Critical Reaction by Todd M. Johnson is a refreshing new
legal thriller that is tight, taut and terrific. If you believe in the art of
storytelling, then this is for you.
It’s October 16, 2013 and Kieran Mullaney, a new hire at the
shuttered Hanford Nuclear Facility, is working the night shift. Also inside the
facility is Poppy Martin, an old hand, a lifer, marked by loyalty. His father
had worked for the company before him. He feels that he is one among the owners.
The plant is supposed to be non-active, just being guarded and maintained until
it is cleaned up and closed for good. Nothing seems to be amiss until three
loud explosions shook the facility.
Eight months later, Emily Hart is at work in the Public
Defender’s Office, King County Courthouse, Seattle, Washington, when she
received a voicemail from Kieran Mullaney, a friend from whom she have not
heard in four years. He’s anxious and desperate, needing a lawyer. He tells her
that he’s dosed out at Hanford with radiation. When he approached the company
they are unwilling to help. His health is destroyed, his questions are
unanswered, and the explosion officially didn’t happen. He filed a lawsuit
against the company but his lawyer withdraws from the case just before the
trial. He asks her to help him out in suing Hanford.
Ryan Hart is a successful lawyer, and he is the father of
Emily. But he’s estranged from his daughter, and things have been going from bad
to worse after the death of Emily’s mother. When his daughter asks him to help
Kieran, he couldn’t say no and decides to step in as this could be a blessing
in disguise. He hopes that as he works on the case he could mend fences with
his daughter, and start a fresh chapter in their family life.
But as Kieran seek justice someone is willing to go to any length to bury the truth. With the people at Hanford in denial and cover-up mode,
will Ryan and Emily be able to expose the truth? What really happened at the
facility that October night? Is the facility harboring any secrets? Will there
be any hope for Kieran if he is really exposed to radiation?
If you love action, suspense, intrigue, conspiracy and
courtroom drama, you’ll enjoy this book. Recent I reviewed John Grisham’s
Sycamore Row and James Patterson’s Cross My Heart, and I’m sure fans of the two
authors will love Todd’s style of writing.
Todd M. Johnson has practiced as an attorney for over 30
years, specializing as a trial lawyer. Todd's career experience blends with his
passion for writing in his novels published through Bethany House. A graduate
of Princeton University and the University of Minnesota Law School, he also
taught for two years as an adjunct professor of International Law, and served
as a US diplomat in Hong Kong.
The Deposit Slip, Mr. Johnson's first novel, debuted in
2012. Todd's second novel, Critical
Reaction, is published November 2013. Todd lives outside Minneapolis,
Minnesota, with his wife Cathy and children Ian and Libby.
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