Section 51 (Project Solstice)

Section 51 (Project Solstice), V.G. Harrison, Amazon Digital Services, Inc., 2013

First of a series, this science fiction/paranormal novel is about Ava Frost, part of a set of triplets. She has always had a strong empathic connection with her brother, Ian, until the day that he "disappears." She heads for the small town of Willow Falls to get some answers.

It all has to do with a bit of Native American folklore about people called skinwalkers, who can turn into animals, and back again. Ava knows, almost on arrival, that something is really wrong. She meets Ian at a local restaurant, but she knows that this is not her brother. The usual empathic connection is gone. She soon learns that Ian was killed two months previously, and his death was covered up.

Ava suddenly finds herself in the middle of a super-secret government program called Section 51 (yes, it's an offshoot of Area 51). It involves using genetic engineering to intentionally turn people into skinwalkers. She also runs into Colonel Briggs, the megalomaniac who runs the program. His intention is to create an army of such soldiers. Ian was working on a sort of skinwalker GPS system, and it's up to Ava to re-create his steps and bring it online. Briggs wants it very much, and there isn't anything he won't do to get total control over the skinwalkers.

This story is surprisingly good. It's very easy to read, it moves very quickly, and it will certainly keep the reader, whether science fiction or paranormal fan, very interested.