Settling in for a routine day at the office in 1989, high school memories are the furthest thing from David Miller's mind. But when an unexpected phone call interrupts the personal injury lawyer's mid-afternoon slump, he is surprised to hear from Michael Eisenberg-a former debate partner who went on to become the US Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
But Michael isn't just calling to chat. He's working with the FBI on a high-stakes case: investigating the disappearance of a revolutionary government scientist-one whose bio-evolutionary research could turn Darwinism on its ear, and pose a threat to national security.
The main suspect? Cult leader Philip Montgomery, who happens to have a strong connection to David's past.
If David hopes to help crack the case, the attorney has to delve into a sea of old memories, revisiting people and places left behind long ago. One such person is former best friend Benny Friedman, who has clearly gone off the deep end. Obsessed with the JFK assassination, he insists he has evidence that Oswald wasn't acting alone.
But as David's old memories continue to surface, a startling deception comes to light-uncovering the truth in a most unexpected way.
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[An unexpected phone call from my former high school debate partner suddenly wrested me from a mid-afternoon funk]***
(Independently Published, 30 June 2014, first published 26 June 2014, 205 pages, ebook, Kindle Lending Library)
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This is my first time reading the author. I really enjoyed When the Past Came Calling. The book moves back and forth between the 60's and 80's as David sink deep into his past to uncover the truths that link the murder of an old friend in the present, the conspiracy-theorist insanity of another, a scientist working on something that could have major implications and a peaceful religion. I love non-linear narratives especially when they work well and this one ticks all the boxes. When the Past Came Calling is full of half-truths and misdirection as every question David asks leads to more question. I love this story trope as well. I was engrossed in the book. I liked the way the book ends, not with all the dots connected, but with some questions still left open and a sense of hope. This is a hugely enjoyable book.
