Through the development of some sophisticated computer software programs and the use of weather satellites, the trio appears to have succeeded in establishing dense clouds which represent the presence of evil. Their first opportunity to test the accuracy of their system comes quickly. A dark cloud on their computer screen suddenly appears over the small town of Ashton, Maine. Christopher has the psychic sense to recognize this aura, so is dispatched to Maine. He keeps in constant contact with Shelley and Kirkwood who inform him that the cloud seems to be concentrating over the high school.

As Christopher approaches the high school in his rental car, he sees two young men armed with rifles approaching the school. The only thing he can think of to do to warn the people in the school of the threat is to blow the car’s horn. Although a school official is wounded, no one else is harmed. The two youths, in an apparent prearranged suicide pact if things went wrong, turn their guns on each other. Both sustain fatal injuries.

The media is quick to pick up on this event which gives Christopher and his associates an odd feeling. Though the attention may well provide the exposure to elicit needed funds, it will no doubt also attract Satanists or others intent on promoting evil. Even with Christopher’s psychic sense, it will be difficult to separate their new friends from their new enemies. In addition, because the concepts of good and evil are tenets of most religions, their research will be of great interest to religious leaders. These thoughts give the trio an uneasy feeling about continuing their research.

Finding Satan> will no doubt find an avid readership among those who enjoy a fast paced thriller. Events occur quickly with corresponding responses increasing the tension. It is difficult to determine which people Christopher and his crew should trust. The Department of Homeland Security employees should be on their side, but are they?

As is the case in most thrillers, character development plays an insignificant part compared to the story line. We learn little about what makes the main characters tick beyond what is essential for the execution of the plot. Romance takes a back seat to action. Rest assured that there are vividly described scenes of blood and gore, and a fair number of key characters do not live to the final page of the novel.

Though one of the main prerequisites for a classic thriller is thought to be a story in which a large portion of the population is affected by the events which occur, this novel seems to encompass a global impact. Whether the magnitude and scope of the novel is an asset or a failing is a judgment each reader will have to make for himself.

--Andy Plonka