Like the similar project then of Poet Anderson before it, many will be drawn to this through the involvement of pop punk legend, Tom Delonge, Though Poet Anderson and the accompanying works were entirely fictitious, it's claimed by the rock star and sci-fi fanatic that Chasing Shadows has at least some of it's ideas based on "actual events and other truths drawn from sources within the military and intelligence communities" (amazon.co.uk, 2016) and which are today kept as highly guarded secrets,
Whether based in fact or not matters little to me for the purposes of this blog. I'm sure governments do indeed keep secrets from the general populous, but I'm writing about this book as a work of fiction, of which A.J.Hartley and Tom Delonge have created an absorbing, twisting and tense adventure over it's 670 odd pages.
A cast of memorable characters and villains ranging from Air Force pilots, journalists, business men and shady government agents, all with individual unique back stories which ultimately converge in a high paced chaotic conclusion, whilst still leaving enough to keep us guessing and craving for the next instalment.
A blend of military, crime and science fiction writing, these genres are at first like reading separate stories in their own right, each strand keeping you page turning for different reasons, at one minute making you feel like you're uncovering a murder mystery; another in the heat of a fire fight, and with good pace the characters, plots and relationships thicken, interweaving right up until the suspenseful conclusion.
Furthermore, the actual writing throughout is extremely detailed. Locations such as the infamous Area 51 base; the skies above war torn Afghanistan, or the Nazi infested WW2 era Poland are all presented vividly in your minds eye, so that regardless of how much of the story is artistic license, helps to make the tale truly believable.
A little part of me is somewhat annoyed that Tom Delonge's second venture into storytelling has been such an accomplishment; mainly because I find it hard to believe that a single individual can actually be this multi-talented... But this truly is an excellently told story and one that anyone with an interest in mystery, thriller or science fiction writing is likely to enjoy profusely. Recommended.
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