Kindle Edition Amazon J.T.Twerell Web Site J.T.Twerell Website Category:  Crime Publisher: Living Word Publications ISBN-10:  193651706X Type: Fiction Pages: 213 Copyright: October 2010 ISBN-13: 9781936517060 Price: $3.99 (eBook) Signal 30, the police designation for crime scene with extreme or imminent danger, is a riveting mystery about the intricacies of a major crime investigation. In a quiet suburb of New Jersey, a 12 year old girl returns from Christmas vacation and finds an unopened gift at her front door. In the excitement and exuberance of a young child, she opens it. The early evening is shattered as the gift explodes and begins a tangled search for the person who would send this destructive present. Unexpectedly, other devises show up at a shopping mall in New Jersey, the Holland Tunnel in New York, and the home of the Mayor in a nearby town. Detective Shane Murphy, a 40 year old senior officer with Special Case Investigations, is thrown into the maze of confusion as he attempts to sort out the facts before the perpetrator strikes again. While his personal life crumbles around him, as his wife informs him of her decision to pursue a divorce, Murphy finds assistance with the arrival of Stacy Landou, a 38 year old Special Agent with Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The case becomes more complicated when the local press begins to hound Murphy and suggests he is failing in his investigation. With Shane'scareer, marriage, and reputation seemingly out of control, the bomber continues to move one-step ahead of the investigation. Excerpt Excerpt from Signal 30, J.T.Twerell The winter chill seeped through the cracks in the window, and papers fluttered in some of the drafts flowing beneath the door. Benjamin took another sip of hot coffee and then rubbed his hands together in order to regain circulation. The garage he worked in was his place of hope, and no amount of chill or wind could discourage the effort. His world was never one of great comfort, but such was the way of a warrior, never asking for the easy life that was eating away the strength of his country. Benjamin was a patriot in a land that had lost its direction, but now he was prepared to assist in a great awakening. For the last few years, he’d taken the jibes of the people around him, calling him "Little Soldier," "Captain America," and the most hurtful of all, "Short Shooter." Benjamin was only 5'1" and 110 pounds, but his small stature was a symbol of strength to him, even if it was a point of ridicule to those around him. Like David fighting Goliath, Benjamin knew he would soon silence the sounds of laughter and replace them with looks of admiration. It was wakeup time, and he’d heard the call for him to stand up and take control. Benjamin listened to the news report and shook his head. Some people just couldn't understand what was taking place and he was once again ashamed of the human race. "Everybody gets all bent out of shape because some kid gets hurt with a bomb," he said aloud to himself. "But nobody appreciates the impact the bomb really has on the makeup of our society. They sit in their pretty little houses and think they're safe, and then things go very wrong for them. They just don’t see the beauty in the bombing. If we don’t wake up as a society, then we'll all die of stupidity. This nation didn't become strong because we all live in safe neighborhoods with perfectly manicured lawns. This country became strong because we didn’t allow people to push us around."

publishingguru.com
J.T. Twerell’s Signal 30 is a riveting mystery thriller that brings the reader into the story with tremendous amounts of lively detail and pinpoints character descriptions. The plot development is distinctly unique and innovative as each character enters the story amidst his own conflict, which is intricately woven into the main conflict itself. In other words, there are multiple climactic moments that keep the reader interested, which is absolutely critical for a mystery novel.


Twerell, through the pace of the plot and sentence structure, conveys a deep sense of foreboding and destruction, for which the characters are just play pieces. The story revolves around the main character, Shane Murphy, who is a senior officer with Special Case investigations. At age forty, he is still going strong, pursuing crime with precision. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about his family life with a pending divorce on the horizon. At the core of the novel is a bomb blast, which, it seems, sets itself off. The perpetrator has executed the job to perfection, resulting in a whirlwind of an investigation by detectives and police alike.


The story also includes Stacy Landou, a thirty-eight year old Special Agent with Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Her no nonsense approach to police work coupled with her sensitivity makes her an endearing character. Reporter Jackie Simmons, who always finds the lead story, no matter what it takes, and Chief Reilley round out the list of principal characters. What’s most impressive about this book is the way each character is developed and the level of mental conflict created for each character. The characters in this book will do whatever it takes to get the job done.


The overlying theme in this novel is essentially the complexity of a police investigation and the myriad variables that come into play until the resolution of the investigation is reached. Undoubtedly, Signal 30 is a must read for fans of the “cop novel” as well as for general mystery and suspense aficionados.


Readers View
Signal 30
J. T. Twerell
Living Word Publications (2010)
ISBN 9781936517060
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (11/10)
“Signal 30” masterfully combines passion, discovery, and deep insight to create an action-packed investigative story of suspense, deduction, and intrigue.
In the midst of a delayed family Christmas celebration, Officer Shane Murphy receives a call to report at the scene of a signal 30 call. The call involves an apparent mail bomb explosion in a quiet New Jersey suburb. A twelve-year-old girl is rushed to the hospital to fight for her life, as a result of the explosion. Faced with an irate wife and the threat of an impending divorce, he answers the call.
Murphy is assigned as Major Case Investigator for the case and is soon involved in solving a series of holiday bombings. Within hours of the second bombing, numerous governmental investigative agencies have their agents at the crime scenes to add their area of expertise to apprehending the perpetrator.
Murphy is thwarted in his investigation by an inept chief of police, an aggressive investigative reporter with a personal vendetta to get back at him, as well as the competition for authority and power of the representatives from the FBI, ATF, and Homeland Security.
Terrorism, vindictive revenge, the possibility of copy cat bombers, and a suspect with a crazed fantasy of mission all add to the conflict, suspense, and surprise of this fast-moving plot.
Twerell’s background as a professional psychologist adds credibility to the profound insight into and depth of his character development. Several key characters carry into their adult lives the deep scars of verbal and physical abuse by their fathers during the formative years of their childhood. The book includes graphic language and descriptions that often accompany police and crime stories in the genre.
Twerell’s writing is riveting in “Signal 30.” He combines superb character development, and believable dialog, with a strong fast-moving plot. These elements guarantee an enjoyable read. They also insure the addition a host of new readers to his growing fan base.