Measure of Darkness
“It is evident that Mr. Jordan is knowledgeable about the workings of the FBI, private investigators, and the police. His plundering of the inner workings of dark, malicious, twisted and greedy minds both captivates and repels. Written with intelligence and expertise, Measure of Darkness captivates until its dramatic ending.”
Randall Shane is hot on the case of a missing boy who happens to be the son of MIT professor, Joseph Keener. Dr. Keener, working in the physics department, is also involved with a secret research project at the private company known as QuantaGate, which is doing business either for the Department of Defense or for Homeland Security.
The professor summons Shane to his home because he fears he is under surveillance, but does not know by whom. When Shane arrives, he discovers the man has been murdered. He soon learns the authorities are searching for him as a key suspect in the murder.
Meanwhile, Dr. Keener’s five-year-old son, Joey, is being held by a violent and dangerous man named Kidder, who was hired to hide the boy as a bargaining chip by someone wealthy and evil with the intent to learn about Keener’s research.
Joey describes Kidder as a very scary person when he witnesses Kidder’s torturous and murderous ways. Kidder informs Joey his mother is sick and until she gets well, he is being taken care of by Kathy, known as “New Mommy.” Musically talented Joey is able to deal with the unfamiliar surroundings and the uncertainty of his mom’s whereabouts by burying himself in a keyboard, playing songs to help soothe his soul.
Shane, knowing he is being framed, meets with Naomi Nantz a well-known Back Bay investigator in Boston, Massachusetts. He hopes she can clear him of the murder charge, but he mostly needs her aid in finding Joey. While convening at Nantz’s secure office they are attacked by masked men who have somehow managed to infiltrate the structure and abduct Shane.
Naomi is incensed by the breach, for her office/residence had undergone intensive measures to ensure its impenetrability, so this invasion of her sanctuary angers her as much as it makes her nervous.
With the help of ex-FBI agent Jack Delancey, Teddy Boyd, her young computer genius, Dane Porter, her lawyer, and Alice Crane, her assistant, Naomi claims she will not only locate Shane and the kidnapped lad, but also ascertain who breached her quarters.
Several days after the abduction, Shane is dumped at Mass General Hospital suffering from torture wounds, and just as serious: the effects of heavy-duty drugs—drugs administered to get him to talk. The police keep Shane under careful watch while he is hospitalized, making sure he does not flee their custody.
Naomi and her “staff” delve into Dr. Keener and Joey’s mother’s backgrounds. An Asian going by the name of Ming-Mei, his mother had evidently been hired to get close to the professor to learn information about his research. Dr. Keener, a shy and introverted sort, became smitten with Ming-Mei, which led to his fathering her child.
As Shane recovers, he regains memories of his abduction and beating, memories he thought had been wiped clean. With Dana’s assistance, he and Naomi and her team can put the pieces of this puzzle together.
Measure of Darkness is intensely fast-paced and filled with intrigue. The changing points of view is subliminal enough not to constrict the flow of the story, even enhancing it, making the reader privy to several characters’ innermost thoughts.
It is evident that Mr. Jordan is knowledgeable about the workings of the FBI, private investigators, and the police. His plundering of the inner workings of dark, malicious, twisted and greedy minds both captivates and repels. Written with intelligence and expertise, Measure of Darkness captivates until its dramatic ending.