Mystery/Thriller Reviews
Page Two of TwoBone Mountain by Eliot Pattison
Minotaur, September, 2002Hardcover, 424 pages
ISBN: 0312277601
Ordering information:
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Former Beijing police
investigator Shan Tao Yun continues his
journey towards enlightenment in the enigmatic
land of Tibet in this latest tale in the Edgar-winning
series. Shao was thrown out of his cushy Beijing life
and into the central Tibetan gulag for his unwillingness to ignore the
truth in favor of political correctness. But after helping
with an investigation, he was unofficially released and now
lives with a group of outlaws and Buddhist monks
who befriended him in prison. Shan agreed to help
his friend Lokesh return a stolen artifact to the
Yapchi valley, a very dangerous proposition indeed.
The valley is the site of a proposed international
oil exploration project, but to its inhabitants it is
a sacred place which would be destroyed by the
drilling operation. In their trek to the remote valley,
Shan and Lokesh travel with a number of different
companions, including salt traders, outlaws and the
mysterious medicine lama. And as is usual in
Shan's wanderings, murder and violence are
constant -- if unwelcome -- traveling companions.
This is the third entry in the suspense/mystery series from Eliot Pattison, after The Skull Mantra and Water Touching Stone. As in Buddhist philosophy, the destination is not as important as the journey in this newest entry in this series. And because Eliot Pattison excels at bringing the people and landscapes of Tibet to life, one falls slowly into the rhythm of the journey itself. The majesty of the remote Himalayas, the diverse cultures which make up the land of Tibet and the depiction of the yearning of the human spirit are the elements which make this series so compelling.
Our Lady of Darkness by Peter Tremayne
Minotaur, September, 2002Hardcover, 270 pages
ISBN: 0312272952
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Sister Fidelma of Cashel is back in fine form
with the latest entry in the excellent
historical mystery series by Celtic
scholar Peter Ellis. The sister of the King
of Muman and an advocate of the Brehon courts
of 7th century Ireland, Sister Fidelma
is used to solving difficult cases. But when
she is called back from her pilgrimage to
the Shrine of St. James, it is for a more
personal reason: her good friend, Saxon monk
Brother Eadulf has already been tired
and found guilty of the murder of
a young novice in the neighboring kingdom
of Laigin. When Fidelma arrives in Laigin, she
finds nothing but trouble. The youthful and
belligerent ruler of Laigin has illegally abandoned
the traditional judicial code of Ireland in favor
of the ecclesiastical rules of the Roman church and,
therefore, Eadulf is already scheduled for execution.
Given only twenty-four hours to find evidence which
will clear Eadulf, Fidelma goes head to head with
a scheming Abbess, belligerent church officials
and some very nasty crooks in order to save Eadulf
from an untimely demise.
The headstrong Fidelma faces a case which will affect her more than she would care to admit. She has feelings for Eadulf which are more than friendship, but she can't let that get in the way of her doing her job. And with all the roadblocks being put before her in Laigin (a most unpleasant place, politically speaking) it's a wonder she can find out anything at all. But Fidelma is nothing if not persistent, and her strength of spirit will get her through. Peter Tremayne keeps the suspense quotient very high in this book; this is one series that never falters.
Prey by Michael Crichton
HarperCollins, November, 2002Hardcover, 367 pages
ISBN: 0066214122
Ordering information:
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Jack Forman is an out-of-work computer programmer
whose name has been tarnished by corruption in upper
management at the last company he worked for. However,
things are going great for his wife, Julia, who is an
executive at Xymos, a cutting-edge technology company
based in the Nevada desert,
so Jack has become a stay-at-home Dad. Julia shows Jack
a video tape of a project they are working on that sends
microscopic cameras through the human body to broadcast
a live video feed of internal organs and blood vessels.
But she neglects to mention a similar project they are
working on that has gone haywire. Jack
has noticed, as have the kids, that his wife is grumpier
and more distant than usual. Jack suspects an affair,
but just as he starts to investigate, Julia is seriously hurt in a
car accident. Later, Jack is contacted by Xymos, requesting
his help in solving a problem. Jack finds out that Xymos has
been using a special program of his called PREY, purchased
from his past employer. Jack developed PREY to help
computers solve problems faster by emulating techniques
used by bees and predators -- such as swarming.
Xymos has used PREY to program a group of microscopic
machines to act as spy cameras. Unfortunately, the
nanoparticles are not doing what the programmers anticipated
and the swarm of tiny machines is learning rapidly on its own.
Jack discovers even worse news when he finds that the rapidly
evolving swarms are carnivorous and reproducing because they were
created using organic materials. With time running out, Jack
must find a way to stop the multiplying swarms. Oddly enough,
some of the Xymos employees don't seem very keen
on helping him stop the minute predators.
Prey is a terrific novel. Once again Crichton uses the novel format to offer a look at future technology and the consequences they can have when they are used when not completely understood by man. Prey is told in first person by programmer Jack Forman, which greatly increases the suspense level. In many ways, the ideas and concepts of Prey will stay with the reader just as long -- if not longer -- than those Crichton introduced in Jurassic Park and Timeline. The negative consequences of nanotechnology going awry are potentially much more devastating in Prey than from those caused by dinosaurs running amok. Prey is an excellent thriller, full of plot twists, appealing characters and advanced technologies. Once again, Crichton has managed to reach just a little ways into the future and find something that can both enlighten and frighten us. Highly Recommended.
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