Poison Town, by Creston Mapes

I love it when I randomly select a novel by an author I've never heard of, and am pleasantly surprised by an enjoyable read!  Creston Mapes has published several novels, the latest of which, Poison Town, brings back Jack Crittendon, a newspaper reporter in a close-knit Ohio town.  I haven't read Fear Has a Name, in which Crettendon was introduced, but I'll have to check it out.

In Poison Town, Jack's mechanic and his family bring a disturbing trend to his attention: a local manufacturer has been spewing harmful chemicals into the environment.  This family, the shop owner and his two sons, claim that the plant is responsible for their mother's death, the father's sickness, and the deaths of other locals.  Not only that, but employees who have tried to bring the company to task have mysteriously disappeared.

Of course Jack has to investigate, but he hits up against resistance from the newspaper editor, finds himself threatened by the company, and the body count begins to rise.  Mapes writes a pretty good thriller, as he slowly puts pieces together and the increases the action of the story exponentially toward the end.  My biggest complaint is that the "big business is evil" theme was too over-the-top.  I know some businesses act unethically, and there are surely environmental abuses to be addressed around the world.  But when a publicly traded corporation starts poisoning old men in their hospital beds, hanging employees from bridges, burning down houses, running people off the road, etc., etc., it just seemed like too much.  Yes, it's fiction, but this part of the story seemed too unrealistic.

One of the thing things I liked best about Poison Town was the development of the characters.  Not only are they well-drawn, likable, and realistic, Mapes presents them as real Christians living real lives. Poison Town is a Christian novel, but it's not a message novel.  It's a novel written by a Christian, containing Christian characters.  Plot is not sacrificed for preachiness.  As we get to know the characters, we see how they live their lives, and their Christian faith is a part of their lifestyles, relationships, and decision making.  I found this to be refreshing and encouraging.

Mapes writes a good "beach read" for fans of suspenseful fiction.  Poison Town is worth a look, and Mapes is an author I'll likely come back to.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!