"Chain Reaction"

James Byrne is the pseudonym for an author who has worked for more than twenty years as a journalist and in politics. A native of the Pacific Northwest, he lives in Portland, Oregon.

Byrne applied the Page 69 Test to his new Dez Limerick thriller, Chain Reaction, and reported the following:

Yeah. I can honestly say that, if browsers open Chain Reaction to page 69, they would get a pretty good idea of the whole novel.

The key element that makes Dez Limerick an unusual hero is that he was trained by a foreign military (ain’t saying which) as a “gatekeeper.” That means he’s dead brilliant with doors, locks, keys, what have you. And that training includes a lot of electrical and civil engineering.

On page 69, Dez is trapped in a convention center that has been taken over by a heavily armed group of terrorists. He uses his electronics training to cobble together his mobile phone and the sound board of a theater to call the FBI outside the perimeter. FBI Agent Stella Ansara tells him that the terrorists have connected explosives to some of the hostages, and the explosives can be triggered from afar.

Dez says that could be a godsend. Because the terrorists have blocked all other cell phone service. “This lot’s not just taken down the Wi-Fi, ma’am. Too many people have satellite phones and voice-over-internet-protocol devices. Means they’re blocking a lot of frequencies, as well.”

When Stella confirms that, Dez replies “Splendid!” All he has to do is find out what frequency the explosive detonators are on. Then commandeer the frequency-jammer that the terrorists are using. Then use their own tech to block the explosives’ frequencies.

Yes, Dez is good in a fist fight. But I have more fun writing scenes in which he finds a brainier solution to his crises.

Visit James Byrne's website.

Q&A with James Byrne.

The Page 69 Test: Deadlock.

My Book, The Movie: Deadlock.

Writers Read: James Byrne.

--Marshal Zeringue