Afraid    by Jack Kilborn Order:  USA  Can Grand Central, 2009 (2009) Paperback, CD, e-Book      Reviewed by Leslie McKee The small town of Safe Haven, Wisconsin will never be the same after an apparent helicopter explosion. Firemen Josh Van Camp and Erwin Luggs and Sheriff 'Ace' Streng cannot believe the devastation they find at the crash site. Local resident Sal Morton is returning home to his wife Maggie when he sees the explosion. He returns home to find Maggie tortured and mutilated and the perpetrator in his bedroom. Single mother and waitress Fran Stauffer is accosted by an intruder during a blackout that occurred in conjunction with the crash. Fran's objective is to get home to her son Duncan, who is alone and facing yet another intruder. General Alton Tope is contacted about a fallen angel - a military red-ops unit that is involved in the helicopter crash. Also notified is Dr. Ralph Stubin, a brain surgeon who does behavior modification research for the government. Dr. Stubin arrives in Safe Haven with the Green Beret to capture the insurgents, who are a red-ops team of soldiers. Their mission is to isolate, overpower and annihilate. It appears they were sent, by mistake, by an ally of the United States. In essence, they are 'government sponsored terrorists.' Their goal: to find Warren 'Wiley' Streng - the sheriff's brother. The problem: few people have seen him in decades. Will the town survive long enough to find out why? Kilborn's writing style allows the reader to clearly envision all the action ... which is not always a good thing, as some scenes are a bit gory. The action is fast-paced, making it difficult to put the book down. A preview of his next novel is also included. 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