Colleen also gives Eric directions to an area where Oklahoma, New Mexico and Colorado meet. It is here that Eric begins his odyssey, an odyssey that takes him back to his birth and a secret inside the Federal government’s Department Thirty. Department Thirty is an agency that is a reverse witness protection program that relocates criminals and uses them for the information they have to offer on crimes they have committed.

With everything he thought to be true about himself, Eric begins a journey to find his past, hoping for a sense of peace for his future.

The Mesa Conspiracy is a fast-paced taut thriller that surprises to the very end. Some of the twists are hinted at, but there is always one more unseen twist. Eric takes his parentage in stride, perhaps because he grew up not knowing his history. Despite his less than traditional upbringing, he is very well grounded, which helps him cope with what he is about to learn.

Faith Kelly, new Department Thirty recruit knows there is more to the Department than she is likely to ever learn, nor really would want to know. Faith wants to honor the memory of her mentor and continue with his work, though she is wistful for a better relationship with her law enforcement father. While characterization does not take center stage, the parallel journeys Eric and Faith make are roads each needs to take to move on with his and her life.

With a plot that will keep readers turning pages long into the night, Department Thirty will intrigue some readers yet it may make others uneasy about the secrets that the may government keep.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry