Sunday, October 20, 2013

KIRK'S LANDING by MIKE YOUNG: A REVIEW



Question.  What is the critical attribute a law enforcement officer needs to successfully infiltrate a gang involved in criminal activities?  Why, of course, it is the ability to blend in; in fact, blend in so well the gang hardly notices you at all.  Corporal Dave Browne of the RCMP operates undercover in just such a role and his ability to ‘blend’ far surpasses that of his team members.  You see, Dave doesn’t simply blend in--he actually fades away--literally disappears and reappears at will.  Handy, huh?  You bet.  That is, until the one time during a ‘fade out’, he ‘fades in’ at quite the inappropriate moment.  Cover blown.  But, how?  Why?  No time to theorize and analyze.  If he expects to survive, time to get re-assigned.

His superiors relocate him to Kirk’s Landing, a town in Manitoba, to serve as Commander of the detachment.  A neutral enough position to bide his time until the fallout from his last assignment clears.  After all, it isn’t as if anything really serious was going to occur while he was there.  What could a sleepy little town’s crises amount to anyway?  A couple of domestic disputes, buddies scrapping with too much beer under their belts, kids playing their music too loud…  Just the usual small town stuff, right?

Dave discovers there is absolutely nothing ‘usual’ about Kirk’s Landing.  Behind those friendly smiles are dark and sinister secrets.  Everyone has a skeleton or two in their closet, and those bones are restless.  Dave was instructed to put in his time there and make no waves.  But, as the seemingly picture-perfect façade of Kirk’s Landing begins to crumble, Dave finds he cannot turn a blind eye to the shadows lurking around each and every corner.

A missing person’s case hangs over the town like a shroud.  Rumors abound concerning issues at the mill.  When Dave tours the facility, he is made to feel like an intruder, and the information he receives is vague and misdirected.  Is there a connection?  Did the missing man discover unethical or illegal goings-on and need to be silenced, or was it just another case of a hiker losing his way in a snowstorm?  Dave isn’t receiving a lot of input from the locals.  They need time to basically figure him out and determine whose side he’s on.  Is he there to help hold the community together, or is he just like all the others before him--there to simply help himself to whatever he can take from them.  And, as if all of that wasn’t enough for Dave to contend with, Evil itself decides to follow Dave to Kirk’s Landing, and threatens to permanently tear the community apart.

Kirk’s Landing has everything a story needs:  Three-dimensional characters, diverse cultures and customs, and enough twists and turns to keep your head spinning.  The puzzle is there, to be completed one piece at a time, chapter by chapter, page by page.  If you enjoy suspense, action, and mystery, along with a sneak peek into man’s dark side, you’ll love Kirk’s Landing.  Make sure you allow enough time to finish it once you start though.  There’s no putting this one down!

Kirk's Landing is now available on Amazon, and the link to purchase it is here.  I've made it nice and easy for you, so go ahead and order your copy.  You'll be SO glad you did.

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