Hand of Fate

February 15, 2010
Bestseller Wiehl and Henry's second Triple Threat novel (after Face of Betrayal
) offers an exciting if familiar plot. When Jim Fate, a radio talk host in Portland, Ore., opens a padded envelope addressed to him shortly before going on air, he releases a poison gas, possibly sarin, that soon kills him. The package also contains a copy of Talk Radio
, originally a play, later a movie, about the true-life murder of Denver talk show host Alan Berg. Caught in the subsequent investigation are three young professionals with links to law enforcement: federal prosecutor Allison Pierce, who's pregnant; FBI special agent Nicole “Nic” Hedges; and Cassidy Shaw, a TV crime reporter, who formed the “Triple Threat Club” after a high school reunion. Readers will identify with these very real women as they try to uncover Fate's killer, and each battles a personal demon—Allison her fear of miscarriage, Nic her fear of her daughter's criminal father, and Cassidy her prescription drug addiction.

Jim Fate, a Limbaugh-style talk-show host, opens a sealed envelope and inhales poison gas. The Triple Threat Club trio, FBI Special Agent Nicole, Federal Prosecutor Allison, and TV crime reporter Cassidy, who has been personally involved with Fate, go into action to chase down the perpetrator. Narrator Pam Turlow differentiates each character and dramatizes her struggles and fears. However, the author's overemphasis on character detracts from the mystery. Still, Turlow's depictions of Allison's worry over a possible miscarriage, Nicole's fears of abuse, and Cassidy's unsuspected prescription-drug addiction are credible and engaging. In the end, Turlow's excellent narration overcomes the shortcoming of too many personal issues. G.D.W. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine