[GlenBarrington]

It is called, "The Distance Beacons".

The story is again set in Boston, and in the plot, the President of the USA is coming to Boston to promote reintegration of New England back into the USA proper via referendum. Apparently New England isn't actually a part of the USA; instead it appears to be occupied territory.

Walter Sands is hired by the federally appointed Governor to act as the local representative of her security detail and to find out who a rebel group is and if they represent a threat to the President.

I really enjoy how Richard Bowker is beginning to flesh out his universe. The details seem well thought out and logically consistent. I do think the mystery/detective part of the story is a little weak though. I had figured out whodunit early on in the book, though that didn't significantly detract from my enjoyment of the book overall.

I especially think the Governor could be an interesting character to develop. He is percieved by the New Englanders as a hated "Fed", who sold his soul to the occupying army for food, shelter, and comfort. But he clearly is trying to balance the need for order and civilization with the need for freedom. I don't know if he should be a "good" guy or bad. But I think his story needs telling.

I do have a concern with a part of the Universe Bowker is building that I think might end this story line prematurely though. The "New United States" seems to be trying to build itself without using our current Constitution. Nationhood in the USA isn't defined by history, or common genetics, the things that define many other nations. All we have is the Constitution to define us as a nation.

The people are protected by the Constitution, and the Constitution is protected by the institutions we, the people, have built. It is a delicate balancing act, our status as a nation. I simply don't believe you can build a viable nation-state and ignore the current US Constitution. You might be able to restate what is in that Constitution in a different document but you can't ignore it.

It sounds as if Richard Bowker is trying to do that very thing, but his characters are simply "Too American" to let the government that appears to be forming to last. This will inevitably be a central part of the conflict that this story arc represents whether Bowker intends it or not.

One last thing, I don't know at what point in recent history this universe diverges from our own, but all the "Americans" are either northern European white, or black. No Asians, no Puerto Ricans, Cubans, or Mexicans seem to exist. There aren't even any Portuguese, and in some parts of NE, they are the dominant ethnic group. I don't think you can really build a complete picture of the East Coast without the Puerto Ricans, and for the last 20 years or so, without the Mexicans. Readers will get a skewed Euro-centric view of America without them. Again, this may be a part of the story arc that is building, certainly it is believable that bureaucrats will think this way, but regular people will have to deal with this on a day to day basis.