Cape Disappointment    by Earl Emerson Order:  USA  Can Ballantine, 2009 (2009) Hardcover, e-Book Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Private Investigator Thomas Black, a Seattle ex-cop, has won the woman of his dreams only to have her snatched away from him. He watches her plane fly into the sea while he speaks to her on a cell phone. It's hard enough to try to recover from that. Not even sure that he wants to, he is direly injured in a bomb explosion at a political rally, impaled with a metal rod that goes through him and sticks in the wall behind him. A mayoral candidate helps rescue him. This tightly woven plot jumps from one happening to another. I have to admit I was confused at times in keeping these occurrences in chronological order, as the jumps were not delineated as such. Probably my own senior moments. That, however, did not diminish my enjoyment of Cape Disappointment. The characters were another area of pure enjoyment. Identical twins Bert and Snake are worthy of a book on their own. What is almost paralyzing is the role the government plays behind the scenes in eliminating those who might prove to be an embarrassment to whomever is involved. Paranoia reigns. But is it really paranoia? It seems as though author Earl Emerson has a few bones to pick and he does it well, causing this reader to wonder just how much of his story is speculation versus reality. Whichever it is, this tale of high-handed government interference in private lives is frightening. Cape Disappointment is an intriguing and exciting thriller, and it's good to welcome Thomas Black back after a ten year hiatus. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews