Stop 9/11

On September 11, 2001, the world stood by in horror as terrorists hijacked airliners and brought down the World Trade Center, killing thousands of innocent civilians as well as many police and firemen who dutifully responded to the call to help those in danger. Included among those who died that day were FDNY Lieutenant Salvatore Pulino, Sr. and his brother NYPD officer Robert Pulino. Years later, budding medical and science prodigy Michael Zweistein is fiercely dedicated to finding a cure for Alzheimer's disease after he watches his grandmother suffer from the debilitating malady. He recruits his good friend, Sal Pulino Jr. the son of the deceased FDNY Lieutenant Salvatore Pulino, Sr., to assist him as a research subject and help him test a new medical device, which could treat Alzheimer's patients' memory loss by enhancing their memory experiences. However, Sal soon discovers the reliving of memories through the device extends beyond the mind, and that it is possible to alter the past. Sal realizes that this time-travel opportunity might be the way to prevent the September 11th attacks and thus prevent his father and uncle's deaths. He becomes determined to foil the terrorists and stop the 9/11 disaster from ever happening. Sal convinces Michael Zweistein of the device's time travel power and talks him into his plan. Together, they recruit Sal's sister Cecilia and begin using the device to travel psychically to the past and alter the present by re-imagining the events of past encounters. When Sal's plan goes horribly wrong, however, they are left scrambling to right the past, save the future, and convince the ones they love to change their actions in order to save lives. A surprising, thought-provoking thriller that careens through unexpected twists and turns with stunning velocity, first-timer Gregory Lange's power-packed prose and felicity for plotting and tension makes this time-bending narrative as thought provoking as it is captivating. Putting a sharp twist on the emotional ties accompanying the most significant historical event in recent memory, Stop 9/11 is an astute, incisive depiction of loss and the hold our memories have over our present, as well as the spiritual consequences of the choices we make in our daily lives. It is this, the force of the unknown and its ability to affect us, which elevates Stop 9/11 to profound heights. Combined with insightful dialogue and compelling character work, this ability to touch the deepest of chords within the human experience separates it from other works within its genre, and introduces a wholly original, must-read thriller for a new millennium.