Acadia Event

by M.J. Preston

"MJ Preston creates an epic page-turner, with Canada’s frozen north as the setting and the Earth as the ultimate prize for whichever side wins the war." (Gregory L. Norris, screenwriter for Star Trek Voyager)

Marty Croft has it all. A beautiful wife, and a successful career as a commercial artist. That is, until his past comes back to haunt him.

Enter Gordon Shamus, the psychotic son of Marty’s former gangster boss. After Marty’s wife is kidnapped, he finds himself forced back into a world he left behind.

The job seems simple enough. Drive the world's longest ice road and retrieve a package of stolen diamonds. But what will become of Marty and his wife when the job is done? Will they be disposed of as potential witnesses?

In a twist of fate, the Acadia Diamond mine, located 200 kilometers below the Arctic circle, has found something buried in the ice. A portal not of this world, and it is about to be unlocked by unsuspecting scientists. Once opened, the creatures, known as Skentophyte, attack.

Overrun by thousands of mind-controlling aliens, what started out as heist becomes a war for survival. In an ensemble cast of characters, the Acadia mine has become the beachhead of an all-out invasion.

Detoured into a fight for survival, Marty finds himself in the company of men thrust into a mission to stop the invading force. Can they stop the creatures before they reach the city of Yellowknife? Will they survive against overwhelming odds? And what of Marty’s wife, Maggie? Will she become collateral damage if Marty can’t make it back in time to rescue her from the clutches of a maniac.

Genres: Horror

Audible Audio

First published January 25, 2015

About the author

M.J. Preston is a Canadian author known for his horror, science fiction, and crime thriller novels. A retired soldier and former ice trucker, Preston brings a unique perspective and a profound understanding of the Canadian landscape to his writing. His dedication to storytelling has seen him craft multiple novels, often inspired by his experiences and a deep fascination with folklore and the human condition.

"Windigo Plague: Fort Saskatchewan Volume I" is his latest release, showcasing his distinctive voice in the Canadian horror genre.

His other works include Canadian horror novels The Equinox and Acadia Event, and crime thrillers Highwayman and Four.

Check him out online:
Website: https://mjpreston.net
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/...
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MJPreston
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mjpre...

Reviews

[Jeff Bailey]

The Acadia Event is definitely for conspiracy thriller fans. The setting is the great northern reaches of Canada. Acadia is twisty, turny delight with a surprise on every page. I’m an amateur screenwriter so I tried to envision how I would write and film most of these scenes. It was an exciting exercise. The visuals are made all the better after I saw the pictures of the region at the back of the book. I would recommend that new readers glance through the pictures before starting the read. We’ve all heard that ‘a writer should write what he knows.’ M.J. Preston is an experience ‘ice-road-trucker’ and his stories reflect his intimate knowledge of the dangers and adventures involved.
Marty Croft, the hero of the story, is an experienced ice-road-trucker and is blackmailed into heading north on ice roads to aid in a crime. He finds far more adventure and danger than he ever expected. The Acadia Event was well written and an entertaining read. I’ll definitely look into M.J. Preston’s other books. If they’re half a good as The Acadia Event, I’m in for a treat. The Acadia Event really would make an exceptional movie spectacular. Five stars for both M.J. Preston and for The Acadia Event. Jeff Bailey, author of the conspiracy thriller Not On My Watch.

[Join the Penguin Resistance! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: ACADIA EVENT by M. J. Preston

The word for ACADIA EVENT is "exciting"! At first one thinks the focus is crime reaching out to the Ice Road, in Northern Canada. This is an important theme, but far from the only one. The novel interweaves Ice Road trucking, gangsters, diamond mining, science fiction, the war in Afghanistan, veterans' aftermath, and a vein of implacable terror--unavoidable, inescapable, horribly deadly. At 500 pages, ACADIA EVENT is not a one-sitting read, but for sheer excitement, major intrigue, and eyes glued to the page, it's a champion read.

[PJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like books about aliens, psychopaths, ice road trucking, or even mysteries, you'll enjoy this book.

I didn't know much about ice road trucking, so I found that very interesting. The aliens are unlike any I've seen or read about before, that was nice.

This is the third story I've read by Mr. Preston. I've enjoyed them all. I can't wait for the next one.

[Don Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Besides the fascinating storyline itself, the authenticity the author brings to the ice road scenes is riveting. From the exhilaration of "riding the snake" -- the treacherous roads truckers use to serve the isolated mines in the NWT -- to the interaction and camaraderie of the drivers, we are there -- and obviously he has been as well. Set against a bleak winter Arctic landscape, you almost feel shivers as you read. From page 1, the author gives us a set of fascinating, engaging characters that are convincingly drawn and believable. (Example: we meet the archvillain, a mobster with issues, as he squishes a suspected "rat" with a backhoe, clearly showing the reader that we are dealing with a ruthless psychopath, heightening the tension and raising the stakes throughout the story.)

Most of the characters are involved in a complicated plot to smuggle a million dollars of diamonds out of the far North via an ice trucker whose wife is seized to keep him in line. This dandy plot line only becomes more intriguing with the introduction of aliens, who pour out of a wormhole into the deepest caverns of the mines with the simple objective of eating their way through humanity (along with every other creature).

Things turn desperate as our very future turns on the ability of a handful of maverick truckers, a couple of local Afghan war vets, and a few crooks to take down the horde of insect-like invaders pouring out of the mine.

At more than 600 pages, this is a long read but never a boring one. Just an overall fun read.

[Tammy Morse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be the first to admit, had I not been given a copy of the book to read by the author for an honest review, it's not a book I would have read. Ice Road trucking is entwined with gangsters, diamond mining, science fiction, Afghanistan Veterans wasn't something that would have caught my eye. However, this book had me from page 1. My husband worked at one of the mines in the book, so reading about the area had me feel like I was reading about a place I knew (even tho I've never been). I love that yet again, he has brought 1st Nations characters into the book, and used cities & Provinces in Canada for the backdrop.

MJ Preston (the author) captures the feeling of the area, but brings in a (dare I show my age), "Star Trek the New Generation" & the the movie "Aliens" into the book. It's over 600 pages of good reading. I admit, I kept getting annoyed at life getting in the way of me reading this book (what do you mean, I have to go to work, shower, eat, sleep? I didn't want to put the book down! But my co-workers were very grateful I took the time to shower before I went to work!)

[David Wilkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to the Great White North! This was a fast paced page turner that I had trouble putting down until its end. The characters were fully formed and very interesting. The author's actual experience driving the Ice Road is clearly evident with his attention to detail. Interested in Canada's North, dive into "Acadia Event" and experience the different world North of 60 and above the tree line.

[EM3 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kindle shows that I made it to 29% (chapter 15) before abandoning this book. I really loved the premise, but the secondary story was very crude and sexually explicit. These two characteristics did nothing to advance the plot but rather interrupted an otherwise fascinating story with distasteful imagery. I wanted to know the outcome of the title event but I was too turned off to skip ahead.

[Tracey Orme · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book right from the get go. Having the unique perspective from M.J.'s experience running the ice roads up north, the story brought the reader on a special journey that few are able to fathom. A healthy dose of facts intertwined with the fiction is very entertaining. 5 stars plus!

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. MJ has a very unique writing style. I am often very critical of thriller/horror novels because they always seem to play on the same tropes, but Mj does a great job not making any tropes obvious

[James Seamone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting creatures and a well written cast of characters make this a fun read about otherworldly invasion.

[PJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like books about aliens, psychopaths, ice road trucking, or even mysteries, you'll enjoy this book.

I didn't know much about ice road trucking, so I found that very interesting. The aliens are unlike any I've seen or read about before, that was nice.

This is the third story I've read by Mr. Preston. I've enjoyed them all. I can't wait for the next one.