Brad Parks really turned things up a notch and stepped into Michael Crichton territory with his previous release, INTERFERENCE. So the bar was significantly raised for his next title, and I am happy to report that UNTHINKABLE delivers in the form of a solid, edge-of-your-seat thriller.

The action kicks off literally from the very first sentence when we see Nate Lovejoy shaking off the cobwebs as he returns to consciousness. Once fully alert, he is facing a man who has been able to quickly and effectively neutralize him. This dangerous stranger, Lorton Rogers, has a shocking message with instructions that Nate needs to absorb and follow.

"UNTHINKABLE is an effective and memorable work that will force readers to think hard about the circumstances in which these characters are involved, while wondering what they would do if they were faced with the same challenges."

Parks alternates the narrative between Nate and his wife, Jenny. An attorney who is working a high-profile class action lawsuit, Jenny is in the process of soliciting individuals and families to join it. We are privy to her meeting with an elderly couple, the Hendersons, who are ideal potential plaintiffs. Mrs. Henderson is suffering from a serious condition and must sleep in a makeshift bed in her living room while being hooked up to an oxygen machine 24/7. The reason for her deteriorating health is the deadly air quality in their area caused by the local power company. By the time Jenny is done, the Hendersons will be added to the lawsuit.

Once the action switches back to Nate, we find out that Rogers needs him to do something and only lets him know that it involves his wife and her work. Nate is a former attorney who is now helping to take care of his two young daughters while Jenny is the breadwinner. Rogers works for an organization known as the Praesidium, which is run by its founder, Vanslow DeGange, who is now in his 90s. DeGange has built his empire on his uncanny ability to predict world events. In this case, he believes that if Jenny and her firm are successful with their lawsuit and effectively shut down the power company they see at fault, it will have a long-reaching impact that will physically change the face of the planet and cost billions of people their lives.

Rogers tells Nate that the only choice he has is to kill Jenny by the end of the week. He cannot tell anyone about this, or he will put the lives of his children and himself in jeopardy. Instead, he must take the gun that Rogers hands him and follow through on those orders in the specific timeframe he is given, or else his entire family will be taken out as collateral damage. To Nate, this is a no-win situation that is completely unthinkable.

This unique premise hooked me from the start. The fact that there is also a built-in countdown clock running throughout the book makes for some tense moments as Nate tries to figure out whether or not he can kill his wife to save billions of other lives. He does his research into the mysterious DeGange and finds out that he is everything Rogers has made him out to be --- a shadow figure behind a large and powerful consortium that may have been responsible for such major happenings as the JFK assassination.

Nate tries to remain cool, calm and collected at home, even though with each passing minute he will reach the point when he needs to pull the trigger. Then, just when the critical moment is at hand, Parks throws us a major curveball.

UNTHINKABLE is an effective and memorable work that will force readers to think hard about the circumstances in which these characters are involved, while wondering what they would do if they were faced with the same challenges.