The First 48 [Mass Market Paperback]

We have only just been introduced to Tom long enough to learn a little of his eccentric nature when the scene shifts from Ithaca, NY to the newsroom of THE WASHINGTON POST. There a shadowy source is feeding Tom's daughter Jane, a young reporter, very damaging information about none other than Michael Gleason, the cause of her father's downfall many years ago and now a senior and very powerful U.S. Senator. As Jane becomes convinced that she may have a story of Pulitzer Prize potential if her source is trustworthy, she decides that she has to visit her father and confront him in order to finally learn the secret of how Gleason destroyed Tom's career as background for her understanding of the Senator and in order to decide if he is as corrupt as her source has indicated. Under a morning deadline from her editor, Jane returns to DC later the same night to prepare the story for the editor's approval, but she fails to appear at work the next day. When Tom contacts her editor the next afternoon after becoming concerned about her, he learns that the police are investigating her disappearance and that her apartment has been ransacked.

Tom was a policeman before attending law school, so he immediately recognizes that THE FIRST 48 hours after a subject's disappearance are crucial to successfully locating the person alive. Since the countdown has effectively begun several hours earlier, he and MIke immediately pack up Tom's old diesel pickup truck and head for DC. Tom finds that his sense of urgency is not shared by either the POST management or the DC police, both of whom are treating Senator Gleason with the deference that the powerful in Washington so often command. Tom's reputation as an oddball and his aggressive behavior quickly end all chances for their cooperation, so he and Mike decide to independently investigate Jane's disappearance. Of course, Tom is totally convinced that Gleason is undoubtedly the key to the puzzle, and makes the Senator the initial target of his inquiry. He and Mike also pursue the parallel track of determining the identity of her shadowy source.

The plot has several threads that are ingeniously woven together, and the depiction of the intrigue surrounding the Washington lobbying scene is accurately drawn. The book is an easy read and a real page turner; I started it during an afternoon and had finished it by bedtime without speedreading. Also, in some ways, the central charcters are much better developed than in Green's earlier books. During explanatory flashbacks, we learn a lot about Tom and a fair amount about Mike, and we are treated to a wonderful tradition which has evolved which involves the exchange between them at appropriate moments of relevant philosophical insights drawn from recognizable historical figures . So, why not a five star rating? The story suffers from the two interrelated flaws which plague the author's other books which I have read. First, there are a few too many tricks played on the reader in regard to certain events. (I cannot be more specific without creating a spoiler.) While this makes the story more exciting and unpredictable, it does so in a way that is basically a shortcut for the author at the reader's expense. Second and much more importantly, Green does a great job of providing many accurate and interesting details in order to create a realistic backdrop, but then in an apparent effort to increase the "thrill quotient" and keep the reader's adrenaline pumping he makes some elements of the story so farfetched as to cause it to lose all credibilty. It undoubtedly is a great story for a speed reader, who would probably primarily care about the plot and love the action; in some ways it is a better movie outline than a book.

If you are a Tim Green fan or are just looking for an action thriller that has an interesting plot and which is a fast read, this book should provide a few hours of enjoyment. This is the fourth book by Tim Green that I have read, and it is much superior to his last effort, THE FIFTH ANGEL (review 3/21/03). It is about on a par with THE LETTER OF THE LAW, but not nearly as good as THE FIFTH PERIMETER, so if you haven't read that one I recommend it highly.

Tucker Andersen