Customer Reviews

Strange Valley

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Strange Valley was a fun read, and it goes fast, which is probably a good thing, because I'd hate to think I spent too much time on this one. It's got an interesting premise, but it fails to expand much beyond the premise. Character motivations are paper-thin and seem too often to just be a thinly disguised extension of the author's feelings with no logical grounding in the plot. And sure, it's fun to see someone taking a few pot shots at neo-conservative Christian mentalities, but hey, it doesn't always drive the book forward. And the sexual liberalism scenes, particularly the final one where the main characters are celebrating their success, come off as just some ridiculous throw-back to the 60s. Like something out of an Austin Powers spoof. Can you say campy?

Census Bureau career civil servant Harry Beales is stunned with the data that reflects Masterville in the Arkansas Ozarks. The small town contains no measurable crime, a much greater than average life-span, no international business chains as everything is locally owned, no federal money is received not even Medicare or Pell Grants, the marriage rate is very low, but offspring very high and no major religion has taken hold. However, the oddest fact is that these trends can be traced back to the Civil War.

Harry's findings reach NSA; they become concerned with this oddity in the center of the Bible Belt especially since the objective of the President of the United States is to imbue Christian family values as the Bill of Rights. NSA field agents Daniel Stenning and Shirley Rostervick are sent to Masterville to uncover and destroy this heretical conspiracy in the middle of the United States that the POTUS and the NSA believe is the biggest threat to national security since the wall fell.

Using hyperbole to highlight the extreme of the fundamentalist religious right movement, Darrell Bain provides a powerful political thriller. The story line showcases a central government that feels so strongly in the end state of Christian based federalism that it leads the people to a restrictive faith in which the means to get there do not matter. This includes beating the bushes to thwart a small town whose residents are living together in harmony as that is not necessarily a pious life style. This reviewer kept thinking of the bane imposed on Rushdie as this strong thriller with a powerful message leaves readers to ponder what is right. Darrell Bain has written a fabulous eye-opening tale.

Harriet Klausner