She Treads Softly: The Final Equinox

Thursday, September 8, 2022

The Final Equinox

The Final Equinox by Andrew Mayne
9/13/22; 336 pages
Thomas & Mercer
A Theo Cray and Jessica Blackwood #2

The Final Equinox by Andrew Mayne is a very highly recommended thriller with a world traveling science fiction theme.

After opening with an interesting autopsy in Atlanta attended by computational biologist Dr. Theo Cray, the plot takes a turn to New Mexico. Billionaire Thomas T. Theismann has been spending a fortune and years on trying to find extraterrestrial intelligent life in the universe and when he believes he has received an alien signal, Cray is one of the experts he hires as an advisor. In the meantime, Cray's girlfriend, magician-turned-FBI-agent Jessica Blackwood is on another case when she learns information, the death of David Ikeda, which has her very concerned for Cray's health. Blackwood finds a way in to join Cray and take a deep look into what is happening in Theismann's companies and the two face dangers that seem to be other worldly.

The discussions and interactions between Cray and Blackwood as they both use their intelligence and skills to uncover what is happening is absolutely riveting. Their interactions and insight is what makes this a wonderful thriller for action as well as perfect escapism as they both logically examine what is going on. I highly recommended their first collaboration in Mastermind, but The Final Equinox is even better. This is really a fascinating, compelling thriller and kept me glued to the pages throughout.

Both Theo Cray and Jessica Blackwood are fully realized characters. Their individual expertise, background, and strengths are fully established and clearly portrayed in the plot. Following the logical threads of the investigation through their unique personalities and outlook is irresistible.

Cray and Blackwood pursuing the clues and investigating where the signals are coming from and what could be really happening is where the action is at and worth your time to read. The collaboration between Cray and Blackwood is what pushes this novel to my highest recommendation. I totally loved this second outing of Cray and Blackwood together. Their thought processes and dialogue is pitch perfect. Hopefully I'll see another complicated and intricate case set before the pair.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.