Bone Dust
Paperback
Tapping into the panic over the SARS outbreak, Bone Dust is a timely tale that paints an all-too-believable scenario. In a smooth writing style that flows evenly and easily, Maier’s first book is a fascinating story sure to catch a reader’s attention.Set in Macon, Georgia, the main character, Mike Spiker, is a busy executive at Bio Lab Research. A deadly outbreak of the flu in the Philippines doesn’t concern him or his colleagues. After all, this sleepy little town in the deep South has always been far from the front lines of any big trouble. But the outbreak becomes a modern-day disaster, an influenza pandemic that affects the lives of everyone. How they deal with it, who succumbs and a myriad of subplots involving infidelity, fraud, race relations and more keep the story moving with palpable excitement.Maier has blended his fascination with life in the South with his in-depth study of the 1918 flu epidemic. He weaves a tale full of intrigue, little-known facts and realistic fiction. In our terror-filled, post 9-11 existence, Maier presents a fascinating story sure to force you to spend a sleepless night or two. As Macon Telegraph columnist Ed Grisamore wrote: ‘Turning each page is like putting your hand on an electric fence.’
Books Written by Rick Maier
Alaska Awakening
A father-daughter adventure turns into a family disaster in the Alaska wilderness. The ideal read for anyone who has been, or is planning to visit the magnificent Last Frontier!
The Tunels Below St. Edana
A series of bizarre terror attacks shake up a quiet little college in the Deep South. Numbers guy Jake Dawson steps up to stop the perpetrators while his colleagues resist help from the police as they go about their daily routines. Jake finds support from unlikely sources, including a lovely and talented coworker who joins his side to restore order.
Fire and Faith
Heat and smoke from the fire killed six-year-old Chrissy and both visiting grandparents and left the house in ruins. Bottles and cans containing gasoline found placed in doorways clearly indicated arson. Weeks later, Herb Steigler was arrested for murder and the attempted murder of the wife he rescued. A year later, he was convicted on purely circumstantial evidence and sentenced to hang.
Orange Terrace
Social tremors shock Macon when a developer tries to tear down a row of old houses to expand the sprawling medical complex.
Exit South
Nick Sanders is abducted while on vacation with his family. Forced to go underground in unfamiliar Macon, Georgia, Nick overcomes great odds only to face his toughest challenge – choices of the heart.
Reviews
The secret to "Bone Dust is Maier's skill in incrementally weaving the local history and culture of Macon, Georgia (his adopted home town) to an outbreak of influenza in the Philippines. As a subtext, this particular strain of influenza could have been perpetrated by Al Qaeda or by an independent cell of terrorists. Or perhaps, this strain of influenza emerged because people in the Philippines keep and live in close proximity to chickens and on occasion, avian strains of flu emerge and cross to humans.
Whatever the cause, the lives of the citizens of Macon and the key characters in "Bone Dust" are disrupted and they must now deal with the consequences.
"Bone Dust" sustains interest throughout. The lives of the principal characters are enriched with local color and detail. Only an overly sentimental ending that Maier thoughtfully keeps brief detracts from this otherwise compelling narrative.
