Powderhole

Days after journeying home for his father’s funeral, Bruce Weiss finds himself balanced precariously on a bridge over a roaring waterfall with an undercover agent hot on his heels and a terrible danger lurking in the woods. Rewind back a few days. Bruce’s dad drunkenly slams into a porch and dying after. Bruce returns to the isolated town of Powderhole to pay his respects and finds himself caught up in local drama. Rumors of a meteor crashing nearby and a gun debate liven things up. Before long, Bruce is on the run from whatever landed in the woods and the agents seeking to recover it. Alongside a femme fatale, his old friends and flames, and some old enemies, Bruce races to save his life and the town of Powderhole from an increasingly dangerous threat.

Powderhole by Blaine C. Readler is an interesting read. It starts out like a charming drama between a ne’er-do-well, his father’s legacy, and the town he couldn’t wait to get out of. Following Bruce’s journey is fun, thanks to lively character, quick back-and-forth dialogue, and suspenseful action as it quickly shifts gears into an adventure mystery complete with government agents, multiple deaths, and a secret horror hiding near the waterfalls. The agents lock down the town, further isolating an already remote location. The drama mounts and more bodies pile up and it’s unclear who Bruce can trust, even among people he grew up with. The truth behind the deaths and the real reason the agents are there slowly reveals itself adding yet another layer of tension. Bruce faces danger on all sides with not only the fate of Powderhole in the balance. Despite some minor editing hiccups (spelling mistakes, formatting issues), Readler crafts a fun page-turner that’s got a few twists and turns lurking beyond the next page.