Saturday, November 1, 2014

A Life Unbroken (The Alex McKay Series)-K.M. Hewitt

A Life Unbroken (The Alex McKay Series)
K.M. Hewitt
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, May 31 2014, $14.95
ISBN: 9781499160819

In Hadley, California, USDA plant biologist Dr. Alex McKay enjoys her work as the team leader researching hemp and loves her personal life with Ryan Stinson and her dog Abby.  A storm breaks a window at her lab so security follows protocol calling her to inspect her facility.  Hers is okay, but the high security lab near her is not as a tree smashed into the roof.  When she goes over to see what is going on, they tell her to leave.  Dr. Mannheim explains to White House Chief of Staff Mitchell Kincaid re Alex’s two intrusions.

Agricultural Secretary Grist sends Alex to Columbia; while a plague kills four Hadley residents, others are very ill and CDC stymied on how this deadly ancient virus mutation spreads.  Upon arrival in Columbia soldiers snatch Alex and take her to brutal Prision del Perdido off of Venezuela where the only escape is death from the extremely hostile conditions.  Unaware of why she was abducted and dumped in this horrendous Island Prison; she struggles to survive. 

Starting with a stunning opening in which the beleaguered heroine begins looking at what rendition did to her life, Alex provides the audience with a haunting first-hand account of her odyssey.  Her harrowing prison experience feels real and her plant skills, freeing her, seems possible.  Her return to the prison is an unnecessary foolish risk that her sponsor would have prevented rather than encouraged since the second revenge plot requires Alex McKay dead and Alexandra Golindez alive; and a Biological Weapons Lab would have 24/7 security at the facility rather than hiding in plain sight.  Still this is a timely, gripping taut thriller.


Harriet Klausner

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