Bone Dust Book by Rick Maier

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.’

Reviews

Written years before COVID 19 but spot on

I read this several years ago never expecting to live it. I read it again this year and was shocked at how accurate and also very interesting it is. Highly recommend!

Kayb

Along the lines of Grisham and Patterson

Have read Bone Dust and Exit South, both of Maier’s books plus had a chance to read a draft of his next book. Enjoyed them all, timely subjects, fast paced, reads like Grisham and Patterson. Read the new one on airplanes, hotels, and at home after a long day. You can pick it up, read, stop for awhile then pick it up again. Sometimes you start and don’t want to stop – what’s happening next. Good read.

Pat

Touching Story!

Rick Maier has written one of those “can’t put it down” summer reading books. BONE DUST is as intriguing and as fast paced as THE DA VINCI CODE.
He ingeniously and coincidentally weaves a SARS-like pandemic into his story about contemporary Macon, Ga.

If you are from the South you will appreciate the boldness in which Maier describes through his characters and situations how Southerners deal with “race” concerns, especially at the corporate level.

If you are a runner, as I am, you will identify with the main character and how “running” is a sustaining factor in his life.

Pertinent human issues show up in Maier’s book of short chapters with nifty titles. The details of death, the facade of being religious, and a father’s relationship with his daughters are three images that remain with me.

Even though BONE DUST is a drama, with a touching ending(be ready for it), Maier’s main character is a jokster kind of guy- so the book is not without humor! You’ll love it!

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Books Written by Rick Maier

Alaska Awakening

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 Tunnels Below St. Edana Book

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

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

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 written by Rick Maier

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.

Rick Maier

Georgia Author

Rick Maier

Raised in Delaware, Rick Maier moved to Georgia in the 1980s to advance his career in finance.  Since retiring, he splits his time between Macon and Blue Ridge, visiting with his children and grandchildren, hiking, writing, and playing pickleball.

Contact Rick at rickmaier@cox.net.