The Coincidence by Gabriel Moens

Paperback, 324 pages, $32.95

ISBN 9781922449887

Published in December 2021

The Coincidence is a thriller set in the future, involving an American president and a would-be assassin. The story focuses on an extraordinary cluster of coincidences that will keep the reader guessing as to the resolution until the last page. Specifically, the novel focuses on a real issue that mesmerized the world community: the destruction of monuments and statues throughout the world, notably in the United States, the United Kingdom, but also in Australia and other countries. This issue provides the background for this tale of conspiracy, attempted murder, revenge, and redemption. The novel describes and illuminates human nature exposing the misguided and the flawed. It highlights social conditions dominated by violence and lawlessness and explores social issues such as racial discrimination, inequality, and possession of guns.

The story is mainly set in Kansas City and Washington DC in the United States, and in Sydney, Australia. Some developments in the story occur in Italy, mainly in Florence and Macerata. The tales of the four main protagonists of this story are intertwined, and they will eventually result in the demise of three characters. The story also offers a short revelatory account of Christopher Columbus, discoverer of the Americas in the 15th century, the emerging and developing hologram technology, and American election campaigns. Additionally, there are sections dealing with contemporary university governance and politics. They provide a humorous distraction, while still relevant to the development of the story, from the novel’s central themes. The interrelationships between education, political intrigue, technology, and human relationships have been interwoven to produce an entertaining and thought-provoking crime novel.

The Arts and Sport