Any great thriller novel starts with the premise “what if” and asks a question that balances realism with a touch of “holy shit!” Ideally, the author blends these elements into a tale that’s both believable and extraordinary. According to the 4+ star ratings on Amazon, I’m guessing I’ve managed to pull that off with Waterborne, the second novel in the Jake Bendel universe.
This story was a natural progression for Jake, who had already saved millions of lives by taking down terrorist Viktor Johnston and his plot to weaponize self-driving cars. I kept reading stories about gene splicing, viruses, and the potential for a pandemic. I thought, “What if terrorists weaponized viruses and put them into our water supply as a way of distributing terror?”
Now, please keep in mind, the idea for Waterborne came to me BEFORE COVID! I considered how relatively simple it would be to dump viral materials into the open channels for water flowing from Northern to Southern California in our various aqueducts. Decades ago, when civil engineers designed and constructed the water supply system, I doubt anyone imagined someone would try to murder millions by tampering with the water supply. But these days, you never know, so I wrote a cautionary tale as a warning to our leadership that this potential exists, and we need to prevent the events in my book from unfolding in real life.
Everyone tells new authors to “write what you know.” Well, I’m a licensed professional civil engineer in California and have studied the design and construction of water and wastewater systems. I did need to consult with medical and biological experts—special thanks to Dr. Peter Maurice, a phenomenal physician in Seattle—to ensure the science behind CRISPR gene splicing and virus behavior was not only realistic but believable.
I felt that Jake Bendel, my fictional civil engineer hero, makes an excellent protagonist for several reasons: 1) he doesn’t consider himself a hero, giving him room to grow as a character, 2) he’s already traumatized from his first adventure (Gridlock) and needs to overcome internal demons, and 3) he’s wicked smart, a wonderful reflection of the antagonist, Viktor Johnston, who is off-the-charts intelligent. And dammit, we just need more fun stories about civil engineers!
If you enjoy tightly wound tales full of suspense and real-world consequences, please check out Waterborne, available now in paperback and hardcover (audiobook is under production, available by the end of August 2024).
J. Luke Bennecke is a veteran civil engineer with a well-spent career helping people by improving Southern California roadways. He is the author of three bestselling, award-winning thrillers: Civil Terror: Gridlock, Waterborne, and his 2023 release Echo from a Bayou.
