Poison Town by Creston Mapes

     People are sick and dying. Rumors are swirling. Some claim chemicals leaking from a manufacturing plant are causing the cancer that's crippling people on the poor side of Trenton City, Ohio. Yet nothing at the plant appears amiss. The problem remains a mystery until reporter Jack Crittendon's long-time mechanic falls ill and he investigates. Soon Jack becomes engulfed in a smokescreen of lies, setups, greed, and scandal. The deeper he digs, the more toxic the corruption he uncovers. As he faces off with the big-time players behind the scenes and tries to beat the clock before more people die, he realizes the chillingly unthinkable-he knows too much.

     Jack Crittendon is back in the second book in the Crittendon Files.  And if reading this book doesn’t whet your appetite, the third book in the series, “Sky Zone” is already out as well.  Some great Summer reading is coming your way.  These books are meant to be stand-alone books and the author does a good job of including history and back story to give the story a more steamlined feel.  But why not just buy them all!

     Fresh off of “Fear Has A Name”, Jack Crittendon is back in this new thriller.  Jack is still drifting away from God due to the circumstances he and his family faced in the first book (no, I won’t tell you so that you can buy that book, too!)  His work is suffering as he struggles along.  A friend of his becomes ill and Jack attaches onto the illness as a much needed shot in the arm as an investigation.  As he continues to dig, he finds more mysterious illnesses that seem to be connected to the manufacturing plant on the poor side of town.  There’s a lot at stake as the investigation exposes greed and corruption concerning some several big players in the area.  Is there a correlation between this plant and the cancer in the town?  Does Jack’s friend recover from the illness? How far will Jack go to get to the bottom of this conspiracy? Can Jack finally forgive himself for what happened to his family?  Put down the newspaper and go BUY THIS BOOK!!!

     I love picking up a book that is filled with solid writing and with plot pacing that carries it smoothly from the start to finish.  Creston Mapes beautifully blends Christian themes with a great investigative novel that isn’t preachy, but is a page-turner which shows every day Christian struggles with faith and family issues. When you mix in characters that grapple with very real issues such as forgiveness you get a book that is very powerful.  Once you start this book, you won't want to put it down until you've turned the last page.  As a disclaimer, the author is not responsible for the other areas of your life that you neglect while you read this book.  So chose a nice weekend to begin to read because this book will have you hanging on right to the end.

     Is this a "guy's book"?  This book, in my opinion, is the essential book that every Christian man needs to read.  Yes, yes, I know that there is a great plot and subplot involved too, but it always spreads the message that even as Christian men we struggle with things daily.  Our weakness isn’t in asking someone else to help us as we struggle through these times, but our weakness is in not asking for help.   

About The Author

     Creston Mapes is the author of the #1 Amazon bestselling Christian fiction mystery, Nobody, along with the bestselling Christian fiction thrillers Fear Has a Name, Dark Star and Full Tilt. His early years as a reporter inspire many of his novels.

     A journalist, copywriter, and editor, Creston works from his home-office in Atlanta for some of the nation's top media companies, Christian ministries, and nationally-recognized corporations, including Chick-fil-A, Coke, ABC-TV, and The Weather Channel. In addition to Creston's novels and freelance writing, he has ghostwritten and edited seven non-fiction titles.

     Creston is married to his hometown sweetheart, Patty. They have a close-knit family, with four great children, several pets, and a growing number of cars.

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