T-H-B

When you look at the state of the world around us, it can sometimes be difficult to imagine a future. Even more so is to imagine a future with religion in it. For as long as we can read throughout history there has been religion in it. Some might even argue that if religion were removed from every social and racial group, the world might just be a better place, since so many wars seemed to have been founded on religious interests. Move the world forward to the year 2089 and imagine a world without religion. That is the setting for Randy C. Dockens novel T-H-B. It is the first in the Coded Message Trilogy and it all begins when a confetti-size piece of paper falls at the feet of astrophysicist, Luke Loughton. All it contains on it is the letters T-H-B. Another man quickly appears as if looking for that same paper and as Luke intends to offer it to him, as if he lost it, the man quickly vanishes.

Thinking nothing of it, he places it in his pocket and continues to head on it to work at the Houston Aerospace Engineering Center working on tasks for an upcoming Mars mission via his holo-computer which removes the screen as a feature and instead projects a 3-D hologram to work from. He anticipates a way to date a fellow co-worker Sarah, a physician and fellow neighbor out to dinner. The date is set for after work but before he can get a chance to follow through on his intentions, two federal agents show up to arrest Luke, based on the evidence they find on him containing the T-H-B message. Despite his arguments of just randomly finding it on his was into work, he is physically detained and tossed into a holding cell.

A woman enters, that Luke refers to as the Ice Lady, who questions him about what he knows about T-H-B, which is essentially nothing. A man enters to room to provide him with a purple fluid to be injected into him and promises that they will know everything momentarily. When Luke wakes up, he still vaguely remembers why he is still in a holding cell, but can't remember what he told the investigators. Sarah shows up to bail him out and take him home, where his entire apartment has been ransacked. Further more, when he arrives at work, no one can remember anything except that Luke was taken from the facility by two EMT's and they are all concerned about his apparent illness. It seems that Sarah and Luke are the only ones not affected by the circumstances because these people truly believe what they saw. This only leads to the investigation now that Sarah and Luke will begin to discover what exactly T-H-B means, and what is someone hiding that can affect an entire population.

I received T-H-B by Randy C. Dockens compliments of Clovercroft Publishing. This is a unique blend of Science Fiction and Mystery as you find yourself like me, wondering just what is T-H-B and what does it mean? Why are so many working to prevent others from discovering its secret? Join our characters along for the ride as a silent observer and get prepared for the sequel slated to be launched in early 2018. When you look into the authors' background, you get a clear sense that he is writing from experience and that is what makes this novel believable. I  would give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars in this readers opinion.

For more information about Randy C. Dockens, T-H-B, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

T-H-B by Randy C. Dockens

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