Book Review: Prepared for Rage

Dana Stabenow is an award-winning author that most often writes about crime in the wilds of Alaska.  In Prepared for Rage, Stabenow takes on current world affairs and writes a terrorist thriller that takes reader around the world.  Instead of one narrator, Stabenow gives readers a full cast of characters telling pieces of the history.  She then artfully combines them like quilting squares sewn into one big story.  The plot focuses on one ruthless terrorist on a crusade to shoot down the U.S. Space Shuttle.

The plot winds slowly.  In fact, I almost gave up after the first two chapters, but by chapter three, I was glad I hung in there. Stabenow is adept at building suspense and by the end of the book, my palms were sweating and I could almost hear Mission Control counting down for lift off.

Stabenow finds a connection to her beloved Alaska through astronaut Kenai Munro, an Alaska native and a Coast Guard Officer also from Alaska.  It is as if Stabenow is compelled to include at least one strong female character from Alaska in every novel.

Although I enjoyed this book, I prefer Stabenow's mystery series including Kate Shugak and Liam Campbell. In those novels, I feel at home with the character and love Stabenow's ability to make you either really love or hate a character in just a few paragraphs.  She is a master of saying a lot with minimal words.

Prepared for Rage is good and it certainly will make you think about our nation's security.