I've been reading John Smolens books for several years now and haven't found a bad one yet. Whether his stories are set in northern Michigan (COLD and FIRE POINT) or Boston, his sense of place and setting is always dead-on, and makes you feel like you're right there. In THE INVISIBLE WORLD you get to know the seedy bars in Boston, as well as the upscale places, places like Sevens and the Cask'n'Flagon, which sits in the shadow of Fenway and the Green Monster. The seamier side of Boston is glimpsed too, as protagonist Sam Adams tries vainly, at various times, to rescue his sister Abigail from a life of drugs and prostitution. The Adams family ... Hey, I just realized that this so very dysfunctional family is "The Adams Family"! Did you do that on purpose, John? Wasn't it enought that our hero - or anti-hero - was named Samuel Adams (with nods to both the writer and the designer beer) and his near-invisible father with his shadowy ties to government and espionage since WWII is named John (well, "Jack") Adams? Then, there's the daughter, Abigail Adams. Couldn't an English major have fun with this book just analyzing the possible significance of the names chosen for this family and probably other characters too?

But I don't mean to make light of this book, or any of Smolens' books. BEcause make no mistake, this guy is a master at creating believable and very human characters, as well as at setting the scene and creating a very firm sense of place. His pacing is skillful and exact. He keeps you turning the pages, wondering what the hell is gonna happen next. In fact his books represent the very best of literary suspense/thriller/mystery genre. And the emphasis here is on "literary." His writing is on a par with, if not above, the work of great suspense writers like James Lee Burke, Lawrence Block or the late Tony Hillerman. And several cuts above the trash for the masses that John Grisham puts out (although I must confess that while I simply can't read Grisham, his books do make good films).

The story here, another twist on the JFK assassination theories, has obviously been painstakingly researched, and thus made chillingly believable. The skulduggery, political machinations, bloodshed and murder all seem equally and eminently real.

This guy's books are just plain good. They must be, because I don't generally read many mysteries or suspense-thrillers, but Smolens snags me every time. Someone needs to "wake the town and tell the people" about this writer. He deserves a much wider audience. Read John Smolens, please. You'll be glad you did. ( )