Title: The Alien Stranger
Author: Bob Ticer
Publisher: Readers Magnet, LLC
ISBN: 1957312815
Pages: 142
Genre: Science Fiction / Action Adventure
Reviewed by: Liz Konkel
Read Book Review
Kayla’s life was ordinary. She kept busy working to help pay the bills and spending time visiting her mother in the hospital. Then her life turns upside-down after she crashes into charming football star Bard who she immediately forms a connection. He gives her a pair of earrings which she only accepts if he’ll let her buy him dinner. The romance between them quickly takes off and all is looking up for Kayla until she’s saved from assault by a mysterious stranger who gives her a necklace to hold onto. The encounter drags her into a whole mess of problems and now she’s at the center of a crime. The FBI brings her in for questioning and has a request – for her to work them by going uncover to determine the identity of the stranger. Meanwhile, Bard catches the attention of the wrong people that puts his life at risk.
The story is framed with two specific meetings that change Kayla’s life, starting with her literal bike crash into a charming football star. This meet-cute serves as a catalyst for the romance elements within the story which is sparked by him giving her earrings and creates a subtle romantic comedy tone against the science fiction action. Her life is relatively ordinary when the story begins as she’s working to help pay bills and then she gets a chance for some happiness when her life twists into an action-packed thriller with a mysterious stranger, drug cartels, assault, and kidnappings. The second encounter when her life is saved by a stranger creates a catalyst for the action and drama within the story. As she is drawn into the FBI as a spy and into dangerous territory with the drug cartels, she’s pushed to discover just what she’s truly capable of.
In addition to Kayla, Bard and the Alien Stranger play a key role in how events unfold in the story. Bard also has a relatively idealistic life as the football star who receives praise when his life drastically changes by a chance encounter with a beautiful woman. His priorities begin to shift from just wanting the life that being the football star brings as he’s pulled into the chaos along with Kayla. The story flips the usual script with Bard playing the role of the damsel-in-distress when he’s held hostage and Kayla jumps to his rescue. The Alien Stranger plays a mysterious role within the story, first as the hero that saves her life and then as the one that draws her into all these problems. This creates an interesting juxtaposition with his character which leaves you just as curious about who he is as Kayla and Bard with answers revealed by the end of the story.
Science fiction meets action thriller as Kayla is drawn into a world where she goes undercover for the FBI and up against the threats of a drug cartel while facing the mysteries of a man with advanced technology. The use of advanced technology such as a hummingbird drone is subtly woven into this world and adds to the mysteriousness of the stranger. Science is specifically used within the story, starting with general conversation and as what initially bonds Bard and Kayla with a discussion about particles. Also included are various references to theories by Newton and Einstein such as thermodynamics and Special Relativity.
A fast-paced plot comes to life in author Bob Ticer’s The Alien Stranger that blends action-packed moments with science fiction elements in the backdrop of a story with romance, advanced technology, drug cartels, and undercover work.
