Nexus

Genre: Mystery/Science Fiction
Title: Nexus
Author: N.E. Walker

Joe Nichols lives a quiet, unassuming life with his wife, Alice, and his daughter, Melissa. Their house will never grace the cover of Better Homes and Gardens, and their furniture is old and worn out, but it is a happy home. Their daily routine is quite predictable, in fact, until old dreams and obsessions, banished to the recesses of Joe’s mind years ago, are abruptly awakened as he sits in a theatre watching a new blockbuster children’s movie with Melissa. Scene by scene, he realizes that the story is identical to a book he wrote years earlier when he dreamed of becoming a published author. Barely controlled anger seethes inside him as he watches someone else’s name roll by in the credits, but what can he do? After years ago being forced to choose between Alice and his writing, will his marriage survive if he dredges up the old obsessions once again, and to what lengths will he go to expose the thief and get the fame he deserves? This is the starting point of Nexus, a nail biter of a mystery which ends with a distinct sci-fi twist.
From the opening paragraph, I was intrigued and found myself unable to put this book down. As I greedily turned the pages, my anticipation and curiosity rose to higher and higher levels, and I found myself formulating different theories, trying to put the puzzle pieces in place to solve the mystery. Each time, though, a new twist in the plot would crush my theory, leaving me totally perplexed as the story moved closer to the shocking climax and conclusion.
N. E. Walker is a magician with words, spellbinding the reader with imagery that makes the story so visual and real. His use of similes and metaphors is exceptional without being overdone. I could feel Joe’s anger and frustration growing with every turn of the page, and I could picture the scenes vividly.
As often is the case with sci-fi, I found myself dazed and awed by the ending, not quite sure if I totally understood the outcome or not. I don’t mean that in a negative way though. Sci-fi challenges the mind to consider possibilities outside the range of what we consider normal, and Nexus did just that. It left me pondering our very existence in the universe. This book held me in its grip from start to finish, and I highly recommend it. In fact, I can’t wait to read more by Walker!
Reviewer: Cindy Taylor, Allbooks Review. www.allbookreviews.com


Title: Nexus
Author: N.E. Walker
Publisher: n/a
Format: ebook
July, 2010