With all the hype surrounding books such as Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, or The Romanov Prophecy by Steve Berry, it was only a matter of time before we got an American-based thrill ride like Cincinnatus.

There have been a few tries, but none that have tied non-stop action together with engaging characters, solid writing, and historical mysteries that go back to the very founding of the United States itself.

Rusty McClure and David Stern spin the tale of golf caddy Matt Thurman and host of government investigators, from the Department of Justice to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Stretching across the country from Florida to California to Ohio, Cincinnatus is an intriguing foray into the lengths people will go to fulfill an ideal, and how differently that ideal can be interpreted. The characters rarely break from the action and the tension this builds makes the book hard to put down.

Occasionally the amount of players in this game seems almost unmanageable, but McClure and Stern keep a fine grip on them all the way to the end. With two non-fiction books previously published on topics referenced in this, their debut novel, it is clear these two have done their research. Cincinnatus is a gem and it is nice to have a historical thriller that hits deep in America’s roots.

I finished [Cincinnatus] in less than two days...couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed the story line, the depth of the characters and the references to familiar places (Columbus, Cincinnati, Washington Court House, etc.) Plus as a fan of golf I enjoyed that perspective as well.

From the opening words to the very end of this 507 page book, the action is virtually nonstop. McClure and Stern have written a novel that is full of intrigue that is made all the more realistic by the inclusion of a real organization, an actual scientific mystery and people who actually lived.

Perhaps the strongest element of the book, however, is the strong character development of not only the major characters but many of the minor characters as well. I really could identify with Matt and Espy in all of their trevails but I could also feel the evilness of the villains of the piece who I will allow to remain nameless. That's another of the beauties of this novel. For much of the book, characters that we grow to trust turn out to be the "bad guys"...

Finally, without giving away anything, what McClure and Stern have written here is all too believable given the political atmosphere in the United States and much of the world...

I thoroughly recommend this book when it comes out.

FIVE STARS

I was given a copy of your new book at the PGA Golf Show in Las Vegas. I do not regularly read books but had a few hour to kill before my flight home so I started to read it. I could not put it down and just finished it and I want you to know I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED the time I spent reading it. I will probably now read your other books.

Thanks for a GREAT READ, job well done.

This book struck me in the same way as Dan Brown and Steve Berry's works... The intrigue of science coupled with history, and in their case religion, along with a sinister plot forces the reader to ask serious questions... Certainly the tie-in to golf has got to force people to question the potential.

I also live in the Cincinnati area, Southern Indiana, so the references to familiar territory are also quite impelling.

Excellent job, I couldn't put it down!

I enjoyed reading [Cincinnatus] a great deal. I found it easy to be involved in the characters' lives, and interested in where it was all going. Thanks to your book no laundry has gotten done for about 5 days and my sleep has been seriously impaired! Congratultions to Rusty and David for a really well crafted book...

Hope the sales go well, and may you all hit them all long and straight.

Recently I spent the weekend in French Lick, Indiana, at the resort there and picked up a free copy of [Cincinnatus: The Secret Plot to Save America] which was on display in the lobby. Thought I would let you know that I enjoyed it very much. I am a golfer so the idea of "fixing" a golf tournament was fascinating to me as I consider golf to be one of the true still "pure" sports out there. Also I couldn't figure out how they were managing to "fix" the tournaments as no one knows who will make the finals and it just involves too many players. You couldn't corrupt that many players...

[I] enjoyed the appendix at the end which explained real life people, the Society of Cincinnati, etc. which made the whole premise of the book seem plausible.

I hope you have much success with the book... I've already suggested your book to several of my friends who are golfers.