MY TAKE:
Loved it! I thought Shawn's first book Through the Fire was impressive, but he knocked this one right out of the park. The story is fast paced, exciting and keeps you guessing clear to the end.
Jonathan Trestle is so real, I feel like I could fly to Reno today and meet him at the coffee shop. I know as writers we all do the research and put as much reality in our characters as possible. We want them to live and breathe in the readers minds. Shawn made that happen. His experience in the field of emergency services is obvious, but it takes talent to turn that experience into a character that surpasses paper and lives in our minds. He did that, not only with Trestle, but his field partner Bones and every other character you meet. In fact, Bones cracked me up. I want to meet him in real life too.
True to life characters wouldn't stand much of a chance though, if the setting didn't seem just as real. Shawn's descriptions of the city and nearby mountains were crystal clear, and I love his use of music and lyrics to show you emotion and mind set.
This is one of those books that I read with two halves of my brain arguing with the other. Every page was devoured by the book addict in me, with hardly the strength to set it down when necessary. When the book did get set down (briefly) the writer half couldn't stop analyzing everything written.
If it isn't obvious yet, I highly recommend this book. Shawn Grady deserves the title of Most Promising New Writer.
If you want to read an interview with Shawn, visit Mark Young's blog Hook'em and Book'em.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Jonathan Trestle is a paramedic who's spent the week a few steps behind the angel of death. When he responds to a call about a man sprawled on a downtown sidewalk, Trestle isn't about to lose another victim. CPR revives the man long enough for him to hand Trestle a crumpled piece of paper and say, "Give this to Martin," before being taken to the hospital.
The note is a series of dashes and haphazard scribbles. Trestle tries to follow up with the patient later, but at the ICU he learns the man awoke, pulled out his IVs, and vanished, leaving only a single key behind. With the simple decision to honor a dying man's last wish, Jonathan tracks the key to a nearby motel where he finds the man again--this time not just dead but murdered. Unwilling to just let it drop, Jonathan is plunged into a mystery that soon threatens not only his dreams for the future but maybe even his life. He must race for the truth before the Angel of Death comes calling for him.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Tomorrow We Die, go to HERE.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Shawn has served for over a decade as a firefighter and paramedic in northern Nevada. From fire engines and ambulances to tillered ladder trucks and helicopters, Shawn’s work environment has always been dynamic. The line of duty has carried him to a variety of locale, from high-rise fires in the city to the burning heavy timber of the eastern Sierras.
Shawn attended Point Loma Nazarene University as a Theology undergrad before shifting direction to acquire an Associate of Science degree in Fire Science Technology as well as Paramedic licensure through Truckee Meadows Community College.
Shawn currently lives in Reno, Nevada, just outside of Lake Tahoe. He enjoys spending time in the outdoors with his wife, three children and yellow Labrador.
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