Eden's Gate (2001)

Eden’s Gate is a novel by author David Hagberg, who is well known for international thrillers. This one fits into the Bill Lane series of novels, which is his lesser known series. Bill Lane is a hero type that works for an undercover agency that is able to cut through the red tape around Washington, and answers directly to the President, something akin to Brad Thor’s hero- Scott Harvath.

The plot centers around a horrible secret. The Nazi’s had a secret lab, which was destroyed at the end of the war. The idea is that their secret is quite powerful, and now some Germans living in Montana of all places decide to go after it. The Montana Germans are really ex-East Germans from the secret police force known as Stasi. With this secret, they can hold the American superpower hostage, extort megabucks from the US, and have their plan for world domination, etc., etc., etc. If this starts to sound like the plot from Dr. Evil in an Austin Power’s movie, then you’re starting to get the idea. The whole thing has been overdone way too many times before, and there’s little new here in the overall plot.

There are some neat parts to the novel. This includes diving into a flooded Nazis bunker, and a skirmish on the high seas aboard a freighter. Hagberg also does an admirable job of keeping the true nature of the Nazis secret known for most of the novel. Truthfully, this was one of the few things that kept me reading on, and kept me from guessing the rest of the novel (and no, I’m not going to tell it to you here).

Still, overall, this plot, which is five years old, still felt quite tired to me. Cussler’s Black Wind, albeit written more recently, is along the same lines of a lost WW II secret, but kept my interest a lot better. Eden’s Gate had several passages that I had to read more than once to even comprehend what was happening, something I almost never have to do which points to some confusing writing. Combine that with a global cast of characters, and settings around the globe, and it appears that there was too much plot to develop in a mere 300 page book. Something simply isn’t working here, and the novel feels a little half baked at times.

While I’ve enjoyed this author before, Eden’s Gate simply isn’t Hagberg at the top of his game. On the other hand though, it is a little prophetic as it was written before 9/11, and the issues developed have certainly been a concern ever since. Oh, in case you’re wondering, Eden refers to the Cuban beach that they plan to retire to after they’ve made more dough than they know what to do with. In case you’re planning a trip to a warm tropical beach, I’d suggest bringing something other than Eden’s Gate to pass the time in the sun and sand.

Overall Grade: B-

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Also reviewed by Hagberg:
Joshua's Hammer
By Dawn's Early Light

Joshua's Hammer

Joshua's Hammer is the ninth novel in the Kirk McGarvey series of adventures. The author is David Hagberg whose work we have reviewed before.

Kirk McGarvey is the all American action hero. Even though he is a "big wig" as the Deputy Director of Special Operations, he still rolls up his sleeves and does plenty of hands on work. He can compare to such other well known literary action figures like Cussler's Dirk Pitt, and Coonts' Jake Grafton. Despite some medical issues, he performs admirably throughout the entire novel.

Joshua's Hammer is also notable for the villain involved: Osama Bin Laden. There is a lot of insight into Bin Laden's psyche, methods, and organization within the book. What is even more impressive is that Joshua's Hammer was written pre-9/11! This is another example of a cautionary tale, that ends up containing an eery sense of prophecy in the post 9/11 world, like Larry Bond's Day of Wrath.

The plot is intricately planned, and complicated, so plan on taking a little extra time and concentration on this one. There are also a lot of details into the President's Secret Service and the CIA's procedures. The cast of characters is also quite lengthy, which also contributes to the time needed to enjoy this work.

The novel starts with a meeting between Garvey and Bin Laden. The tension was palpable, and I felt like a fly on the wall of the cave when I read it. The rest of the novel is a cat and mouse game with a suitcase nuclear on the loose. It all builds to a nail biter ending that will have you on the edge of your seat like only a handful of novels are capable of.

What also contributes to making this a great novel is that we are given insight into each of the family's and their dynamics. There is a well planned parallelism, and contrast, between three daughters: McGarvey's, Bin Laden's, and the President's.

Joshua's Hammer is an excellent thriller that stands with the best of them. If you want a well developed plot, with believable characters, then this is definitely worth a read. Without reservation, I can give it our highest recommendation. Joshua's Hammer should be at the top of your books to be read this summer.

Overall Grade: A+

Also by Hagberg:
By Dawn's Early Light
Eden's Gate

By Dawn's Early Light

By Dawn's Early Light is a global thriller written by David Hagberg. The author has in depth military knowledge as he is a former Air Force cryptographer. Hagberg has written several novels.

By Dawn's Early Light features a plot based on an alternate view of current events. The "what if" is that Pakistan has a hydrogen bomb, and they are not afraid to use it on their Indian neighbors, or anyone else that wants to get in the way of their regional domination.

The global plot unfolds across several continents and oceans like a well executed battle plan. There are enough Special Forces and submarines involved to keep anyone with a military interest yelling "hoora" by the end of novel. The action is vivid, and well descibed. You're very glad that the USS Seawolf sub with its heroic crew is on our side!

Speaking of the end, the very last section presents quite an enigma. It appears to set the stage for a sequel, but there is none. If anyone knows the meaning, or cares to speculate, go ahead and post it in the comments below...

In conclusion, I enjoyed By Dawn's Early Light very much. This is the first novel I have read of Hagberg's body of work. I can promise you, it will not be the last.

Overall Grade: A



Also reviewed by this author:
Eden's Gate
Joshua's Hammer