I bought a copy of The Sky Block by Steve Frazee for the terrific cover art by Bob Maquire. The Berkeley Gazette called it "...the perfect suspense novel." and it is that. Taut and engrossing from the very first pages, the mystery and tension don't let up until the very end.
"The secret weapon of an unseen enemy"
Platt Vencel returns to his childhood home in the mountains to find the area around Grizzly Lake cordoned off by a secretive Government installation. From the first pages, Vencel runs into two agents 'fishing' nearby who know his prowess as a local guide and convince him to come to the lake. Along with Colonel Catron, they reveal the impending danger - persons unknown have created a devastating weapon for the destruction of mankind, a device that alters the weather to create deadly events in the US. The enemy has been foiled several times, but before they can be discovered, the team of operators destroy the weapon then kill themselves. Intel has placed a new weapon deep in one of the old mining tunnels surrounding the lake. As they drain the lake to gain access to the closed mines, Vencel shows them tunnels and caves not listed on the maps to ferret them out.
Nearby is Okie's diner and cabins, where Steve rents a room. It's possible the new waiter is either a government or enemy agent in disguise. The same could be said of the travelling salesmen or the vacationing couples passing through. Okie and his wife have run the place for a long time, but can't be above suspicion. Even the secluded team of agents from the FBI, Army Brass and the nation's top scientists begin to turn on each other in a power play when a series of shocking and deadly sabotage deaths rock the camp. The stakes are high. You can't trust anyone for the enemy is hiding in surprising places.
Steve Frazee wrote many westerns, and won the 1953 Ellery Queen Mystery Contest. The writing was clear, direct, and totally involving. Several twists and sudden shots of explosive violence stumped me from discovering who was behind it all. The weapon and the enemy were serious and the suspense was high throughout, despite the lack of detail on the machine or the enemy - it was all about the tension and espionage. I'd compare it to Jack Higgins-type adventure, with a faster pace - they only have ten days to capture the machine intact!
I love finding a really great read that totally satisfies.
1953 / Paperback / 192 pages
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