Publishers Weekly
Near the start of this solid thriller from bestseller Preston, the U.S. president's science adviser asks former CIA operative Wyman Ford, last seen in 2008's Blasphemy, to look into the sudden appearance of radioactive gemstones, in particular to identify the precise location of their origin in Cambodia. Meanwhile, college dropout and frustrated astronomer Abbey Straw, who believes she witnessed a meteor's fall, embarks on a search of small islands near her Maine home to locate pieces of the meteorite to sell on eBay. In California, soon-to-be murdered professor Jason Freeman sends Mark Corso, a Mars mission technician at the National Propulsion Facility, a classified hard drive with evidence of gamma rays emanating from the red planet. The three story lines end up neatly intersecting, though the final payoff doesn't do justice to the engaging setup. Preston refrains from inserting the scientific minilectures of which the late Michael Crichton was so fond. (Jan.)
Library Journal
Wyman Ford, hero of Tyrannosaur Canyon and Blasphemy, returns in Preston's latest thriller, where the stakes involve not only the salvation of the world but also the solar system. A young woman in Maine sees a meteorite streak through the sky and decides to find the crater. A scientist working on Mars data finds something so startling that he is murdered to keep the information secret. And Ford heads to Cambodia to investigate the source of a new gemstone on the market that has radioactive properties. When he arrives, he realizes that the mine is an exit hole. How can a meteorite travel through the earth? VERDICT Preston has done it again. The thriller elements mix well with the science aspects of the story, and the author makes even the hard-to-grasp concepts easy to understand. Most readers will consume this in one sitting; not to be missed.—Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.
From the Publisher
Some hopeful science fiction fans such as yours truly have begun to see Preston as the possible successor to the recently deceased Michael Crichton… Some novels you want to savor, some you want to read so quickly that you can scarcely keep yourself from tearing pages as you move forward. Preston's entertaining accomplishments tend toward the latter.” —Alan Cheuse, National Public Radio
“Impact is out of this world. Simply put, Douglas Preston has crossed over into a new frontier of thriller. It is a fireball of astronomic proportion that will leave you gasping for air! So buckle up, turn off the phone, and don't forget to breathe.” —Brad Thor, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Apostle
“Douglas Preston's wildly creative novels expertly blend real science and heart-stopping thrills. He is, quite simply, the new and improved Michael Crichton.” —Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of The Keepsake
“A brilliantly executed thriller-exciting, fascinating, and thought-provoking. The kind of book you want to savor-and when dawn comes you realize that it has taken off like a rocket and swept you through the night. Wild and wonderful reading fun! A highly original and yet eerily plausible premise.” —Whitley Strieber, New York Times bestselling author of Critical Mass
“Brilliant . . . full of huge ideas, but intensely human, too, and intensely suspenseful.” —Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author of the Jack Reacher novels
“Preston will have his readers checking the sky for falling objects. Impact delivers one . . . and then some!” —Sandra Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Smash Cut: A Novel
“One of our best writers and entertainers is back, so make sure that your seat belts are securely fastened and your tray tables are stowed, because-no surprise-Douglas Preston pulls it off yet again: another fast-paced, action-packed, mind-bending adventure. You'll be sorry when the flight is over and your imagination returns you to the real world.” —William Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Constitution
JANUARY 2010 - AudioFile
Douglas Preston pulls out all the stops in this thriller. While the characters and situations are stock science fiction—involving strange natural phenomena appearing all over the Solar System—Preston packages them in a plot intricate and timely enough to keep the listener engaged. Scott Sowers demonstrates the proficiency that has earned him a reputation as an accomplished narrator. His skillful use of volume and pace delivers intensity and drama while keeping the scene and character transitions clear and easy to follow. Minor flaws in this strong performance that will grate on the Downeast ear are his inability to accurately duplicate the region's accent and the repeated mispronunciation of a prominent location in the story, Damariscotta, Maine. Overall, however, Preston and Sowers fans will find much to enjoy. M.O.B. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine
