Backcover Description: Black magic threatens humanity with Extreme Liquidation.
The only thing preventing occultist Aleister Crowley from ascension is reincarnation. Trapped in human form again, he's manipulating political events to bring about the End Times and achieve what he believes to be his true destiny.
FBI Agent Caitlin Diggs has a secret gift that could stop him, but Crowley's no ordinary enemy. He knows something she doesn't, and tampers with her ability, twisting it to serve his own agenda. Will she uncover the truth in time to save all mankind?
Book Review/s to share: 2009 Reviewed by G.L. Giles for Target Audience Magazine
'Extreme Liquidation'
I haven't read Blood Web, the first installment in the Caitlin Diggs series, but that didn't keep me from following the plot of Extreme Liquidation with no problem. Although Starta alludes to Book One at times, often to demonstrate more of FBI Agent Caitlin Diggs' psychic gifts from the past, you won't be lost, for it's to embellish the storyline in Book Two. Therefore, it's easy to catch the gist of what happened before and to understand Book Two more thoroughly. I won't go into precisely what they are or how items like a crystal and a robe can both aid and mislead federal agent Caitlin Diggs, but suffice it to say, that their roles, as McGuffins of sorts, are well thought out and believable in a willing suspension of disbelief/belief kind of way. The meaning of the title, Extreme Liquidation, is fully revealed on p. 112, but to avoid a spoiler alert, I’ll just say that it refers to the evil plot of Aleister Crowley, reincarnated into another male character, to exterminate all humankind for his own selfish gain. Furthermore, reincarnation also plays a part in one of the female character's lives, as she was also a former deity in the past; in fact, that revelation caused me to gasp out loud while reading. Yes, it's that goodJ.
The character development is great. And, I particularly enjoy a novel with a strong female protagonist; in this case, Caitlin Diggs. Plus, another female character is played by a cat named Celeste. She's no ordinary cat; she actually aids Caitlin and her sister throughout the novel in various ways. In addition, the relationship between Caitlin and her sister, Tara, is well-developed, and the blossoming romantic relationship between Caitlin and Ross Fisher is believable.
There are a lot of cutting edge scientific facts mixed with fiction in this novel of 204 pages, but Starta does a great job of keeping even former English majors like myself, who steered clear of science as much as was possible, up to speed with easy-to-understand explanations. Moreover, his use of cutting-edge scientific facts, blended with his fiction so seamlessly, makes this supernatural/psychological thriller very believable. I could easily see this novel being adapted for a screen of some kind, perhaps in a television format like Fringe. For example, a couple of the topics covered are psychotropic drug development and schizaphysiology. Best of all, there's a sense of continuity by connecting the past to the present and future through sacred geometry.
In closing, I highly recommend this novel.
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