BOOK REVIEW - “RADIANT ANGEL” - By Nelson DeMille
311 pages – Grand Central Publishing -Reviewed by: Jeb Ladouceur
Unfortunately, thrillers about New York City being targeted for nuclear attack, are a dime a dozen … but finding one as well-crafted as ‘Radiant Angel,’ by Long Island’s own Nelson DeMille, is a singular, once in a generation, rarity (triple redundancy intended!).
Though readers might claim that in evaluating a novel, they are not influenced by the author’s roots, or the recognizable nature of a proximate locale, I respectfully say, ‘hogwash! None of us can live, play, and work in close proximity to a place like ‘The Big Apple’ and fail to respond enthusiastically to a story in which the neighborhood next door is the star player … or at least, one of them.
Indeed, in the case of this, Nelson DeMille’s 19th novel, we Long Islanders are treated to a special date with the familiar. In ‘Radiant Angel,’ wherein a Russian cabal is determined to blow lower Manhattan into oblivion, the homespun plot takes shape in Eastern Suffolk County, and propels us from The Hamptons, to Shinnecock, to landmark Jones Beach, and beyond. The westbound, edge-of-your-chair hunt is for a yacht so elegant that only a writer of DeMille’s fabled, descriptive ability could have invented it.
We know practically from the outset where the excruciating chase is destined to take us, but it’s the journey there that’s important… and as the author reminds us with non-stop episodic action … the trip promises to be filled with constant surprise.
As is DeMille’s practice, he utilizes the actual names of certain true-life friends and associates who have contributed to philanthropic causes in return for being written into this novel. In the interest of full disclosure, I know two of these people personally … a factor which makes ‘Radiant Angel’ all the more gripping … and of course, fun!
One of the potential hazards connected with writing sequels (‘…Angel,’ though technically not a sequel, constitutes the seventh in a series of ‘John Corey’ thrillers) is the possibility that the author might erroneously assume, usually with fatal result, that his audience has read prior books in the sequence, and thus already knows the players involved. Only once in this ‘Corey’ tale does DeMille flirt with that prospect … at the end of the book, when referring to a female character. The incident is just that … incidental … it’s not even cringe-worthy, but the reference is enough to make one wonder if Nelson has exploits in mind for the lady in question somewhere down the road.
This most notable of the current crop of Long Island writers … a group that contains emerging novelists like Dina Santorelli, and poets such as Tammy Nuzzo-Morgan … has come a long way since his earlier works involving transparently autobiographical Viet Nam war experiences (‘Up Country’ for example). With ‘Radiant Angel’ he adds still another thriller to a mesmerizing list of New York area spellbinders that includes such bestsellers as ‘Cathedral’ and ‘Plum Island.’
Those who have not yet tapped in to the mother lode of this witty storyteller’s compelling works should do so. He plots so well … researches so meticulously… describes with such insight … that to miss the opportunity, is to pass up a rich literary experience.
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Award-winning writer, Jeb Ladouceur is the author of eleven novels, and his theater and book reviews appear in several major L.I. publications. His newest book, THE GHOSTWRITERS, explores the bizarre relationship between the late Harper Lee and Truman Capote. It maintains that each wrote the other’s most famous work. Ladouceur’s revealing website is www.JebsBooks.com