Review: The Breach

The Breach
Patrick Lee
Science Fiction/Suspense
Travis Chase Series/Book 1
Harper/January 1, 2010

Travis Chase, a man putting his life back together after fifteen years in prison, takes a solo hike into the Alaskan Rockies. He's just looking for a quiet place to think about his future, but what he finds is trouble: a 747, downed in remote wilderness, the wreck impossibly undiscovered by authorities. Those abroad are dead, though not because of the crash. They've been shot.

This aircraft, along with the terrifying object it was transporting, is only the beginning for Travis. Within hours he finds himself at the center of a violent conflict that spans the globe, and a secret war that dates back three decades. A war for possession of radically advance technology - that wasn't created by human hands.

This isn't my usual genre, but thanks to the reviews on Goodreads, I decided to give Mr. Lee's novel a try. Am I glad I did! I loved trying to wrap my mind around the science within the story.

A year after being released from prison, Travis Chase sets off on a hike, hoping to clear his mind and possibly make some decisions about where his life is going. He's an ex-cop who won't find work as a cop again. What Travis finds on his hike is nothing he could have expected. It's a gruesome sight, even for an experienced cop to take in. Travis' training comes in handy as he must fight for his survival and the survival of others.

Paige Campbell is a tough, intelligent and resourceful woman. She's dedicated to her work and the security of the country. She could have come off as cold and distanced, willing to do and sacrifice whomever with little or no feelings. And sometimes she did, which allowed her to get through some of the toughest parts of her job. But Lee also shows us Paige's weaknesses along with her strengths. She holds a lot of power but doesn't abuse that power the way some would.

Travis and Paige make a formidable team. They create an interesting dynamic in that Paige is the experienced one and Travis is the rookie in this secret world of the strange and alien. They definitely had to work at trusting each other, doing so while trying to stay alive and one step ahead of the enemy. I really enjoyed seeing how they dealt with building that trust and then taking it to the next level.

The enemy hunting Paige and Travis is disturbing in his almost normality, as if this was just a job. He's highly intelligent and willing to do anything to get what he wants. Getting inside his head, we see how he enjoys the hunt and the kill. He's not the only one they must look out. The must also unravel what is happening with the Breach.

From the moment Travis spotted the downed plane, I had a hard time putting this book down. Even before that, I was anxious to see how the story would unfold simply from reading the blurb and some of the reviews. It's very fast paced, the backgrounds of Travis and the other pivotal characters blended within the action. There is a lot to take in, not only the characters and their motivation but the science behind what is happening. If I had one complaint, it would be that there was almost too much to remember. Although, not everything is explained because not everything is known about the alien devices. The characters, like the reader, must take some things just on faith alone. Some of the explanations that are given are complex but Lee does well with breaking down the complex and making it understandable.

The Breach offers a mix of action, suspense and a heavy dose of stimulation for the mind.

Rating: A-

Travis Chase Trilogy ~

The Breach
Ghost Country
Deep Sky