Fallen Masters

August 27, 2012
Who would guess that the end of the world could engender boredom? That's, alas, the case in this apocalyptic would-be thriller that is short on suspense and believable characters. Self-described psychic medium Edward throws everything he's got at the future of mankind. An astrologer with psychic powers, Mama G sees humanity facing the end of days, in both "metaphysical and astrological terms," and is tapped by the Council of Elders on the Other Side to help. With both "science and religion... reporting strange phenomena," the Vatican has created an ad hoc Council of Faith with representatives of the nine major religious traditions to combat forces "which may be called âevil.' " Astronomers fear a terminal event as an expanding cloud of dark matter approaches the solar system. A sadistic killer strikes in Belfast, Northern Ireland, removing the heart of a young woman before carving an elaborate glyph on her back. Against all these horrors, a Glenn Beckâlike television commentator, Dave Hampton, can only implore his followers to mobilize the good "within and amongst us." Most characters are walking clichés, as big a strike against the book as its forgettable prose. Agent: Corinda Carfora, Wildcat Marketing.