Book Review: Submerged

Submerged, by Alton Gansky, is the third book in a series of stories about protagonist Perry Sachs, although I did not know this when I pick it up from the book store. Even though it was the third book, the author did a great job of brief character development so the reader would not feel like he or she missed anything by not reading the first two books. In this installment, Perry travels to Nevada in an adventure to save his dying father and solve a mystery from thirty years earlier.

The story has a feel which Area 51 conspiracy theorists would really enjoy. The characters related to each other well and their dialogue seems relatively believable. The banter between Jack and Gleason is particularly enjoyable. It creates an emotional attachment with these characters.

Essentially, in the early 1970’s, a group of scientists were brought to investigate an underground base which could not have been built by any government on the planet. Thirty years later, these same scientists begin to die by a strange illness. Perry’s father, who was one of those scientists, reveals a secret which begins Perry and his pack of buddies on an adventure that will bring more questions than they ever could have imagined. With the help of some Nevada deputies, and through some confrontation with mysterious military personnel, they experience a life-changing experience.

I really enjoyed the book and drilled through it a couple of days. The whole experience was fun but I did not care for the last chapter. The author attempts to explain what they saw through biblical “eyes” but instead produces, if true, a strange, strange, doctrine about the afterlife (I cannot reveal more than this without giving away the story). The author does have a note at the end of the book explaining that this is a fiction book and the theological points made by the characters are just that – theology by a fiction character.

The story may have been better if I had read the previous two stories about Perry Sachs, and that may have provided me with more investment in the characters. Nevertheless, it was fun and a fast read that can provide you with a nice break from whatever you want distracted from.

2t22 rating: