Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

This tale begins in 1936, in Southern Cameroon, West Africa. A monkey ran through the jungle carrying her precious baby. She was fleeing from a tribe of male chimpanzee hunters. Eventually she climbed a tree, holding on tightly with one hand as she clutched the baby with the other. An earthquake shook the tree causing her to slip from the flimsy branch. She broke a bone upon landing. In a frenzy the chimpanzees tore her apart, devouring her flesh just as they had that of a different monkey two days previously. Viruses from the species mixed in the chimpanzees, forming a blood-transmitted virus. When the lead chimpanzee was killed by a human, the virus spread throughout the villages, the continent and the world. “The spread of the virus had gone global by the time AIDS was recognized as the outcome.” The scene moves forward in time to our future. The population is facing an energy crisis, America is on the brink of war, and terrorists are using the AIDs virus as a weapon.

Ruby Barnes is extremely talented. “Crucible 1” is a fast paced, political thriller filled with conspiracy, high action, adventure, corruption, and romance. The plot has great depth showing the author did his research well. He has included historical, traditional, environmental, public, and high-tech material creating a sense of realism to the plot. This book will stay with you long after you close the cover for the reader is left with a sense that this could be our future. The reader has the opportunity to see the US standing strong and firm in the face of political pressure as it prepares to annihilate Iran. This is just the first book in this series and it leaves you begging for the next.