BOOK REVIEW: Frame 232

I love historical fiction, so Frame 232, by Wil Mara, was a blast to read. Taking a fresh, completely plausible approach to John F. Kennedy's assassination, Mara weaves together a colliding cast of characters who have personal motivations for either unearthing or keeping hidden the events of that day.

Sheila Baker is a successful gym owner. She inherits the video shot by her mother, who she never knew was the mysterious Babushka lady, when she dies. The video reveals the only existing proof of another assassin that fateful day. Learning of her mother's anguish-stricken years of silence to protect her family from the government's attempts to discover her identity and destroy the video, Sheila enlists the help of Jason Hammond, a young millionaire with anguish of his own and known as an investigator of famous mysteries. Together, they begin to strip away the facades that have kept the truth hidden away in high places; as they do so, dangers threaten their lives. Ultimately, each person involved must face the truth of his past, coming either to repentance or judgment. Through it all, Jason Hammond learns he must face his own past if he wants to gain his own freedom.

Although the plot line is based solely on Mara's imagination, it has such a feel of plausibility that it compelled me to turn many more pages than I usually would at the end of a long day. The action is fast and furious in places, and the events hold together tightly. This is a great read for anyone with even a passing knowledge of the events surrounding November 22, 1963.

I will let Wil Mara answer a few of the most obvious questions about the book himself (from Q and A in Tyndale's media center):

What inspired you to write a novel around the assassination of President John F. 
Kennedy? 

I have always been fascinated by the assassination, which, obviously, was one of the most pivotal and 
enigmatic events in American history. And when I heard about the ‘Babushka Lady’---one of the few 
people in Dealey Plaza that day who remains unidentified---and the possibility that she may have filmed 
the shooting, an idea came to mind that seemed too good to disregard.

How much research did you do for this project? 

An unbelievable amount. I spoke with assassination experts, read literally hundreds and books and 
articles, pored over countless photos...you name it. My goal was to write a fictional story around the 
established facts rather than alter the facts to serve the story. Thus, I had to know pretty much 
everything. I ended up loading my brain with more data than I really needed...but I didn’t mind. 

How has your research informed your own theory of what happened during the JFK 
assassination?

My personal theory, prosaic though it may be, is that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. If you want to be 
convinced, get your hands on a fairly rare book called Lee, which was written by his brother, Robert. 
Once you understand the mind behind the eyes that looked through that rifle scope, you will be convinced.

The best part of this book? It is only the first in a series of forthcoming Jason Hammond novels.

I was given a free copy of this book by Tyndale Publishers for review purposes.