Trial Run by Thomas Locke

This novel had a rough start. Locke (Bunn) uses the technique of introducing us to many characters in different locations and then eventually pulling them all together. There are two scientific experiments going on, one in Switzerland and one in the U.S. It was not until 39% (I read a digital edition) that the relationship between the two was established. It was also at that point that I really began to understand what was actually going on and was hooked enough to want to finish the novel. For me, that is too late. Nancy Pearl says to subtract your age from 100, read that many pages and if you are not hooked, give up the book. This book would not have passed that test.

There are two groups of scientists and technicians, both developing out of body travel. One developed the process and the other group received the technique from a person in that original group. It is hard to tell if one group is good and the other bad or not. Both seem to have character faults in their leaders.

Then, sort of out of the blue, comes a young doctoral student with amazing formulas he has received through dreams. He is instructed in a dream to team up with a young woman business major. Further dreams get them under the attention of the two groups previously mentioned. The result is intrigue and suspense and the possible end to mankind.

I felt there was not enough scientific back ground about the mental travel research. It seems like the travel happens easily, as a person merely verbally counts and gives instructions. This seems a bit simple to me. And in this simple manner people can enter a safe and read classified documents. That just did not work for me.

The narrative jumps around, from one group to the other and then to the young people. Sometimes it even jumps to one person in a group to a person in another group and then to another person in the first group. The transitions are not smooth and are done at tense moments. I felt that really broke up the flow of the story. I would have rather had the story from the viewpoint two characters. In that sense, reading this book was not a relaxing experience.

In the end, there is not one. We are left hanging, waiting for a sequel.

Go here to download a sample of the book and watch the book trailer.

Thomas Locke is a pseudonym for Davis Bunn, the award-winning novelist with total worldwide sales of seven million copies. His work has been published in twenty languages, and critical acclaim includes four Christy Awards for excellence in fiction. Davis divides his time between Oxford and Florida and holds a lifelong passion for speculative stories. Find out more about him and his books at http://tlocke.com/.

Revell, 384 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.