Laguna

Michael Putegnat
Synergy Books (2006)
ISBN 193353821x
Reviewed by AJ Cooper for Reader Views (8/06)

The main plot of “Laguna” focuses on the development of coastal land and waters on the Texas Coast for natural gas, the people who opposed it, and the land owner who needed the money to survive.  I found that the book covered every point of view for and against developing the land and involves a large number of characters.  This is a murder mystery that may appeal to someone living in Texas and/or interested in a small glimpse at manipulation at work in local and federal government.

The beginning of the book has a brief description of most of the characters that are involved throughout the book. Each chapter made me feel as if the characters should really be in their own book with no direct correlation with each other in “Laguna”. Some chapters are only 1 or 2 pages long.  I found it difficult, at first, to continue reading the book because none of the chapters seemed to flow together well.  Though I was very frustrated with the beginning, I finally did get caught up in the book and developed a curiosity about what would happen next or who would do something to Jack Grider, a System Analyst that had previously worked for the Federal Government in the Fish and Wildlife Department.  Jack Grider had become involved with this land without really even being aware of his involvement – primarily because of a small report he had filed prior to his untimely departure that would impact the land if it ever came to light.

“Laguna” turned out to be a very thought provoking book about turning a large wildlife area into a site for the removal of natural gas. The landowner John Magne was so exited about the prospect of natural gas on his land that he let the financial aspects cloud his sense of trust and common business practices.  Magne used all of his power at every level of local and federal government to ensure that his project would be approved and move forward without a hitch. The power that John Magne exerted on everyone around him stopped most from questioning his judgment - even his bank that was requesting a long overdue payment on the loan he held. A murder even occurs that no one is really eager to investigate because it might stop the approval of the permits to drill for natural gas.

It all starts to come to a head when Jack Grider is threatened and has to leave the area to save his life. He is manipulated by those who at first seemed unlikely to do that to him. At one point, a little kitten is saved, leading to a small turn of events in Jack’s life - making him seem more human. There is also a mystery about a dwelling on the property and threats made against the Magne family for revenge. I thought I had the book figured out but the end was a complete surprise to me and many of the characters that seemed unimportant sprang to the forefront and saved the day.

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