The Tracker (Sam Callahan, 1)Paperback

What a great "anti-hero" hero! He has humor, athleticism, intuition and just the right amount of self-doubt to make him interesting. The believable part is that he is the right age to be a political candidate tracker, the role that positions him to be where he is at the beginning of the story. It is also believable that the political world which serves as the context for the story confirms our worst suspicions. Namely, honor and dishonor exist in politics as it does throughout the human condition; unscrupulous and destructive behavior is found side by side with courage and service. The story tests reality, however, in how it unfolds in such a short period of time, with the variety of action that is involved... and yet Sam is only 24 years old. Shades of Jack Bauer! I do confess that it took about one nano-second to suspend my disbelief and just enjoy the story...which I did immensely. I was left anticipating what kinds of situations Sam might help resolve as a thirty-two year old.

The author has created this short, fast-paced, easy-to-read thriller using a writing device that helps us know Sam as a three-dimensional character. The author uses flashbacks to help us know Sam as a child, as someone working out his demons in relationships and as someone doing a job. Knowing Sam's history helps us understand how he could have the skills he needed for this tale and to be sympathetic to his redemption and growth. They also worked to help make me a cheerleader for him and for his girlfriend, Natalie. The author made her a strong, positive character and partner on equal footing. That tone of respect for her made this reader like the author even more. I also liked the presence of some other positive characters who also played important roles in Sam's life: Pastor Isaiah and those geeky, wonderful computer hacks!

Other reviewers have commented about how much they appreciated the restraint the writer used in telling the story. Was there violence in this story? Oh, yes! However, by omitting profanity and graphic sex scenes and by making sure the violence portrayed was relatively non-descriptive, the writer was able a)to keep the focus of the story where it should have been...on how Sam was going to survive this mystery and b) keep the action moving forward.

Hope to read more about Sam and some of the characters introduced in this thriller.

What great writing. The author has a certain rhythm to his writing, which makes the story even more engaging. I loved the back and forth chapters of Sam as a child and then as an adult. I felt like I really got to know him. Lots of heart-pounding moments and a rather surprising ending. No typos; no bad grammar. No long descriptions of landscapes. Very refreshing. Sadly, the descriptions of foster parenting are too true. Plan to stay up all night reading!