Saving Cascadia: A Novel [Hardcover]

John J. Nance (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 22, 2005

A New York Times Bestselling Author

John J. Nance is back with a nerve-jangling aviation rescue that takes shape in the wake of a devastating natural disaster. Nance hurtles readers along a nail-biting quest to rescue hundreds of people stranded on an island resort after a series of earthquakes shakes the Pacific Northwest.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this spookily timely new thriller by Nance (Pandora's Clock; Skyhook), human fiddling with nature triggers a series of earthquakes that may result in a 100-foot tsunami aimed at the heart of Seattle. Wealthy developer Mick Walker has sunk a hundred million dollars into a world-class resort on tiny Cascadia Island. What Mick should have known and refuses to believe is that his island is situated directly over a massive fault line. Seismologist Dr. Doug Lam attempted to halt the building of the resort, predicting that the pile drivers and explosives used in the construction could trigger a major earthquake and the resulting tsunami. As Mick and hundreds of his friends and supporters pour onto the island to celebrate the grand opening, the earthquakes begin. Dr. Lam's girlfriend, Jennifer Lindstrom, chief pilot and president of a helicopter business, supplies the aviation angle that all of Nance's books are built upon. Her skill and courage prove pivotal as the earthquake disaster begins to unfold. Nance, an expert in many areas, has written a previous nonfiction book on earthquake concerns (On Shaky Ground), and he builds suspense to a fever pitch in this all-too-credible nail-biter.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

For readers who are still counting, this is Nance's sixteenth novel. It concerns one Mick Walker, a millionaire real-estate developer who hopes to get even richer when his resort casino, hotel, and convention center open on Cascadia Island, off the coast of Washington. Enter Dr. Doug Lam, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, who believes that centuries of tectonic pressure will cause an eruption and destroy the island. Lam's sweetheart, Jennifer Lindstrom, owns a helicopter company and is scheduled to fly some of the guests to the island's opening. But the Pacific Northwest starts to vibrate with the first tremors, resulting in earthquakes and a huge tsunami off the coast, endangering hundreds of tourists and residents. Nance, as usual, offers a small amount of sex ("Jennifer had been balancing on one leg and pulling on her pantyhose when an impressively strong earthquake shook the hotel") with lots of chaos. Like Nance's other novels, the ending here is no great surprise, but the author's countless fans won't care. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1ST edition (February 22, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743250516
• ISBN-13: 978-0743250511
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,588,536 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John J. Nance, aviation analyst for ABC News and a familiar face on Good Morning America, is the author of several bestselling novels including Fire Flight, Skyhook, Turbulence, and Orbit. Two of his novels, Pandora's Clock and Medusa's Child, have been made into highly successful television miniseries. A lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, Nance is a decorated pilot veteran of Vietnam and Operations Desert Storm/Desert Shield. He lives in Washington State.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast-paced, suspenseful, a page-turner., September 24, 2005

By 

Ragnar (New Mexico USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Saving Cascadia: A Novel (Hardcover)

In my opinion, in Saving Cascadia, John J. Nance has written another excellent thriller. As a professional geologist, I found his research on the Cascadia Subduction Zone to be authentic and believable. As a novelist who writes about some of the same subjects as John, both wildfire and earthquakes, I found Saving Cascadia to be a page turner - the kind you stay up with all night - fast-paced, suspenseful, brilliantly plotted, with realistically flawed characters thrown up against one challenge after another.
Linda Jacobs

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but still lacking a certain something, April 20, 2006

By 

M. D. Stern (Orange, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saving Cascadia: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

This was the first book I have read by John J. Nance. The concept was interesting, but I couldn't help but comparing it to the old "Earthquake" movie: ruthless capitalist knows there is a problem and refuses to deal with it, as hero seismologist attempts to save his corner of the world while at the same time his own personal life is in disarray. Involved is a whole host of other characters with their own stories. The comparisons just were overwhelming to me. I kept thinking that the author was going to concentrate on the flying/helicoptor rescue bits of this novel, but it just wasn't to be.

Overall the book kept me interested and I felt it fairly well written. However, I just kept thinking the author was holding something back. If the book was more edgy I think it might have been better and far more interesting. **SPOILER** Everything just ties up entirely too nicely, and I think that is part of the problem.

If looking for a relatively interesting book to pass the time, this one might do it.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, April 5, 2005

By 

Konrad Kern (OFallon, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saving Cascadia: A Novel (Hardcover)

I found this novel to be entertaining. It's a nice change that John J. Nance doesn't write yet another air disaster but keeps it on the ground instead. Nance is a very skilled writer with a narrative that puts you in the middle of the story. A fast and sometimes emotional story that kept me entertained.

Recommended