Eric Campbell went to his office at the U.S.Forest Service in Washington,D.C. a day early to organize his desk. He inadvertently overheard an argument between his superior,Carl Jackson, and mobster Anthony Patrini. He didn't realize that this would lead to attempts on his life. He manages to steal incriminating evidence from Jackson's files. To find a safe haven for his wife and daughter he flees to the Siskiyou National Forest in Oregon after making arrangements with FBI agent Bob Arnold to meet and turn over the evidence. They never meet.

Eighteen-year old hiker, Kyle Evers, stumbles on an almost dead 10 year old girl in the forest. She has no memory of why she was there or of her previous life. There is some doubt whether she will survive. She finally recovers and is adopted by the Mitchells. The only item she has from her life is a locket with the name "Claire".

Twenty years later Claire Mitchell is a successful architect, engaged to Richard Westfall, heir to a lumber empire, but she still has no memory of her past. She has a recurring nightmare of a flight in a forest.

Richard introduces her to his family but neglects to tell them of her past. Shortly thereafter her apartment is searched; attempts are made on her life. Richard refuses to believe her. When her best friend is murdered, being mistaken for her, Claire feels there must be some connection with her missing past.

She returns to Oregon where she had been found, determined to discover what happened. She seeks Kyle Evers, who believes her suspicions and together they begin to probe the past.

From page one the reader is caught by the action and suspense of the story. The suspense never abates. The plot is well crafted; the writing clear and concise; the characters true to life. The story is full of the atmosphere of the forests.

This is Douglas' first novel; it is a spectacular debut. I hope to read more by her in the future.

Reviewed by Denise Fleischer

All Eric Campbell did was go to the Washington, D.C. office of the U.S. Forest Service a day early to prepare for his new job. So why was someone trying to kill him?

In a heartbeat, his life turned from normal to one laced with danger. When unpacking his personal files, he hears voices coming from his new supervisor's office. The muted conversation escalates into an angry confrontation. It is obvious that what was stated had criminal connections and that his supervisor, Mr. Jackson, was involved.

Campbell could either ignore the encounter or inform the authorities. He chooses to do the right thing and quickly changes to the cautious mode on his way home to Arlington, VA. After telling his wife about what occurred, they flee with their daughter to a motel off State Highway 29. Before Eric can contact the FBI and ask for Special Agent Bob Arnold, an agent he knew was trying to put organized crime leader Anthony Patrini in prison, he had to have evidence of the connection. That evidence was a file in Jackson's office. Eric finds not only the file, but Jackson dead on the floor in a pool of blood. In the eyes of the law, that makes him a suspect. Whoever murdered Jackson could easily take his and his loved one's lives, as well. After offering Arnold the information, Eric schedules a meeting to exchange the file for protection. The day arrives but Eric never shows up.

A short time later, 17-year-old Kyle Evers finds an object tangled in a bush. This leads to his discovery of a battered little girl. He radios for help and she's immediately taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene. After five hours of surgery she is alive, but in a coma. All the hospital staff and police know is a name from her locket, "Claire."

DEADFALL focuses on Claire's story. Her inability to uncover the first 10 years of her life. Her future with fianc� Richard Westfall, heir to a fortune in privately owned timberland in Washington State. And it's not her imagination, someone is trying to kill her. But why?

Mitchell slowly rolls out the facts that lead to an unsolved crime and her past. DEADFALL mirrors reality and reminds us that sometimes justice wins in the end.

3 out of 4 cloaks
--Denise Fleischer, GWN Book Reviewer
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March 8, 2002