Richard Martin Stern (1915–2001)

This book begins in a rather boring way, with uninteresting dialogue by equally uninteresting characters. But little by little, much the way a fire starts slowly, it builds to an exciting and exploding crescendo. Nat, architect, is upset to discover that some of the features of his super tall skyscraper had been cheapened, something that could likely become a safety issue, and that someone had signed his name to the changes. But even while he is tracking down the guilty party, another person has begun his own plan of sabotage against the building. It takes a few chapters before this novel gets gripping, but once it does, it becomes a page turner. The author could have used a bit more imagination in naming his characters. There are too many with closely similar first names, and two even share the same first name. He also tends to sometimes refer to them by their names, sometimes by their nicknames, and sometimes by their job description. A more consistent treatment would have made keeping track of the many characters much easier. But he does a good job of developing the characters and their personalities, both with the heroic good guys and the bad scoundrels. I wish he had taken more time with the ending; it is rather abrupt. But still, the last chapter before the epilogue is chilling in its content.… (meer)