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Jaime Valance is a Striker -the prosecutors at DOJ known as the Cowboys of the Justice Department. Those mostly young men and women crippled the traditional Mafia in the 1970s-1990s utilizing undercover operations and RICO prosecutions. Valance works out of Strike Force 18, based in Washington D.C. He travels widely throughout the nation, with investigations and trials in various locales. Valance pursues and convicts labor racketeers in New Orleans, Mobile, Gulfport, Brooklyn, Las Vegas, Washington D.C. - even the Allegheny Mountains in Eastern Kentucky.
After attending an FBI conference in Florida in January 1986, Valance returns only to watch the Space Shuttle Challenger break up and plunge into the Atlantic, killing the entire crew-including the first teacher in space, Christa McAuliffe. This shocks him to the core, and he leaves the Air & Space Museum vowing to do something about it, declaring- Hold On! I’m Coming! He volunteers and is appointed Staff Counsel for the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident (a.k.a. The Rogers Commission). The manuscript’s Prologue describes Valance’s reaction to that accident. Don’t be disappointed when the early chapters don’t bleed Challenger. The protagonist has to become Striker Valance first.
Valance takes this Challenger plunge compelled by his philosophy and directive in life- Chaos*Fate*Life*Courage*Loyalty. The novel takes the reader through Valance’s acquisition of this credo and his psychological, moral, and spiritual development as a youth, college student and lawyer. The various choices the Cosmos presents to Valance cause him to arrive at the point in space-time where he ends up as one of the key players in the Challenger mystery. This includes a strong plot line involving Sabra Shannon, the love of Jaime’s life. An intense romance which, unbeknownst to Valance, the mob is desperately trying to sabotage-for nefarious reasons. How they manage to accomplish that is a curious mystery that remains unsolved until it is too late to mend Jaime’s and Sabra’s broken hearts.
The Challenger investigation is dealt with primarily via narrative non-fiction. The characters are the actual well known players in that drama: Former Attorney General and Secretary of State William Rogers, First Man Neil Armstrong, First Woman Sally Ride, Astronauts Brewster Shaw and John Fabian, physicist Richard Feynman, and other charismatic and unique individuals. The book details the political pressure and intrigue that occurs, the surprising negligence of NASA, and the personal sacrifices and grief of the families of the Challenger 7. Plus it delves deeply into the working relationships and friendships formed by Valance and the Commissioners and staff investigators. The respect and talent shared by Valance and his compatriots re-enforces his strong belief in his philosophy. The novel reveals the real personas, strengths and weaknesses behind the public images of those famous characters. It illustrates the tenacity of Life, Courage and Loyalty in the face of problems produced by Chaos and Fate. It also demonstrates that those difficulties aren’t necessarily evil or immoral, and they can be successfully overcome, although sometimes at great personal sacrifice.
Jaime’s difficult path is inspiring.
