Centralia by Mike Dellosso

I always know when I begin a Dellosso book I am in for a wild ride. This novel started off with a shock and just kept going.

Peter Ryan wakes up to an empty house. His wife and daughter are gone. He calls a friend only to be told they had been killed in an automobile accident. Didn't he remember? But Peter is haunted by faint memories and a sense that something is very wrong. He finds a hidden note in his daughter's handwriting that she and her mom have gone to Centralia. Then thugs show up at his house and Peter displays defensive skills he didn't know he had.

That is the beginning of a suspenseful plot where the action just keeps going. We follow Peter as he tries to escape those after him while he also tries to unravel who he is. He's supposed to work in a research lab. So how does he know armed combat techniques? Why is he a crack shot?

This is a good novel of what might be when the military wants to develop super warriors. It's a scary yet very possible world of training and mental manipulation.

It also gave me much to think about regarding memories and the past. One of the characters says, “What is your past other than a series of memories?” (258) Do we create a new past by what we remember? Can others change it for us by planting memories in our head? Do we believe lies about our past? Do we pay more attention to what our brain is telling us or what our heart is saying? And where does God fit into all of this?

I recommend this book to those who love action packed novels that make you think. Your mind will be swirling with what might be Peter's real past. The action was a bit repetitive and one of the escapes might have been just a little too easy and unexplained, but in general, this is a good novel.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Mike Dellosso is the author of seven other books of suspense. He is also an adjunct professor of creative writing and teaches regularly at writers' conferences. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and daughters. You can find out more at www.mikedellossobooks.com.

Tyndale Fiction, 381 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through The Book Club Network for the purpose of an independent and honest review.