In 1963, young scientist Luke Hinson is called to examine a whale that is clearly suffering from the effects of radioactivity. Luke is no stranger to this invisible danger—he grew up in Hanford, a town administered and funded by the federal government and almost entirely dedicated to the manufacturing of radioactive materials serving the war effort and beyond. Luke’s own father died of cancer as a direct result of his work, and many of the other residents—as well as people upwind and downriver from the town—have suffered, too. The government officially denies any danger, and has reams of data proving that everything is very safe. Luke sees an opportunity to finally prove otherwise—but first he has to deal with his own diagnosis of thyroid cancer.

The work opens up old scars, too, as he is forcibly reminded of Mary Boone. When Luke was fourteen, Mary was his beautiful, gentle, intelligent next-door neighbor. Luke crushed hard, but Mary’s abusive husband, Matt, was too embedded in the town’s hierarchy to be challenged; and Luke was just a kid. Shortly before Mary vanished, she and Luke shared an ill-advised evening of passion, and Luke has been haunted by her disappearance ever since.

The story in TANGLES flashes back and forth between the 1940s (detailing Mary’s work to prove the government is covering up unsafe radioactivity while edging towards the final decision to leave her husband) and the 1960s (detailing Luke’s efforts to finally publish evidence that the government has been hiding dangerous radioactivity in and around Hanford for years). Mary resolves that her children won’t grow up in danger, but her young daughter, Lucy, is quickly diagnosed with leukemia. Luke goes into remission and gains allies old and new in his quest, but he gets harassed by government agents. Eventually, Luke’s investigation leads him to an unexpected revelation about Mary’s disappearance—and her children.

Author Kay Smith-Blum has a firm hand on both her timelines, and the past is presented with crisp, realistic detail. Her characters feel real, too—fragile, often blinkered people who are doing their best (or worst). Mary’s boorish husband, Matt, is a disappointing exception: A one-note villain who drinks, gets angry, hits Mary, and does little else.

Overall, it’s a compelling story, though the mystery of Mary’s fate is more interesting than the relatively bloodless investigation in the 1960s. There’s a lot of sample-taking, bureaucratic obstacle-making, and discussion of isotopes and radiation levels; but even when the government thugs arrive to intimidate and threaten, there’s no real sense of danger. While the story is based on real-life events that were incredibly damaging to those affected, there’s rarely any sense of real urgency in Luke and company’s quest for the truth. Mary’s bad marriage is handled with more suspense despite its familiar outlines, and Luke’s intimate connection to her lends some real pathos to the mystery of her disappearance.

A complex, well-written historical thriller that sags slightly when the scientists get to muttering over their findings, TANGLES is nonetheless an entertaining and informative story.

TANGLES by Kay Smith-Blum is an emotionally resonant mystery combined with a compelling conspiracy story.

~Jeff Somers for IndieReader