McMinnville

by

Derrick McCartney

Fictional deep dive into unexplained UFO phenomena.

McMinnville is the fictional account of a retired NYPD cold case detective who decides to look into an old friend's unanswered questions about a UFO encounter his family experienced when he and the detective were childhood best friends. Author Derrick McCartney takes a deep dive into the phenomena of UFOs in the United States and the world to create a unique and mesmerizing tale of science fiction and mystery. 

The main character is former NYPD detective Ray Baker, who, for the past several years before his retirement, has focused on clearing up some of the department's old unsolved homicides. After a terminal cancer diagnosis, he decides to travel back to the hometown of his early youth, McMinnville, Oregon, to look into what would prove to be one of the most controversial cases of his life: the appearance overhead of a flying saucer, seen by many and photographed by a childhood friend's father and the concurrent disappearance of a local girl on the same day. Ray is inclined to be skeptical of the whole matter, but his early research reveals much that leaves him open to changing his opinion. Ray is an engaging and endearing character in many ways. He's kind, even after years as a law enforcement officer dealing with people at their worst. Ray has outlived his beloved wife and will soon follow her, but he still maintains a great attitude and desire to serve others and uncover the answers to long-held questions. I loved that he decided to revisit all the places he lived as a child and fill in the memories of his past with his now adult point of view. I'll bet that is a trip many people would love to be able to make; I know I would. 

The book's premise is tantalizing: aliens, abductions, first encounters, and government coverups. But I enjoyed Ray's journey much more than the details of his research into UFO sightings and secret government reports. Some of the interviews with the experts he contacted felt overly lengthy, and, at times, I had trouble maintaining interest in what they had to say. In addition, much also seemed to go over the same ground repeatedly. However, the true UFO buffs among this book's readers would probably find this compilation of extreme interest and vastly entertaining. 

I recommend MCMINNVILLE to science fiction readers who enjoy a lot of historical detail in their tales of alien encounters or first contacts.

 I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through RABT Book Tours and PR.