The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
R. Chapman Wesley
High Top Publishing
B0CDMDC6NM, $9.99 ebook
Think bio-terrorist thriller, add a heavy dose of medical mystery intrigue, then polish it off with the world-hopping potential for a cure that will change mankind for a sense of the special style of high-octane, nonstop action that is The Well. The theft of such a possible promise combines with a murderous competition in which Professor Anatoly Popov, an esteemed virologist and Russian-born defector, steals the world's deadliest virus from a lab with the objective of altering it to produce a cure that will change the world. Unfortunately, his adversaries (which came from all walks of life) don't share his vision. A power struggle emerges which holds the dual prospect of either destroying humanity or altering it forever.
R. Chapman Wesley cultivates a special blend of mystery, myth, and hope for the future. These pose quandaries and questions as characters vie for control of a force that humanity has never faced before. Moral and ethical values collide with legend and science in satisfying ways that juxtapose the shifting realities of everyone involved. Readers will find their own ideals and values buffeted in the course of a story that reads like a mystery, holds the back-and-forth globetrotting tension of a thriller, and creates unusual associations between military and scientific special interests as new possibilities are pursued.
As if these elements weren't already enough to command a compelling read, Wesley adds the impact of an indigenous tribe into the mix who "... are the Keepers of the Secrets and the Protectors of "The Well." It is they who have discovered that the true "Well" lies within each of us, already an embedded perfection of ourselves, given by the One Universal Mind, simply awaiting a recognition to unleash the perfection." From inquisitive priests and cultural revelations to a search that leads Popov and his unlikely associate, ex-Seal medic and budding scientist Cmdr. Rex Lee, to probe the jungles of Brazil for answers, readers embark on a rollicking world tour of frightening power struggles and possibilities. These represent swift action and thought-provoking twists and turns throughout.
The Well is marked by a sense of discovery and the possibilities of miracles that evolve from unlikely associations and sources. This atmosphere lends it a tense aura of expectation that doesn't always lead in predictable directions. The result is an engrossing thriller that is dressed in a broad spectrum of metaphysical and philosophical reflections perfect for readers of The Jerico Manuscript, The DaVinci Code, and similar tales of resolution and revelation. The disparate, powerful favors of The Well will make it a main attraction for not just thriller collections, but libraries looking for exceptional book club recommendations: "He could understand the worthiness, even practicality of not judging others, but how could he not judge himself? His father had preached that the universe was filled with forgiveness. But he also taught a form of spiritual preservation; that each action provoked a reaction, like a reflection in a mirror; that the universe was just; and that one could not escape the consequences of one's actions... unless there was atonement."
