The Arranger

A book review by Jean Henry Mead

L.J. Sellers’ latest offering, The Arranger, will not only keep you turning pages, it will make you wonder about your own future.

Her protagonist, Lara Evans, takes part in “The Gauntlet,” a serious reality game watched and scored by a global television audience. The games are not only life threatening, the contestants compete with the best and most dangerous of competitors, all of them larger than Lara.

The futuristic mystery suspense novel involves not only Lara’s ability to survive and win the games but to clear herself of the murder of one of her competitors. Along the way she experiences a romantic encounter while she struggles to maintain her rigorous training.

Why risk her life to compete in games she’s likely to lose? The future Sellers paints is one of increased crime due to massive unemployment, corruption, and societal depression. Money is scarce and only the best can live comfortably. Lara’s training and determination are undermined by others in a secondary plot and her life hangs in the balance.

Sellers weaves an intriguing plot that could certainly be prophetic.