Halfway to the Truth, Anthony Mays

I spoke with author Anthony Mays. His mystery/suspense novel received a LiFE (Literature for Environment) Award last year. I asked him about the novel’s connection with the environment, and he explained that the novel looks at waste involved in electronic components. From the author:

I learned many electronic components contain potentially harmful components such as cadmium, lead, beryllium to name a few. Responsible recycling should not have an effect of the environment. Unfortunately, much of our discarded electronic devices are shipped to developing countries which do not have the technology to properly process e-waste. Studies have shown, in those countries, it can lead to adverse human health effects and environmental pollution. For example, to get to the copper components of wiring, burning the coating around the wire is usually done which can release toxins into the air, or leach those toxins into the ground from rain water.

…Think about those electronic components that are tossed and never make it to those centers. Or, those centers that recycle only to obtain the precious metals, but then sell the other components to less environmentally conscious companies for shipping overseas. My hope in writing my book was to bring to a fiction reading audience information they may not think about in their everyday lives. And to share information that regulation of electronic waste may not be as strong as it should be.

Reese Summers was a small town reporter, that is, until her writing talents were noticed by a Savannah editor. She was quickly offered a job at the Savannah Daily as an investigative reporter. It wasn’t long before she was assigned to start snooping around the Drakos shipping company.

Viktor Drakos had long been at odds with the newspaper and its editor over his company’s safety record and wasn’t happy with her probing into his business. Now, Reese was getting close to discovering a secret that the shipping magnate didn’t want to come to light. In order to prevent her from uncovering his secret, he offered her twice her news salary to become his company’s Public Affairs Officer. Shortly after accepting his offer, she begins to learn that the company is entangled in an international conspiracy and that knowledge threatens to place her life in jeopardy.

-Goodreads

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Halfway to the Truth