Poison Town by Creston Mapes - REVIEWED

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

                                           

About the Book:

There's More Than One Kind of Poison in This Town 

People are sick and dying. Rumors are swirling. Some claim chemicals leaking from a manufacturing plant are causing the cancer that's crippling people on the poor side of Trenton City, Ohio. Yet nothing at the plant appears amiss. The problem remains a mystery until reporter Jack Crittendon's long-time mechanic falls ill and he investigates. Soon Jack becomes engulfed in a smokescreen of lies, setups, greed, and scandal. The deeper he digs, the more toxic the corruption he uncovers. As he faces off with the big-time players behind the scenes and tries to beat the clock before more people die, he realizes the chillingly unthinkable-he knows too much.

My Thoughts:

“Greed…That’s all it was.  And ever since the very second I agreed – it’s been nothing but poison.” (p. 281-282)

“My unforgiveness has been wrong; it’s been poisoning me.” (p. 307)

Creston Mapes has created a tense, ever-increasingly fast paced novel that could have been ripped from today’s headlines.  He sets a large corporation against the residents of a small-town.  As the residents uncover the truth that is the underlying cause of the death and destruction tearing apart lives and families, they also discover the spiritual poison within their own hearts.  The choice to forgive and rebuild lies before them.  The battle to make the right choice and still see justice done becomes increasingly difficult when the lives of those they love hang in the balance.

When we were introduces to Jack Crittendon and his family in the novel Fear Has A Name, we experienced a personal attack within the Crittendon household.  Two families’ stories intertwined and set the stage for the second installment found within the pages of Poison Town.  Mapes continues to explore the effect of past sins levied upon the Crittendon family while introducing another, seemingly more insidious evil upon their community.  I love the way Mapes is so purposeful about drawing the reader into the lives of the characters – creating an emotional investment within the storyline. He uses this very effectively and builds the suspense layer upon layer until the pages are stirring up quite a breeze by the time you reach the final chapters.

The characters in Poison Town are flawed and justifiably frightened out of their minds.  As they try to navigate their everyday lives, they must face loss, the consequences of wrong choices, and the weight of making the right choice when their lives and the lives of the ones they love are in great danger!  

If you enjoy realistic suspense novels, I highly recommend Creston Mapes Crittendon Files!  You won’t get much sleep, but you will be a very satisfied reader!

About the Author:

Creston has fond memories of his boyhood in Bath, Ohio, where he became enchanted with his future wife, way back in the fourth grade. His father, Bernie, owned and operated The Weathervane Furniture Shop in town. The whole family lived right upstairs in the century-old house known as "The Shop." Creston studied journalism at Bowling Green State University, then began his writing career. During the past 30 years, he has worked as a reporter, corporate copywriter, creative director, freelance writer, and author.