Masterfully pairs an intelligently written and nimbly paced plot with relevant social issues.
Jake Bendel may have a cushy white-collar career as a civil engineer, but he’s no stranger to getting his hands dirty. Not one to shy away from hard work, Jake keeps his nose to the grindstone as he labors to create affordable and safe nuclear reactors that will provide needed clean water to people on a large scale. Especially since his wife was killed two years earlier by a ruthless and methodical terrorist, Jake has found purpose in his groundbreaking work on these revolutionary technologies. Besides his daughter and grandchild, focusing on these reactors is the only thing partially keeping panic attacks and disturbing nightmares at bay. But with his wife’s murderer still potentially on the loose and looking to settle a score, Jake can’t help but be plagued with paranoia, particularly when unexplained incidents begin cropping up. Losing an entire evening. A security feed blackout. Random power surges at his well-protected home. Even though he is convinced that the terrorist is back to finish what was started years earlier, Jake may have bigger problems to deal with than an extremist with a grudge. People are starting to get sick and the ramification could be disastrous. The stakes are higher than ever and time is quickly running out to avert an unprecedented attack on the country.
Redefining edge-of-your-seat action, Bennecke masterfully pairs an intelligently written and nimbly paced plot with relevant social issues in Waterborne. The end result is a contemporary story that is chilling in its plausibility and addictive in its momentum. Well-defined characters are propped up on a foundation of intensity and danger. Sharp and efficient, the narrative is precise and detailed, reassuring readers of the expertise behind the storytelling. The essential function of civil engineering as a career is highlighted, making a worthy hero out of a duty generally relegated to a supporting role. Jake may have money and a measure of prestige, but his life has been far from carefree, which makes him a leading man we can sympathize with in various ways. Although this is my first Jake Bendel novel, the propulsive action scenes and compelling references to previous intrigues and artifices guarantee that it won’t be my last. A thriller that stacks up against any on your bookshelf, Waterborne is a penetrating novel that will keep your pulse pounding and your jaw agape!
