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Monkey Trap

By Lee Denning

They are watching us. They are testing us. They are ready to destroy us should we fail their test.

Monkey Trap, is the first book in a new, exciting Sci-fi thriller trilogy by father-daughter writing team, Denning Powell and Leanne Powell Myasnik. Writing together as Lee Denning, they weave together mythology, fantasy, religious theory, scientific fact, and fantastic, imaginative speculation into a roller coaster adventure of possibility.

Dr. Aaron O’Meara is a bit early for his shift at the Goddard Space Flight Center where he is involved in a 2-week ongoing test of their satellite/laser system to track and destroy threats. He and the entire X-room staff watch in amazement when Aaron is playing around a bit with the equipment before the next scheduled exercise happens across what appears to be a dog fight in space. There is a flare, a final flash of blue and green light, and two objects are suddenly hurtling toward earth. Their tracking equipment shows the larger object heading for the Columbian jungle, and the second…Washington. They grab on, duck for cover, but the expected impact never comes. Despite the disagreement and disbelief of his controller and colleagues, Aaron works with Adrienne, a cracker-jack programmer at the GCP, Global Consciousness Project at Princeton, and sets out to prove his theory that ET has landed.

Deep in the jungle of the Purace District, Columbia, the assassin has acquired his target. The drone delivery system works perfectly and the dart injects Diego Corrano, el jefe with the genomic toxin geared specifically for his DNA. He will die, slowly, painfully, or give the assassin’s secret organization information that will help take down the drug cartels in exchange for the antidote that will save his life. But the assassin is spotted, pursued, shot, falling, dying. A flash, a flare of blue light, then he is laying in a cave, broken and bleeding, with his life flashing before his eyes, just like they say it does.

Lara Picard is enjoying an early dawn ride on the Canal Bike Trail in Washington, DC, before preparing breakfast for her son, Joshua, and Uncle Ham. She is speeding along down the hill, muscles screaming, and then suddenly vocalizing that scream when a rock on the trail sends her flying through the air. A flash, a flare of green light, then she crashes to the embankment, broken and bleeding, her life flashing before her eyes, just as they say it does.

Lara and John are both a bit surprised to find themselves whole and healthy a short time after suffering fatal injuries, but strangely unperturbed and comfortable with the alien voices in their heads. They each learn from these voices that have great mental and physical powers and will be taught control over these powers. Taught to utilize these powers against the "other," an enemy set on the destruction of mankind. Each becomes determined to use them to destroy the other and save humanity from the evil entity that has invaded earth.

Monkey Trap, the survival of the entire race rests with two humans chosen to host alien entities in a test to prove humanity is ready for the next step of consciousness evolution. Will they prove humanity ready for the power of the next step, or ensure its destruction by proving the adage “absolute power corrupts absolutely?”

Monkey Trap is full of twists and turns, undercurrents and subplots, technical and scientific detail and jargon that under the talented hands of this father-daughter writing team will enthrall any Sci-fi fan. They have created a dynamite cast of characters who intrigue, anger, thrill, delight, and astound on every action packed page. They weave the impossible and improbable into the possible. They weave contradicting philosophies and theories into a believable intertwining pattern of compatibility. They introduce detailed fact and theory that enhances rather than detracts when presented with the masterful storytelling skills of these talented new authors. They tie it all together into a tightly written adventure into imagination.

Available November 15, 2004 from Twilight Times Books, this trade paperback, with its artistic cover design, quality paper and print, is a two thumbs up must read bookshelf keeper. Don’t miss Lee Denning’s Monkey Trap.