Under a Secret Sky
When her husband mysteriously disappears, his strong-willed wife and precocious young son set out to find him. Threatened, then pursued by friends-turned-enemies, their search leads from their comfortable post war suburban California life to the heart of the Cold War secrecy state.
ROBERT VALE is a blueprint checker for Braden Enright, a young company designing the future. When he disappears, his wife Jean and their young son JIMMY, set out to find him. Jean’s no-nonsense grit plus Jimmy’s “I’m just a kid” innocence make them a unique, resourceful team. Threatened, then pursued by friends-turned-enemies, their search leads to a closed-off town in the Mojave desert. So surreal it feels like a mirage, Calcite is a scaled down suburb with no street addresses, telephones with no numbers.
It is here that engineers are on the verge of a scientific breakthrough which will cement the merger between Braden Enright and the fast-growing American secrecy state.
Jean falls into the hands of VANN CLARIDGE. Intelligence advisor to President Truman, who travels with his own Martini mixings, Claridge subjects Jean to insulin shock therapy, a harsh treatment designed to exploit her deepest fears and lead him to Robert, “a traitor as dangerous as the Rosenbergs”.
Jean manages a narrow escape. But as she and Jimmy pick up Robert’s trail, they fear he is not the man they know. Dreaming of the wartime heroics that eluded him on the home front, Robert has found his “war”.
But is it Jean’s war? Is it Jimmy’s war? Is it a war the Vale family can survive?
REVIEWS
UNDER A SECRET SKY
I loved how intricately this novel was plotted and the slow reveal of one secret after another. This kept me engaged and wanting more. Anyone who loves a bit of Cold War history and governent conspiracy will quickly devour Under a Secret Sky. Filled with raw human emotions, the delicate structures of relationships and outstanding character growth, this book is a must-read!
–5 Star review for Readers’ Favorites
This beautifully written mystery is spell-binding. I loved the novel’s slow reveal of one secret after another. The characters hold secrets and potentials that I wanted to explore more deeply. And the mystery of all mysteries, that keeps the story in motion, is alluringly eerie.
–San Diego East County Magazine
A David Madsen novel is such a great read! I was thrilled to learn that he had resumed writing and I so enjoyed this book, with its intriguing situations, engaging characters, and impeccable prose – which always seems to turn the right phrase without calling attention to itself. Best of all, in scene after scene, I really felt like I was there, witnessing as the action unfolded, sharing the characters’ experiences. (Without, of course, all the jeopardy that Madsen puts them in.) Recommended!
–Sue Perry
Wow. Besides the cool title, this novel will not disappoint. I’m not going to spoil anything here by telling you it’s well worth the read. Take a trip back in time and realize that the more things change, the more people are just as determined, confused and searching as they are today. A great mystery rolled into a riveting quest that frays and rebuilds the most durably fragile of all relationships: mother and son.
–Peter J Hankoff
This tightly written book takes you to another age – but one frighteningly similar to our world today. A page-turner with heart.
–Richard G. Opper – Author of “The Body in the Barrel” and “In Deep and Far Out”
I really liked this novel’s portrait of the early days of Silicon Valley, and how the Bay Area was shaped by the Cold War. Jean Vale, the female lead, is a strong yet troubled woman, but her brainy, adventurous 12 year old son Jimmy steals the show. Get ready for a major plot twist, as well.
–Mary Gospe, Principal, KickStart Alliance