During
the reading of her mother’s will, Sheila Baker discovers that she has inherited
everything her parents ever possessed, including their secrets. A mysterious safe-deposit box key leads her
to the answer to one of history’s greatest questions --- Who killed John F.
Kennedy? Not only does she have the
missing film that exposes her late mother as the infamous “Babushka Lady”, ---
she has incontrovertible proof that there was more than one shooter.
On
the run from people who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried,
Sheila turns to billionaire sleuth Jason Hammond for help. Having lost his own family in a tragic plane
crash, Jason knows a thing or two about running from the past. With a target on their backs and time running
out, can Jason finally uncover the truth behind the crime that shook a
generation --- or will he and Sheila become its final victims?
So
I’ve looked at this book for a long time and never could bring myself to
sitting down and actually opening to the first page. Why? I
don’t know, really. It could be the
cover, the content or just my procrastination gene kicking in. In the end, I did sit down and open the book
and I will admit, I didn’t get much sleep for the next couple of days.
What
would you do if you were the only person that knew one of the biggest secrets
of all time? Would you tell somebody?
Would it eat away at you every day? Would you take the secret to your
grave? Margaret Baker was faced with
that very dilemma when she was in Dallas and filmed something on her
camera. Once the news spread about the
assassination of President Kennedy, she thought back to her camera and what she
may have caught while she was filming.
Once she had the film developed, she locked it away in a safe deposit
box and never looked at it again. Now
Margaret has passed and her daughter, Sheila, finds out that not only did she
inherit the house and belongings of her mother, she has also inherited this
national treasure. Knowing that there
really isn’t anyone that she can trust, Sheila hunts down Jason Hammond and
enlists his help. After his initial
disbelief, Jason quickly comes to her aid as Sheila’s life is put in
danger. Someone knows that the film exists
and knows that she has it. Will Sheila
and Jason be able to stay a step ahead of those after them? Is there someone that they can turn to with
this lost secret? What exactly does the
film show? Read the rest of my review
and then run to your nearest Christian Bookstore and BUY THE BOOK!
This
is not the first book by Wil Mara, but it is his first novel written as a
Christian Fiction novel. This novel does
everything that I would hope for in a great book. It provided me with entertainment, it embellished
on something ‘factual’ to the point of making me do some research myself on
that fateful day in Dallas and it left me satisfied and wanting more. It was refreshing to see the main character
as a flawed person that was able to return to his faith as the story
progressed. I was concerned at the end
that there were going to be some big plot holes that were just glossed over
(like how Jason could escape from the Coast Guard without facing persecution),
but my concern was unfounded.
Is
this a "guy's book"? There is
so much action and adventure in this book, there’s no way that this could not
be considered a great “guy’s book”. With
the mix of the historical information provided about the assassination,
everybody should pick up this book and dive right in.
I
had a chance to ask Mr. Mara some questions and he was nice enough to spend a
couple of minutes with us and give us his answers:
What is your favorite
bible verse and why?
I love the verse from Luke 12:48 in the King James Bible—“For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much
required.” And I don’t think that should be strictly interpreted to mean people
who were born wealthy or with an abundance of talent or natural intelligence or
whatever. I always took it to mean that everyone has the potential to offer
something special to the world—and once you find out what that something is,
you have a responsibility to get out there and make use of it.
What has been the most
important thing you hope your readers will get from your books and why?
I have several hopes in this regard. First and foremost, I pray that all
readers simply enjoy the story. Fiction can service our lives in many ways, and
one of the most important is to provide an enjoyable temporary respite from the
rigors of daily living. No matter how wonderful your life may be, we all need a
break from time to time. A good novel should furnish that opportunity. Second,
I’m hoping readers will learn a little bit more about the Kennedy
assassination—a few details that most people still don’t know about, the
continuing impact those few seconds in Dallas had on the world, and so on. And
third, it would be a source of great pride if readers could walk away from this
first story about Jason Hammond and his faith-based struggles thinking a little
bit more about their own challenges as Christians in a world that isn’t always
as rewarding as we might like it to be.
Besides writing, what
are some of your favorite hobbies?
I spend a
lot of time with my family and love every blessed moment. That’s first and
foremost. I like to read quite a bit (it suppose it would be fairly ridiculous
if I didn’t). I also enjoy cooking, although the things I cook aren’t always
the healthiest. And I just took my first stab at gardening. Since nothing I
planted this past spring has died yet, I’m finding it very satisfying.
What advice would you
give to a beginning writer?
Practice
your craft until you are absolutely certain your material is worth an editor’s
time. Be brutally honest with your evaluations, no matter how much it hurts.
Tom Clancy once said something along the lines of, “I became a good writer by
being a bad one first.” That’s very useful advice. Above all else, stick with it. You’ll never publish
anything if you quit, right?
Favorite memory from
childhood?
I have so
many that I wouldn’t know where to begin. I didn’t have the easiest childhood,
but the happy memories I do have I cherish very much.
Favorite
comfort food?
Anything
that would be prepared in a smoker, e.g., ribs, brisket, pork shoulder, chicken
thighs, etc. As I said earlier, I sometimes eat things I really shouldn’t. I’m
actually fairly disciplined with my dietary practices. But if every food item
in the world had the same nutritional impact, my personal menu would read like
something from that show BBQ Pitmasters.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Wil
Mara has been writing books since 1988.
He started with a manuscript about herpetology (a childhood hobby),
which led to a job as an editor with TFH Publications, aka, “The World’s
Largest Publisher of Animal Books”. In
the mid ‘90s, he left TFH to work for Harcourt-Brace, at which time he began
his first foray into fiction, ghostwriting a title for Albert Whitman and
Company’s popular “Boxcar Children Mysteries”.
By the time he did his fifth “Boxcar” in 1999, he was also editing for
textbook publisher Prentice Hall. In
addition to “Frame 232”, Wil is the author of 2 other disaster thrillers.