as he reveals in his dialogues with Twizzler, a troubled teen turned sidekick and informant.  

Lily also proves her mettle when she gets the better of a hitman. He thinks it will be an easy job and she immediately proves him wrong. Both Lily and Ralston's girlfriend, Carol Lee are the definite "Ride or Die" supportive spouses, ready to stand by the women in their lives, no matter what.

Amanda Rockwell, the First Lady, holds a press conference to put her husband in his place and uses the First Couple version of "Not tonight, Couch Boy." Meanwhile, Xin Zhui could be seen as a femme fatale but also has enough insight to take part in Rockwell's downfall. Then there's the President that Readers will love to hate, or just hate, Colin Rockwell himself. He takes Donald Trump's worst qualities up to eleven (if such a thing were possible) and thankfully gets his commeuppance. 

By far the standout characters are Amy Radigan and Susan Ralston. They are similar in many ways. Both are dedicated in their fields of journalism and politics respectively and both are lesbians in loving committed relationships. They also are born survivors who are able to get through touch situations such as surviving assassination attempts and conspiracies.

Their investigative techniques are very different and are respective of their positions in life. Radigan has to contend with slamming doors, voice mails, and receptionists giving her the run around. These are hurdles that Ralston's title and influence can open. Radigan however has the passion, idealism, and integrity that Ralston lost in her years of compromise and working in business and politics. It's not a surprise that when  the two women meet, they become friends. Radigan is the woman that Ralston once was and Ralston is the woman that Radigan could become. The two women bring out the best in each other and are able to see through the many tangled strands in this intricate spider web.

The Long Game is a brilliant complex novel that proves Conner has a great handle on plots and characters. He proved that she can write Horror and now has proven that he can write Political Thriller. His book is a great final well written word on 2021.

New Book Alert: Dark Maiden By Ian Conner; Native American Folklore Mixes With Modern Horror

New Book Alert: Dark Maiden By Ian Conner; Native American Folklore Mixes With Modern Horror

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Dark Maiden by Ian Conner is like one of those ghost stories that you read in Haunted Places collections or hear about in an urban legend. It tells of an old evil spirit with a fascinating backstory that intrudes upon the present day to enact some sort of vengeance or malicious intent on subsequent generations. A story like this might be familiar, but Conner gives it enough atmosphere to send chills down your spine.

A mysterious creature called The Skadegamutc or Ghost Witch has been haunting the Pequabuck Lake in Nollesemic Village, Maine. Many people since the 16th century have been missing and some have drowned despite varying degrees of swimming ability. In 2005, disappearances are quite high particularly because Carlyle Allen, a wealthy developer, wants to build new property in the area leading to more people and more victims to fall prey to the Ghost Witch's clutches.

What is known about the Ghost Witch is that it sometimes takes the form of a beautiful maiden that lures its prey. It appears to have a fondness for twins since many of its victims either are twins or are parts of families that have them. It also seems to have a vendetta against the Two Spears and Four Claws Families, two local clans who have been sworn enemies of the creature for 500 years.

The Ghost Witch is an actual figure from Wabanaki folklore. In Conner's book, it is given a chilling backstory and modus operandi that gives this old narrative a modern scare.

One of the best chapters in the entire book is the first where the Reader is first introduced to this enigmatic spectre in the 16th century. It takes the form of a Maiden that captivates four young women who consider themselves homely as compared to this otherworldly beauty swimming in the lake. As they swim, the girls not only find that they have become beautiful, but are drawn to this mysterious maiden. The Ghost Witch gives an alluring almost erotic presence as it draws the young mortal woman only to take their lives. A story with variations that are repeated so often that it has become hoary and even cliche is transformed into a moment of seduction and terror thanks to Conner's engaging writing. 

That seduction and terror continues for centuries as people are  drawn to and appalled by the Ghost Witch and its actions. It seems to get off on people's most negative emotions like insecurity and greed. Perhaps the Ghost Witch is a metaphor for unbridled and extreme desires and what happens when those desires overpower and take control. They draw someone towards them to a dark and disturbing end.

What is compelling about the Ghost Witch is that it harbors no distinction between who it attacks (except that it has a fondness for twins). Male or female, white or Native American. It's all the same to it. While there is a subplot about redevelopment and the potential destruction of the land and environment, it's clear that the Ghost Witch is not there as a symbol of Mother Nature's rage. In fact, since it uses the most negative emotions to draw prey inside, maybe it's hoping for more greed from the developers and rage and hopelessness from the residents. More negative emotions means more humans to play with and snack on. However, The Ghost Witch doesn't care who it hurts. It will destroy anyone that is unfortunate enough to cross its path.

In fact, its worst enemies are from the Two Spears and Four Claws families. While the Ghost Witch attacks in the present, we are also given the back story of how this creature came to be and why the families are united in their drive to destroy it. For spoiler's sake, I won't go into it in this review but it is compelling and makes the characters more understandable.

 The history gives more dimensions to this inhuman character and its enemies to remind us that it once was actually human, came from somewhere, and fell in the worst way possible. The backstory also reveals why the Two Spears and Four Claws families are so determined to destroy the Ghost Witch and why the current generation feel that it's their responsibility to end this evil once and for all.

Dark Maiden is a construction and restructuring of an ancient folk tale. By giving us its origins, motives, and means, Conner shows that this is not simply some unstoppable demon. Instead it was once human and like all humans is prey to weakness. If understood, it can be defeated.