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Since 9/11, authors have tried their hand at creating scenarios to rival that of the 2001 terrorist attacks. Upon completion of AFTER THE RAIN, I fervently hope that no would-be enemies of the United States are fans of Chuck Logan's writing. In this book, he proposes a chilling and all-too-simple plan, a plan that could result in cataclysmic devastation. And that might be vastly understating the danger.
A handful of Delta Force types uncovers a weak link in Rashid, a jittery connection in a plot to wreak havoc in America's midlands. What the informant tells Nina, Hollywood and Janey frightens them so much that they decide to act immediately, without waiting for sanction from their superiors. Trusting the government to get it right this time doesn't sound like a good idea, particularly considering that it might take days to mobilize an effective operational response. And that could very well mean the difference between life and death for hundreds, if not thousands, of people. Unfortunately, without a well-thought-out plan, they find themselves hanging out there with little backup and some bad intelligence.
Sound familiar? Well, at least this trio does not give up. They stubbornly pursue even the tiniest leads until they discover where they went wrong the first go-round. They realize that they face formidable --- and frighteningly insane --- opposition.
Meanwhile, Nina, a spirited woman with few soft spots --- and the most dogged of the fearless team --- has domestic trouble brewing. Her husband, equipped with a police/military background of his own, breezes into the little town of Langdon, North Dakota in pursuit of Nina --- and their daughter --- angry and hurt. While she purposely lured him into this as part of their group strategy, she doesn't like it one bit. And she's more than a little annoyed by the ill-timed distraction. It sets her mind working overtime to figure out what her heart wants, and she finds herself exhausted and confused by these personal crises.
But she is unable to step back and deal with her problems. After all, the welfare of fellow Americans is at stake. And as the magnitude of the intended horror dawns on all of them, Nina and her cohorts understand that, whatever the individual risk, these terrorists must be stopped.
AFTER THE RAIN has good action, outstanding characters and a fine plot, if a little improbable --- but, then, so was the idea of two planes crashing into the Twin Towers that fateful morning of September 11th.
--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers
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