The Book of Truths (Area 51: The Nightstalkers series)

Bob Mayer
47North, 2013 (my copy was gracefully provided by 47North for review)
Size: Short (my paperback copy has 258 pages)
Theme: Military sci-fi
Narrative: third-person
Main character: The nightstalkers team
Recommended minimum age: Teenager
Would purchase as a gift to any sci-fi reader: YES

Continuing from the first “Nightstalkers” series book, we again follow the operations of the US covert special-ops team. This time there is no looming alien threat. Yet, a truth serum is on the loose and as it starts infecting more people (and ones with considerable power within the military ranks), an impending nuclear disaster is at hand and it is up to the nightstalkers to stop it. But as they tackle this threat to the nation – and in fact the entire world – we get to know other players from the secret operations world. As the truth starts being spit out all around, we learn some of the nation’s best kept secrets, and the entire world might be at stake.

The second book of this series keeps the pace and decisive action of the first. Mayer continues to grip the reader tight to the story. The team plays a much smaller role though, as new characters are introduced and other agencies involved.  It is much less sci-fi than its predecessor and more like a thriller fiction… I much enjoyed reading it and would recommend as a continuation of the previous book. If anything, I have to say I wished the story was longer and we got more details throughout.

Related work:

This is the second book of the series, after “Nightstalkers”, and will be continued in “Nightstalkers: The Rift” (already available).


*** Spoiler Alert ***
(Warning: the following text contains information that may hamper/ruin how much you enjoy the book):

After almost all of the White House staff and the presidential family become infected with the truth serum Cherry Tree, and General Riggs attempts to launch a nuclear assault on the other nuclear powers around the world, Moms and the Keep are able to prevent nuclear holocaust, just as the rest of the Nighstalkers team blows up the 4 PINNACLE missiles before their launch.