4 out of 4 stars
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Modify Destiny is the surprising new science fiction thriller by Bill Higgins. It opens with Reuben Garrett, a member of a clandestine CIA organization referred to only as "the project". He has been charged with destroying an old tape recording of President Kennedy meeting with members of the project who have been tracking extraterrestrial visits to Earth. The project members have plenty of historical evidence of UFOs and the Extraterrestrial Biological Entities (EBEs) they carry, but their mandate is to make sure the American public continues to believe aliens don't exist. The less ordinary citizens know, the better. The project's job suddenly becomes trickier when the whole town of Ramps, WV witnesses multiple sightings in one week.
One of the witnesses is Dave Reed who works for the CIA's Message Watch Office. When he goes missing for two days after having visited Ramps, he lands on the project's radar. Upon returning to work he is told he must submit to a specialized polygraph technique in order to keep his job, and he complies. What Reuben and the other project members learn from Dave's special session changes the way they think of EBEs forever.
Modify Desitny is a great book. It is well-written and riveting. The style is less X-Files and more Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Mr. Higgins draws from his inside knowledge of the CIA and other government agencies to write believable characters and scenes. He captivates his audience with a tale that builds in quiet intensity until the climax, which will have readers wishing they could read faster to discover the outcome of the story.
The tale is not all intensity. Mr. Higgins includes some comic relief with the character Tater Potts. He is one of the UFO witnesses living in Ramps, WV and is Reminiscent of Randy Quaid's character in the movie Independence Day. There is also a bit of clean romance included, as Shelby Potts (Tater's sister) and Dave venture into a relationship while Dave is in Ramps.
Sci-fi fans will love this book, and be surprised at the climax and the unexpected ending. Readers who prefer lots of action and combat scenes in their science fiction may not enjoy Modify Destiny, as it is a quiet thriller.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It is engaging, and appears to be professionally edited. I look forward to reading more from Mr. Higgins.
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Modify Destiny
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