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Colin Cellars First Evidence #2
Outer Perimeter
13 hrs 6 mins
With Outer Perimeter, Ken Goddard, the author of seven previous novels of suspense and science fiction beginning with 1983's Balefire, returns to the Oregon of his 1999 SF thriller, First Evidence. And he's brought the disgraced crime scene investigator, Detective Sergeant Colin Cellars of the Oregon State Police, and his shape-shifting, silicon-based, extraterrestrial life forms with him.
With Outer Perimeter, Ken Goddard, the author of seven previous novels of suspense and science fiction beginning with 1983's Balefire, returns to the Oregon of his 1999 SF thriller, First Evidence. And he's brought the disgraced crime scene investigator, Detective Sergeant Colin Cellars of the Oregon State Police, and his shape-shifting, silicon-based, extraterrestrial life forms with him.
Cellars, understandably, isn't in tight with his superiors just now. It seems that he and some friends (Bobby Dawson, forensic scientist and Cellars's erstwhile girlfriend Jody Catlin, and the NSA's Dr. Malcolm Byzor) recently blasted to smithereens a slew of police vehicles. They explained that the whole thing wouldn't have happened if they had not been in a life-or-death struggle with invisible, immensely intelligent, coldly murderous space aliens with half a mind to destroy civilization unless they reclaim some missing baggage.
Still, some 50 locals have disappeared, officers have been killed or nearly killed, DEA agents are lurking about, and the NSA has set up housekeeping in a "black operation" in the nearby piney woods. With that, OSP Internal Affairs Commander Hightower and watch commander Bauer have little choice but to turn Cellars and his coconspirators loose--but they ask him to please not rewrite those reports.
Cellars' eyebrows furrowed in surprise. "Why not?"A reasonably well-written (excepting a ridiculously expository phone conversation early on) if standard outing, this occasionally humorous, mostly engaging, and sometimes downright suspenseful book will, if nothing else, encourage you to revisit those early X-Files episodes you've been meaning to watch. --Michael Hudson"Think about it. At the moment, given the discussion she and I just had with [police psychologist] Pleausant before you got here, there's no official reason why we can't put you back on the street immediately, and there's every good reason why we should. But if you were to write and sign an official report in which you claim to have killed a shape-changing extraterrestrial who immediately morphed into a small rock--"
"Ah."
Audiobook
First published January 30, 2001
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About the author
Ken Goddard
23 books33 followersKen Goddard describes himself as "a crime scene investigator, forensic scientist, wildlife crime lab director, husband, father, grandfather, supposed cattle rancher, and more to the point, a fiction author who writes fiction novels about professional terrorists, underground chemists, demented burglars and malicious poachers for any number of reasons."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
April 24, 2014
Interesting but very pro-evolution. (read non-Christian here) ergo, strange happenings without any substantial proofs. Too much faith required for me. Reader: Kevin Kennerly does well.
I skipped to the end, not something I usually do but as I wrote above too much faith required...
I skipped to the end, not something I usually do but as I wrote above too much faith required...
January 11, 2018
The story is a continuation from the first book about an Oregon police officer who encountered some gruesome creatures from outer space. They have come to southern Oregon and are trying to retrieve any evidence of their existence. Unfortunately Colin and his 3 friends are part of that evidence. He is seeing a psychiatrist after some disturbing events several months earlier and cannot resume his law enforcement duties until cleared. Finally he is allowed to go back to work but is still having nightmares and problems with his possible girlfriend. She was traumatized by the creatures and doesn't want to remember what happened or deal with it which is causing problems.
People are still going missing and some strange things have been occurring at a nearby government research facility. Colin finds out that his friend Malcolm is running the place and once he gets inside he discovers all kinds of interesting things relating to the creatures. His girlfriend is then kidnapped and his other friend Bobby and they are contacted by the aliens wanting to make a trade for them. Since Colin and Malcolm supposedly have the stones which are dormant aliens the are asked to bring them for the trade.
The end of the book sets things up for the final book in the series. Lots of forensic details are included in this book, how things are analyzed, what the analysis means, info on security systems, etc. The author is very detailed in his descriptions. Some parts of the first book are brought into the story so you can understand what happened prior to the current story.
Good mystery.
People are still going missing and some strange things have been occurring at a nearby government research facility. Colin finds out that his friend Malcolm is running the place and once he gets inside he discovers all kinds of interesting things relating to the creatures. His girlfriend is then kidnapped and his other friend Bobby and they are contacted by the aliens wanting to make a trade for them. Since Colin and Malcolm supposedly have the stones which are dormant aliens the are asked to bring them for the trade.
The end of the book sets things up for the final book in the series. Lots of forensic details are included in this book, how things are analyzed, what the analysis means, info on security systems, etc. The author is very detailed in his descriptions. Some parts of the first book are brought into the story so you can understand what happened prior to the current story.
Good mystery.
March 29, 2020
The further adventures of Colin Cellars and the silent alien invasion.
Well, not silent, since dozens of people have disappeared. And the Feds know. Which leads to an NSA lab, the team kind'a getting back together. Violence. And lots and lots of CSI porn talk and details. The first book was more procedural and this one is more scifi thriller. Everyone knows what's coming and that they're outmatched, but also underestimated... hopefully.
You definitely do get into the mind of a trained crime scene tech, as written by a retired crime scene tech who worked, and lives, in the area portrayed in the book. Almost as if the author helped fight off an alien invasion... or not.
Fun scifi adventure novel, in the vein of an old Michael Crichton novel, or one of Lincoln Child's solo efforts.
Well, not silent, since dozens of people have disappeared. And the Feds know. Which leads to an NSA lab, the team kind'a getting back together. Violence. And lots and lots of CSI porn talk and details. The first book was more procedural and this one is more scifi thriller. Everyone knows what's coming and that they're outmatched, but also underestimated... hopefully.
You definitely do get into the mind of a trained crime scene tech, as written by a retired crime scene tech who worked, and lives, in the area portrayed in the book. Almost as if the author helped fight off an alien invasion... or not.
Fun scifi adventure novel, in the vein of an old Michael Crichton novel, or one of Lincoln Child's solo efforts.
August 12, 2018
This was a fun read until the muddled ending. I had read the last chapter several times and still hardly got a handle on the sequence of events. The only reason I see for it is that maybe Goddard was giving us the confused perspective of the characters. Up till that point this was a fabulous mystery. Goddard filled in a lot of the loose ends of the prior book First Evidence. I can't wait to read Final Disposition which will be the final book of the series.
May 21, 2018
Again, this book was "okay" as far as keeping me entertained. It was fine for multitasking, but I really didn't find it as engaging or interesting as I do some thrillers. The same as the first book, the "whispery" type voice of the narrator also gives me some trouble. I have to turn it up very loud, and still some of the words he says are in such a quiet, low tone that it makes it hard to hear.
May 13, 2019
Sequel to First Evidence. Very interesting and clever plot, I hope to read the third book in the series to see the resolution. Love the main character, and since I listened to the audio book version I must say Kevin Kenerley did a remarkable job making the book twice as enjoyable.
January 19, 2022
перша книжка серії була на четвірку — ця, друга, заледве витягає на двієчку: значно менше динамізму, більше мудрування і якоїсь наївної «коміксовості». в фіналі... взагалі якось незрозуміло, що трапилось. треба відкривати третю частину :-)
November 3, 2023
Okay...okay...do not judge me...I read the first mess and came back for more. I have to say it is another mess and I was entertained with how much of a mess it was.
Now ask me if I am going to read the next one in the series... (you betcha!)
Now ask me if I am going to read the next one in the series... (you betcha!)
February 28, 2017
Randomly ended up on my "to read" pile and now ends up on my "tried to read list". Some very good writing but ultimately not the story simply isn't compelling enough to finish.
May 19, 2017
I liked it but the first book "First Evidence" kept me on the end of my seat. I couldn't put it down! Would love to hear the next one!
February 26, 2019
As sequels go it wasn’t too bad although it depends a lot on having read the first book if you want to understand the relationships.
April 14, 2019
A pretty good middle episode--a solid 3.5-3.75. Well performed.
June 28, 2019
It is not an amazing, it is an okay read. It lacks a realistic component.
April 23, 2020
Finished with any further need for this series. Bailed early in book 2. XFiles meets CSI. Extremely dense and blind protagonist who is only the 5th or 6th most interesting character in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2020
I like mysteries; not so much Sci-Fi. To me the plot was painfully slow with a hint of excitement here or there. I read half but it did not keep my interest. Too bad Oregon is a great setting.
October 3, 2020
I can't decide how I feel about this series. There are times when it's suspenseful and eerie and others where it's so boring I think I'll just abandon the whole thing.
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December 22, 2024Colin Cellars Series, Book 2
July 26, 2014
Whew. This book is a bad as the movie 'Prometheus'. A little bit confusing, disjointed, and things don't match up. Extraterrestrials are here on earth, who knows why. They shape change, mind read, can disappear like smoke, are powerful and deadly. Yet, amazingly stupid.
One of the problems with this book (author, maybe - I haven't read any other by him) is it seems to have been written like a junior high term paper. For example: the hero, Sellers, has a pistol which almost always described as a 'Sig-Sauer Forty caliber semi-automatic pistol'. I mean, every time. Was this author paid by the word? And when describing a series of incidents as 'fifty missing civilians or police officers' - those exact words, over and over and over... Or, identifying 'Oregon State Police Detective Sargent Collin Sellers' repeatedly, after several chapters into the book seemed a little silly.
And the book seemed a little heavy on dialogue, very chatty, rather than action. And to bring the book to a close there is a dramatic confrontation, explosion, and Sellers ends up in a hospital - where we find out the whole episode may be a Bobby Ewing-type dream. None of it, or some of it, or all of it is real.
Awwww, who the hell cares...
One of the problems with this book (author, maybe - I haven't read any other by him) is it seems to have been written like a junior high term paper. For example: the hero, Sellers, has a pistol which almost always described as a 'Sig-Sauer Forty caliber semi-automatic pistol'. I mean, every time. Was this author paid by the word? And when describing a series of incidents as 'fifty missing civilians or police officers' - those exact words, over and over and over... Or, identifying 'Oregon State Police Detective Sargent Collin Sellers' repeatedly, after several chapters into the book seemed a little silly.
And the book seemed a little heavy on dialogue, very chatty, rather than action. And to bring the book to a close there is a dramatic confrontation, explosion, and Sellers ends up in a hospital - where we find out the whole episode may be a Bobby Ewing-type dream. None of it, or some of it, or all of it is real.
Awwww, who the hell cares...
September 11, 2013
Very interesting way to approach the third book of a series--giving the main character amnesia. The plot is compelling, realistic and internally consistent. The police behave like police; the other characters behave like the motley collection of Area 51 wackos, Tea Party wackos, suspicious soldiers and fast-moving pawns that they are. I do wish we saw/heard more from Malcolm and Bobby; they were fun in the previous books and their absence leaves what feels like a large hole in the plot. In addition, I'm still not sure I believe the logic of the ending--both of their tactics and of his final decision--but it's not iffy enough to spoil a well-written and exciting book. I'd recommend it for thriller fans who are comfortable with a bit of the alien.
September 12, 2015
Not a great SciFi enthusiast but I read the first one in the series - First Evidence, and wanted to see how it progressed.
He is a good writer and his characters are well developed. It is quite scary how many of the concepts in SciFi actually come to be so, even though this seems far fetched, there might very well be aliens living amongst us. And, they may well have better technology than us. Just look at the advances in the past 50 or so years.
I will read the third in the series just to see how it all finishes.
He is a good writer and his characters are well developed. It is quite scary how many of the concepts in SciFi actually come to be so, even though this seems far fetched, there might very well be aliens living amongst us. And, they may well have better technology than us. Just look at the advances in the past 50 or so years.
I will read the third in the series just to see how it all finishes.
September 19, 2010
I found the book to be a so-so sci-fi story. The novel would have been much better if there was more background history about the aliens and their motives on earth. I also found some of the narrative and other sequences poorly written which indicates to me that it needs a little bit more editing.
May 13, 2011
The story was fun and twisty at times, but the end of the book was so disappointing. The last paragraph was, in my opinion, such a poor way to end the story. It almost ruined the rest of the experience for me. It reminded me of when my students would try ending their stories by saying "it was just a dream." I wouldn't let them get by with that and I expected more here.
August 9, 2011
This is the sequel to First Evidence. It was rather disappointing actually. There was suppose to be a third book but it never came out. Guess the second book killed it. If you liked First Evidence and don't want to spoil the good impression, I suggest that you stop there. But if you insist on reading this one, no one's stopping you. LOL! Maybe you'll like it...
May 17, 2015
Because of traveling for work, I get a lot of books on audio from my local library. Consequently,I am at their mercy. This is the second book in a series of three. I do not have access to the 1st or 3rd. So my review is limited. I think I might have benefited from reading the 1st. Enough background was provided but, still....
August 30, 2019
I read the three books in this series in a binge.
They were good, but not really binge worthy. I was just in a a mood.
The story flows and has something to say, I think.
The narrator made it easy to keep listening.
Try it, if you like the first the second and third are just as good.
I'm putting the same review in all three.
They were good, but not really binge worthy. I was just in a a mood.
The story flows and has something to say, I think.
The narrator made it easy to keep listening.
Try it, if you like the first the second and third are just as good.
I'm putting the same review in all three.
July 23, 2011
As a follow-up novel, it did answer a number of questions on where the story line was headed and the mysteries surrounding the 1st volume entitled First Evidence.
UFOs and Aliens, and of course, Government involvement in a Black-Ops situation.
Another great read written by Ken Goddard.
UFOs and Aliens, and of course, Government involvement in a Black-Ops situation.
Another great read written by Ken Goddard.
August 5, 2014
For a modern author, this is not a bad read. A little too verbose in the descriptions of different events - too many details. This makes the book a little too long which means that towards the end of the audiobook I tend to just want to get it finished. I will be completing the series.
November 5, 2011
I really didn't care for this book. The story line seems to ramble. I made is about half way and decided not to finish it.
May 6, 2012
I rally did enjoy the second part of the rilogy series.
March 25, 2013
fantastic!! Definitely read with the lights on!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews