CAMOUFLAGE

In this novel, a small-town police chief becomes torn between preserving prehistoric creatures that lurk in a park and protecting the locals.

Jason Kenner, a popular high school basketball coach in Wilton, Connecticut, mysteriously vanishes, and his childhood friend Vanessa Strauss reports his disappearance to the police. Sean Dermott, the chief of police, is immediately smitten with Vanessa and takes a personal interest in the case as a result. He and his team visit Quarry Head Park, Jason’s last known location. There, Sean is suddenly attacked by what appears to be some sort of massive reptile, an assault that leaves Det. Ethan Roberts, the police chief’s best friend, in critical condition. A grief-stricken Sean fervently hopes that he will survive: “He’s going to be okay. Damn it! He has to be okay.” Sean recruits Dr. Greg Mitchell, an expert on reptiles at the University of Connecticut, to determine the nature of the towering animal, and his speculations prove extraordinary. Greg comes to believe that the colossal creature is a Plesiosaur, a marine reptile that dates back to the Jurassic period. Moreover, there turns out to be more than one. Greg wants to help safely steward the giant reptiles back to their natural environment—they seem to hail from an underground lake. But Col. Frank Gunner, the head of the state police, would rather summarily destroy them. The pace of Keating’s compact book is relentlessly brisk, and the atmospheric story will appeal to fans of the Jurassic Park film series and readers intrigued by huge prehistoric reptiles. In addition, the author provides some rich, informative tidbits about Plesiosaurs and dinosaurs. Unfortunately, the tale offers some familiar elements and tropes, including the preservation debate involving the creatures. Moreover, the prose, while always lucid, is sometimes bland and earnest, traits evident in the interior monologues. At one point, Sean reassures himself when confronted with a romantic opportunity: “Hmm. She’s inviting me back to her place. Keep your cool.”

A fast-paced but somewhat familiar tale about prehistoric predators.