Reviewed by Kathleen Angelone, Bookmamas
Cave explorers. Explosions. Archers. Sharpshooters. John Dillinger. Buried treasure. Underwater city. Psychotic criminal. Cat and mouse game. Author Thomas Black combines these elements and takes the reader on a tour through southern Indiana places and stories in his first novel, Death Mode.
The novel opens with three ex-military men discussing an upcoming mission and the accompanying loss of life. It turns out that the men are in southern Indiana discussing the loss of everyday Hoosiers in the execution of their plan to recover John Dillinger’s buried loot. The trouble is that the treasure was hidden in Elkinsville, a community under Lake Monroe. Therefore the criminals plan to blow up the dam, making Elkinsville accessible and flooding populated Guthrie. They feel they have the perfect plan.
In chapter two we meet Luke Mohr a sometimes IU student and Dr. Jenna Longstreth, a geology professor and acclaimed cave explorer who had accidentally met in a cave under difficult circumstances the previous week. Luke has come to Dr. Longstreth’s office to tell her that while working on his SPEA project at the Jefferson Proving Grounds, he has learned that there is some missing unexploded ordnance. He convinces her to explore this anomaly with him. Thus begins their effort to unravel the criminals’ perfect plan. This effort puts them in the position of having to save the town of Guthrie while protecting themselves from a psychopath.
Author Thomas Black does a good job of setting the scene and methodically releasing the details about the plan and the efforts to thwart it bit by bit. The novel moves along quickly through various areas of southern Indiana with the characters spending an amazing amount of time in the caves. They are also in a number of physical struggles which the author describes well.
Dr. Longstreth is the most well developed character in the book. At first she is unlikable — an uptight and unhappy person who has a great deal of difficulty relating to others. Slowly we learn about her past and see significant growth. By the end, I really cared about her.
The author, who resides in Irvington, is a retired high school science teacher. It shows in the book. He skillfully explains many scientific principles such as how explosives work, the structure of dams, the power of water and the structure of caves in a manner that was interesting and understandable.
This book is an excellent first effort and shows great promise. Meet Thomas Black on Saturday, February 23 at 2 p.m. at Bookmamas, 9 S. Johnson Avenue.
Kathleen Angelone has been an avid reader since childhood, which led her to open her own used bookshop, Bookmamas in Irvington.