Child Finder

 Author's Summary

Child Finder, the first novel in the Child Finder trilogy, introduces a protagonist as tough as 24's Jack Bauer, but with the endearing, family-values heart of 7th Heaven's Eric Camden "Special Agent Patrick S. O'Donnell" an early-thirties Air Force Major assigned to the Pentagon when the 9/11 terrorist attacks take place.  His haunting dreams about murdered children reveal a hidden psychic gift which the government eagerly exploits, drawing him into a TOP SECRET program to find missing kids.  But to make matters complicated, Uncle Sam has other ideas in mind for his unique paranormal talents... after all, there is a War on Terror underway. One thing's for sure--ever since joining this new, secret community, he is surrounded by murder, and the very real threat of harm to his own family!

MWSA Review

MWSA 2009 Silver Medal for Fiction, Thriller

Mike Angley used his experience as a Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) to create a suspenseful page-turner in Child Finder.  Being a criminal investigator, as well as a counterintelligence and counterterrorism specialist, gave him plenty of opportunities to put together characters that keep us guessing as we read.  The intriguing aspect, to me, is just how the paranormal adventures came to be part of the plot.  What do you believe about people having psychic abilities that could help in investigations?
 
In Child Finder, the main character, Major Patrick O'Donnell, is also an Air Force Special Agent who is assigned to the Pentagon.  He discovers that he has a psychic gift that the government then wants to put to use, first to help find abducted children, but then they take it further, and Major O'Donnell discovers another side of the FBI, as he becomes part of a TOP SECRET black world.
 
Be sure to carve out a chunk of time when you pick up Child Finder because you are not going to want to put the book down.  The characters pull you into the story and the mystery keeps you guessing right up to the very end.  We all have experiences in our lives but how many of us can turn them into a fantastic read?  Mike Angley has done just that.  I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to see into the "intelligence world" and anyone that loves a great mystery thriller. The good news is... there are two more books to finish out the series and I can't wait to get my hands on them.  Mike Angley is a terrific writer and you'll find Child Finder a very well-written mystery. 

Reviewed by: Joyce Gilmour (2009)