Thriller Review

Drift
by Steven Paul Mark
ISBN-10: 1601450621
Review by Heather Froeschl

Is it possible that greed could actually put an end to our world, as we know it? Could our gluttonous behavior be our demise? In Steven Paul Mark's novel, "Drift," the world is in grave danger of dinosaur extinction proportions, all because of the almighty dollar.

Imperium Solutions is an oil company of epic standings. Their drills go deeper and produce more liquid gold than any in history. And they are making history in other ways. The only problem is that if they continue on, there will be no one left to record that history or even care about it. Our hero, Max, stumbles upon the company one afternoon, as fate throws a drafted inter-office memo in his face during a tickertape parade in New York. Max, having just been let go by his previous employers, takes the seeming opportunity that the memo mentions. It seems some guy named Bran is about to be terminated and Max sees it as an opportunity to get his foot in the door. What he doesn't realize is that Bran is not to be let go, but exterminated, and the mention of his name is enough to get his apartment ransacked, his wife killed and his own life in grave danger. What follows is a crescendo of story that involves the underworld of NYC subway systems, the elusive Bran, paid off cops, and the destruction of the world, literally. Drift refers to continental drift, fault lines, deep vibrations in the earth and Mother Nature's reaction to greed. The whole world is under the influence of one company's doings. Can Max do anything about it?

This wild ride of a thriller is fraught with intense possibilities, consequences, and excitement. Full of drama of all kinds, from the police and FBI side of things to terrorism, and from psychological intrigue to human relations and romance, it's all in here. The result is a book that transcends the gender gap of reading materials and the genre gap of novels. The writing is excellent, with a tight plot and perfect flow. The characters are well conceived, creating people in the mind whom we hope are truly out there to protect our world, and also detailing the villains who unfortunately have a basis in reality. An excellent read!