Soon the security chief of Sentinel Microsystems, Barton Jones, arrives, demanding Claude reveal Jesse's whereabouts. The FBI, making the same demand follows Barton's aggressive visit. When danger hits home, Claude begins to search for his missing friend. Claude learns that Jesse went underground because he uncovered the dark secrets of what his Silicon Valley company was really doing and has a disk to prove it.

CAUSES OF ACTION is an action-packed thriller that highlights the ambience and excitement of the Bay area. Claude is an interesting character and the support cast, especially the San Franciscans, add warmth and depth to a well-designed tale. The story line occasionally slows down, but John A. Miller continues to provide insight into the various mindsets of Viet Nam Veterans as he successfully did with CUTDOWN. An engrossing novel that will bring accolades to the author.

Harriet Klausner

CAUSES OF ACTION begins when Claude awakes in the pre-dawn hours to find a 4 year old child in his bedroom with a note pinned to his jacket. The little boy, Earl, is the son of Jesse Hamilton from Claude's old platoon. Although Claude has not seen him since the day 30 years earlier that Jesse was wounded on a battlefield in Vietnam, he feels an obligation to take care of the boy for a few days. Clearly Jesse is in trouble and Claude cannot help attempting to dig him out. This tortuous journey then takes Claude into the minefields of the Silicon Valley business wars, close encounters with a beautiful FBI agent who may or may not be an ally, and a confrontation with old enemies and deep-rooted corruption that threatens his carefully balanced existence and his very life. Miller's first book sparked some controversy among a few people I know who disagreed with the hero's less than politically correct ideas. Having known a few Vietnam veterans, I found McCutcheon's views to be an accurate portrayal of the opinions of many from that particular "lost generation." I personally found both CUTDOWN and CAUSES OF ACTION well worth reading for the story and reading again for the writing.

The one caution I would give is that it's not be a good gift if you don't know how/when/if the parents intend to child the child their adoption story. If the child is growing up, as many in my life are, never NOT knowing the story, this book and this song can help carry the story.

Some families (like ours) may choose after a while to celebrate only a child's actual birthday.

Nevertheless, this book is a helpful way to celebrate a child's acceptance into his or her adoptive family, especially for kids adopted at older ages or internationally.

There is nothing wrong with stating that the world is troubled. After all, it is.

But the overall message of this beautifully illustrated volume is one of acceptance and love. It is a keepsake that most adoptive families will cherish.

Hurrah, John McCutcheon! Alyssa A. Lappen

John A. Miller has created a very interesting character in Claude McCutcheon, the almost anti-hero of Cutdown.
I liked the characters in the book and the prerequisite violent scenes were different in that Claude is not the typical "superhero" type who never bleeds.
The violence is at times excessive, but Miller also makes Claude a likeable guy you wouldn't mind having a beer with.

The conclusion is very satisfying and true to the development of the plot.

This novel is a promising start to what I hope will be an extended series.Brian Sage (sagebrian@hotmail.com),Woodstock,Ontario,Canada.