cover image The Wave

The Wave

Tom Miller. Sherman Asher Publishing, $18.95 (290pp) ISBN 978-1-890932-38-1

After a 6.8-point quake ravages Hawaii with a 20 foot tidal wave, biology professor Scott Richardson discovers an expanding crevasse on the Pacific Ocean floor capable of unleashing a 2,000-foot tsunami powerful enough to obliterate the entire Pacific Rim. Calling on his buddy, former Navy SEAL Chuck Palmer, Richardson attempts to determine the cause of the crevasse before it's too late. As the duo race against time and come up against violent agents of Hawaii's tourism industry, first-time author Miller proves adept at generating tension and mixing geological science with tough-guy humor. Unfortunately, forced dialogue and odd shifts in perspective work against the narrative, and Miller's cliffhanger ending makes for an unsatisfying conclusion.