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Finding Round
FINDING ROUND is a thriller with scientific elements and may appeal to readers of Harlan Coben, Michael Crichton and Allison Brennan.
Craig Nobel is a dedicated geologist and family man living a golden life, but when his seventeen year-old son comes across small unexplainable spheres found in a South African mine, the discovery sets off an unexpected and life-threatening chain of events for the entire Nobel family.
As Craig fights to save his daughter's life, keep his son out of jail and his marriage together, he learns the spheres may have been planted three billion years ago by ancient beings. But were the spheres meant to help or harm humans? As he races for the answer to the spheres, he must also learn what is truly important in life before it is too late—for his family and the world.
Craig Nobel is a dedicated geologist and family man living a golden life, but when his seventeen year-old son comes across small unexplainable spheres found in a South African mine, the discovery sets off an unexpected and life-threatening chain of events for the entire Nobel family.
As Craig fights to save his daughter's life, keep his son out of jail and his marriage together, he learns the spheres may have been planted three billion years ago by ancient beings. But were the spheres meant to help or harm humans? As he races for the answer to the spheres, he must also learn what is truly important in life before it is too late—for his family and the world.
- GenresThriller
371 pages, ebook
First published August 31, 2012
13 people want to read
About the author
Alex Sheridan
3 books13 followersFascinated by suspense stories and the unexplainable since age seven, readers can count on Alex Sheridan for a thiller-coaster ride and intriguing locations in every book.
The author lives in Florida with the greatest twin daughters a parent could hope for; and two cats--a twitchy calico and a torti snuggler.
When not writing, Alex enjoys long walks in the surf, spending time with family and friends--especially if it involves laughing, a glass of wine or a game of chess, reading lots of great books.
The author is currently at work on FREEDOM JUNGLE.
Also by Alex Sheridan:
DANCE OF SPIES
TREASURE LIFE
FINDING ROUND
You can write to Alex at:
AlexSheridanWrites@hotmail.com
Or checkout the author’s blog site at:
AlexSheridanWrites.blogspot.com
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 10, 2012
* Full disclosure, I did receive a copy of this book free, from the author in exchange for a review. It's still my review.*
What a refreshing read!
I apologize up front for the long review. Here’s the short version...
"four stars out of five... strong believable characters that reflect the struggles of life, well researched background ,… the suspense-thriller portion of the plot could have been more complex and the unexplored-unknown science things could have been explored to a greater extent...It could have used more action and more complex , capable villains to help build suspense and tension and perhaps adding a layer of complexity,...well written prose... the story reads smoothly with a professional feel to it, very polished and well put together. I'll read the sequel, or another story from this author any day, though the human aspects are what kept me interested and excited me rather than the sci-fi or suspense-thriller side of things."
And below is the long version:
I found this refreshing in ways that I had not thought would impress me, given that I tend to read books in the Clive Cussler, James Rollinsand Larry Correia neighborhood.
Before I get into what I found that didn't come across as strong as I thought it could be, let me talk about what did, and why it impressed me. Now, you might not agree with me on the value of those things that I thought were really well done, but I guarantee that you will identify and appreciate them as valuable to many people facing similar issues.
When I read a book, I like to listen for "the message." What I mean, is, that many books have something to teach us, perhaps some guidance to give, or maybe just a chance to break out of our prison of self and realize that we are not alone. Some books give us a glimpse of the world around us in a way that helps us see that there are other people who are living with, or finding a way through those things that we have been enduring and, just when we feel like we are alone in a room full of people, snatch us back to the real world where our feelings and emotions are not so unusual and unique. It is incredible how much emotional relief comes to you when you realize that you are not so screwed up and incapable of functioning like a fully competent emotional adult, that you are just functioning normally under extraordinary circumstance. It's wonderful to find out that you really aren't alone, that there are others who understand the trials and tribulations of ordinary life problems. We all need a chance to look in a mirror and not see a broken person looking back.
As Steven James has said in his Patrick Bowers Files series in many different ways, the root word of evidence is evident or obvious, and, that which is evidence is not always evident. My point is that what everyone assumes knowledge of and understanding of a serious life event is rarely the full story. When faced with mounting life problems many people tend to withdraw as the crisis gets more and more painful and the walls of a prison of self-doubt get thicker and thicker until they cannot see that their reactions, thoughts and emotional wounds are normal and common. It’s important to know that we are not broken or incompetent adults when we fail in our personal relationships, or face the madness and grief that comes when a loved one is suffering from an incurable illness.
What I loved about this book, is the very gentle, yet, rigorously honest depiction of a marriage in crisis, close to divorce and a single working mother trying to keep working while caring for an autistic child. With special needs that often demanded her attention in ways that threatened to cost her her job, Anne showed that find a new relationship and take care of herself, her son, and practice compassion with the soul of a saint. The human story in Finding Round doesn't involve a great mystery. It doesn't involve an unusual set of circumstances, or anything out of the ordinary. It just involves people struggling to find happiness in lives that seem to have been snatched out of their control by events and demands beyond their power to stop.
Normal and mundane is the highest praise I can give here. Sheridan carefully and thoughtful skill of a surgeon, mapped out a marriage in trouble in a way where there were no real villains, only plenty of victims. A look from both sides as they struggled to live another day and do what had to be done. How both people knew the truth, but had become so encapsulated in their own misery and struggle to find happiness that they could not see how much the other was hurting, or understand how they could be as blind to the pain that they felt daily. This is why most marriages fail. Not because of seductive evil vixens, not because of bullets or foul play and not because of greed (not directly anyway). All people continue to grow their lives. Sometimes they grow so slowly that neither can tell that they aren't on the same path anymore with the same dreams and desires and then, can't find their way back to each other. It's not about falling out of love. It’s about losing the one you love in the dream of how you wish your life to be.
The Noble's relationship was a major theme in this story and it was well told and, fairly told in a manner that allowed me to still fall in love with and stay in love with both of them.
The other human story is the story of Anne and Ethan, her autistic son. There are a lot of ways these two could have been brought into this story. Having them be neighbors and friends of the Noble family and a character who we could see inside and learn of her pain, and her struggle told in very realistic descriptions. Everybody can come to the intellectual conclusion that "it must be difficult to raise an autistic child." Nobody really understands what that means if they are not struggling to do the same thing.
Basically, this is a 5.0 out of five for Characters. Maybe not so much the entire conception (Chelsea and Craig were part of "the beautiful people") but in the wonderful way they interacted. These were neighbors and friends and their relationships with each other were very believable, and that is what gives us access to their pain and their joy. The human story helped us understand their "over the top" behavior, paranoia and reactions to each other as well as the problems life had thrown at them. It explained or helped us understand why Chelsea and Craig were so easily overwhelmed by the little events in their lives when it seemed that they had such good lives already. These families could have been any families on any street in suburbia, anywhere. They were my friends and neighbors, the adopted aunt I claimed growing up and the "best friends" I've made as an adult. The realization that they were like everybody else, gave me the permission to feel a little bit more like a normal human as well.
I also like that Anne and Chelsea were strong female characters with good jobs, who took their professions seriously as well as struggling to raise their children and take care of their families. These ladies were brave, competent, confident (when it counted) and able to act. They would have reacted physically, if physically assaulted (even if they’d lose that fight) , and they relied more on their minds to solve problems while relying on each other for strength when they needed it. These were both good role-models regardless of whether you value their role in the family as mother, or their independence and being career minded (while raising a family). I like that Craig had strength of character and a strong sense of right and wrong that he was able to stick to, even when others were struggling with the temptation of other lives. Ethan…he’s a good kid.
So that makes this story have a spiritual aspect that I do not know if the author intended, or not. I don't mean God, but, I am not ruling God out. I’m referring to that sixth sense, the intangible x-factor that taps into the strength of humanity that exists inside all of us, but is so elusive when we need it most.
I also give a 5 for accurate research. Surely there are some "stretched" facts here. I didn't look them up, though I'm not ignorant of such things as autism, bio-genetic-pharmaceutical chemistry or functional geology, I am only as knowledgeable as the next intellectually curious person. I had no problems swallowing the facts about autism and Alzheimer's, botano-genetics or the pharmacological properties of tomatoes. So either these things were very well thought out, or, they were very well thought out and well researched. It's one thing to research a lot of junk on one subject or another;. It's another to make sense of it when you write a story about very real characters.
So, if you’re counting, I give two 5 star ratings but the overall is 4.0. That means there are some things that trail the human aspects of the story and its research.
These are the things that I think could have been stronger. The plot was too simple. Its simplicity allowed it to stand up to scrutiny and pass the scratch and sniff believability test, but it lacked the complexity that characterizes most technothrillers. Even though there were periods where the Noble family and friends tried to look into the scientific mystery, the issues with and the gone super bad dominated the story (as it should) taking the Nobles chance to explore the possibilities with it. This left us sort of hanging .
I also found the villains to be a little too much on the one-dimensional side. for example had the potential to be much more of a villain, get involved and do all sorts of things that he never got a chance to do. I'd say the same for her boss. We got a lot of insight into him and, yes, he made a really good villain, but neither character turned down a metaphorical avenue that opened up more possibilities to enhance the plot. For the most part, the villains seemed tied to the powerful personal stories that they were introduced with and offered little in the way of surprise. Though they were connected to the more traditional science fiction plot the story came up short of having the the complex wicked tapestry that makes suspense-thrillers thrive.
Ordinarily I'd say, I wanted more about, but, in this story, I think that would have taken away from the wonderful human story, so, I'm good with that being in the background and not coming out until the end. It sort of reminds me of how Koontz ended The Servants of Twilight save in a positive spin rather than a make your skin crawl kind of spin. Surely there is a lot of fodder for a sequel!
Even though this was more sci-fi drama/mystery/suspense, the action could have been more... just more. When things did start happening, I liked it, and wanted more of that sooner. Perhaps a rogue agent making some kind of a move against Craig or Ethan while there is chaos at the hospital. Once the cat was out of the bag about , a more aggressive move by some South African agency to recover the missing/stolen sphere or something. I'd have also liked Chelsea's science and Craig's science to somehow bend towards each other in a more recognizable way. Wouldn't that have been a wonderful metaphor for the spiritual thread that lingered through all of this?
Overall Four stars, carried by strong characters and polished writing.
What a refreshing read!
I apologize up front for the long review. Here’s the short version...
"four stars out of five... strong believable characters that reflect the struggles of life, well researched background ,… the suspense-thriller portion of the plot could have been more complex and the unexplored-unknown science things could have been explored to a greater extent...It could have used more action and more complex , capable villains to help build suspense and tension and perhaps adding a layer of complexity,...well written prose... the story reads smoothly with a professional feel to it, very polished and well put together. I'll read the sequel, or another story from this author any day, though the human aspects are what kept me interested and excited me rather than the sci-fi or suspense-thriller side of things."
And below is the long version:
I found this refreshing in ways that I had not thought would impress me, given that I tend to read books in the Clive Cussler, James Rollinsand Larry Correia neighborhood.
Before I get into what I found that didn't come across as strong as I thought it could be, let me talk about what did, and why it impressed me. Now, you might not agree with me on the value of those things that I thought were really well done, but I guarantee that you will identify and appreciate them as valuable to many people facing similar issues.
When I read a book, I like to listen for "the message." What I mean, is, that many books have something to teach us, perhaps some guidance to give, or maybe just a chance to break out of our prison of self and realize that we are not alone. Some books give us a glimpse of the world around us in a way that helps us see that there are other people who are living with, or finding a way through those things that we have been enduring and, just when we feel like we are alone in a room full of people, snatch us back to the real world where our feelings and emotions are not so unusual and unique. It is incredible how much emotional relief comes to you when you realize that you are not so screwed up and incapable of functioning like a fully competent emotional adult, that you are just functioning normally under extraordinary circumstance. It's wonderful to find out that you really aren't alone, that there are others who understand the trials and tribulations of ordinary life problems. We all need a chance to look in a mirror and not see a broken person looking back.
As Steven James has said in his Patrick Bowers Files series in many different ways, the root word of evidence is evident or obvious, and, that which is evidence is not always evident. My point is that what everyone assumes knowledge of and understanding of a serious life event is rarely the full story. When faced with mounting life problems many people tend to withdraw as the crisis gets more and more painful and the walls of a prison of self-doubt get thicker and thicker until they cannot see that their reactions, thoughts and emotional wounds are normal and common. It’s important to know that we are not broken or incompetent adults when we fail in our personal relationships, or face the madness and grief that comes when a loved one is suffering from an incurable illness.
What I loved about this book, is the very gentle, yet, rigorously honest depiction of a marriage in crisis, close to divorce and a single working mother trying to keep working while caring for an autistic child. With special needs that often demanded her attention in ways that threatened to cost her her job, Anne showed that find a new relationship and take care of herself, her son, and practice compassion with the soul of a saint. The human story in Finding Round doesn't involve a great mystery. It doesn't involve an unusual set of circumstances, or anything out of the ordinary. It just involves people struggling to find happiness in lives that seem to have been snatched out of their control by events and demands beyond their power to stop.
Normal and mundane is the highest praise I can give here. Sheridan carefully and thoughtful skill of a surgeon, mapped out a marriage in trouble in a way where there were no real villains, only plenty of victims. A look from both sides as they struggled to live another day and do what had to be done. How both people knew the truth, but had become so encapsulated in their own misery and struggle to find happiness that they could not see how much the other was hurting, or understand how they could be as blind to the pain that they felt daily. This is why most marriages fail. Not because of seductive evil vixens, not because of bullets or foul play and not because of greed (not directly anyway). All people continue to grow their lives. Sometimes they grow so slowly that neither can tell that they aren't on the same path anymore with the same dreams and desires and then, can't find their way back to each other. It's not about falling out of love. It’s about losing the one you love in the dream of how you wish your life to be.
The Noble's relationship was a major theme in this story and it was well told and, fairly told in a manner that allowed me to still fall in love with and stay in love with both of them.
The other human story is the story of Anne and Ethan, her autistic son. There are a lot of ways these two could have been brought into this story. Having them be neighbors and friends of the Noble family and a character who we could see inside and learn of her pain, and her struggle told in very realistic descriptions. Everybody can come to the intellectual conclusion that "it must be difficult to raise an autistic child." Nobody really understands what that means if they are not struggling to do the same thing.
Basically, this is a 5.0 out of five for Characters. Maybe not so much the entire conception (Chelsea and Craig were part of "the beautiful people") but in the wonderful way they interacted. These were neighbors and friends and their relationships with each other were very believable, and that is what gives us access to their pain and their joy. The human story helped us understand their "over the top" behavior, paranoia and reactions to each other as well as the problems life had thrown at them. It explained or helped us understand why Chelsea and Craig were so easily overwhelmed by the little events in their lives when it seemed that they had such good lives already. These families could have been any families on any street in suburbia, anywhere. They were my friends and neighbors, the adopted aunt I claimed growing up and the "best friends" I've made as an adult. The realization that they were like everybody else, gave me the permission to feel a little bit more like a normal human as well.
I also like that Anne and Chelsea were strong female characters with good jobs, who took their professions seriously as well as struggling to raise their children and take care of their families. These ladies were brave, competent, confident (when it counted) and able to act. They would have reacted physically, if physically assaulted (even if they’d lose that fight) , and they relied more on their minds to solve problems while relying on each other for strength when they needed it. These were both good role-models regardless of whether you value their role in the family as mother, or their independence and being career minded (while raising a family). I like that Craig had strength of character and a strong sense of right and wrong that he was able to stick to, even when others were struggling with the temptation of other lives. Ethan…he’s a good kid.
So that makes this story have a spiritual aspect that I do not know if the author intended, or not. I don't mean God, but, I am not ruling God out. I’m referring to that sixth sense, the intangible x-factor that taps into the strength of humanity that exists inside all of us, but is so elusive when we need it most.
I also give a 5 for accurate research. Surely there are some "stretched" facts here. I didn't look them up, though I'm not ignorant of such things as autism, bio-genetic-pharmaceutical chemistry or functional geology, I am only as knowledgeable as the next intellectually curious person. I had no problems swallowing the facts about autism and Alzheimer's, botano-genetics or the pharmacological properties of tomatoes. So either these things were very well thought out, or, they were very well thought out and well researched. It's one thing to research a lot of junk on one subject or another;. It's another to make sense of it when you write a story about very real characters.
So, if you’re counting, I give two 5 star ratings but the overall is 4.0. That means there are some things that trail the human aspects of the story and its research.
These are the things that I think could have been stronger. The plot was too simple. Its simplicity allowed it to stand up to scrutiny and pass the scratch and sniff believability test, but it lacked the complexity that characterizes most technothrillers. Even though there were periods where the Noble family and friends tried to look into the scientific mystery, the issues with and the gone super bad dominated the story (as it should) taking the Nobles chance to explore the possibilities with it. This left us sort of hanging .
I also found the villains to be a little too much on the one-dimensional side. for example had the potential to be much more of a villain, get involved and do all sorts of things that he never got a chance to do. I'd say the same for her boss. We got a lot of insight into him and, yes, he made a really good villain, but neither character turned down a metaphorical avenue that opened up more possibilities to enhance the plot. For the most part, the villains seemed tied to the powerful personal stories that they were introduced with and offered little in the way of surprise. Though they were connected to the more traditional science fiction plot the story came up short of having the the complex wicked tapestry that makes suspense-thrillers thrive.
Ordinarily I'd say, I wanted more about, but, in this story, I think that would have taken away from the wonderful human story, so, I'm good with that being in the background and not coming out until the end. It sort of reminds me of how Koontz ended The Servants of Twilight save in a positive spin rather than a make your skin crawl kind of spin. Surely there is a lot of fodder for a sequel!
Even though this was more sci-fi drama/mystery/suspense, the action could have been more... just more. When things did start happening, I liked it, and wanted more of that sooner. Perhaps a rogue agent making some kind of a move against Craig or Ethan while there is chaos at the hospital. Once the cat was out of the bag about , a more aggressive move by some South African agency to recover the missing/stolen sphere or something. I'd have also liked Chelsea's science and Craig's science to somehow bend towards each other in a more recognizable way. Wouldn't that have been a wonderful metaphor for the spiritual thread that lingered through all of this?
Overall Four stars, carried by strong characters and polished writing.
October 12, 2012
Very well written but some lenghty passages about family problems. The «discs» phenomenon could have been exploited to a larger extend. But overall, a good dramatization. If you like mystery fiction with good characterisation, you'll like this book.
February 12, 2013
'Finding Round' is a wonderful change from those usually available on the shelf. It has many unique aspects to it, is a real page turner, and causes one to reflect back on it long after that last page is turned. It is a book that makes a person glad for having read it, since it is about a young family and their struggles to overcome the unhappiness associated w/the husband being a geologist and gone M-F for the past 18 yrs of their marriage. They are deeply in love with one another, but she is so weary of never having him home that she's on the verge of giving up on the marriage. He has the possibility of working in the home office, but doesn't want to be tied down to a desk because he loves being able to be out in the field resolving problems. He promises to take some time off work to be home, but then promises his son he will take him to a mine in Africa to view spheres found, which the son is wanting to write an essay about for a school paper. An emergency comes up at the mine and they are asked to promptly leave the room where they've been seated to view the spheres. Unknown to the father, the son takes one with him as they are leaving and finds a way to smuggle it through security at the airports on their way back home to Calif. His little sister spies on him while he is hiding it in the toe of a shoe in his room, sneaks it out, buries it in their backyard, and it very suddenly grows a plant w/berries. The little girl and the neighbor's autistic son eat the berries, which in turn causes her to go into a coma and seems to have cured the boy's autism. Meanwhile, the mine people have discovered a sphere is missing and calls to tell the geologist it is believed his son has taken it. I don't want to spoil this story for those whom have not read it, but am recommending those of you whom haven't yet read it should make a point of doing so!!
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