A Saturday's Review on Monday

The Hand of Fate by Lis Wiehl with April Henry is a mystery set in Portland OR. Jim Fate, radio talk show host, is killed by an apparent sarin gas attack. What follows is an investigation by three friends: Nicole Hodges, FBI special agent; Allison Pierce, federal prosecutor; and TV crime reporter, Cassidy Shaw. They call themselves the Triple Threat Club.


The three women interview friends, co-workers, and fans of Fate, a controversial host who has made a great many enemies in his line of work. There is not a lot of action, mostly the story is told through conversation.

I found the book to be a little pedantic. Just a walkthrough of the story. The only part of the book that grabbed me was the panic in the streets of downtown Portland during the apparent sarin gas attack.

The side material on domestic violence, illegal aliens, prescription drug abuse, etc. was so dry I needed a large glass of water to get through it.

I was also dismayed by the lack of local color. As a life-long Oregonian, I was hoping to see some of what makes Portland unique: Saturday Market, the Park Blocks, Pioneer Courthouse Square, MAXX transit. Instead, I felt the location could have been set in Atlanta or Des Moines with just a change of street and place names.

All in all, it was a nice read. I didn’t have to use my brain a lot to figure out the ending.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255