Mystery/Thriller Book Reviews

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The Babel Effect by Daniel Hecht
Crown Books, December 2000.
Hardcover, 448 pages.
ISBN: 0609607294.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.

The Babel Effect
by Daniel Hecht

A research group of geniuses known as The Genesis Project, are hired by a billionaire corporate mogul to try to find the source of violence and malicious killings in humans. The Genesis Project is headed by Ryan and Jess McCloud, a husband and wife team who have gradually built the group into a team of several very intelligent scientists and thinkers. When the group starts to focus on the possibility of violence being spread by a disease, people start coming out of the woodwork to stop them or steer them off course. When Jess, who is also pregnant, is abducted, Ryan must race to find out who doesn't want to have this information surface and save his wife.

This compelling novel from Daniel Hecht, author of Skull Session, contains some very intriguing insight into disease and medical research, biological warfare and high-tech espionage. In addition to being a great story, the subject matter in this novel really hits home, with the unusual types of violence from school shootings to air rage that now seem to occur on a regular basis. While Hecht does create interesting characters and a strong plot, it is the exploration of the provocative subject of evil and violence being delivered to human hosts by a virus or some other means that lovers of hard SF will enjoy the most in The Babel Effect.

The Death of a Dustman by M.C. Beaton
Mysterious Press, March, 2001.
Hardcover, 224 pages.
ISBN: 0892966319.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.

The Death of a Dustman
by M.C. Beaton

In the United States we refer to them as sanitation engineers or, perhaps, garbage collectors. But in Scotland they are still referred to as dustmen. And in the tiny Scottish town of Lochdubh, the dustman is one Fergus Macleod, a wife-beating drunk whose defining characteristic is his profound laziness. But when councilwoman Freda Fleming arrives in the village, things begin to change. Freda is determined to "green" the village, and sets up an elaborate trash sorting and recycling system with Fergus as its dictatorial director. Soon, Fergus is issuing fines left and right. Certainly there's no great air of sadness in the village when Fergus is found murdered and dumped in one of the new trash bins. But Sergeant Hamish Macbeth must find a killer in a village that is simply chock-full of suspects who would have been only too happy to see the loathsome dustman murdered.

Hamish Macbeth's 17th outing is filled with all the things that M.C. Beaton's fans expect: gentle humor, a nice little puzzle, and a villageful of delightful and eccentric characters. Hamish's new assistant, Cleary, the cop who would much rather be a cordon bleu chef, is a great addition, and Hamish himself is as lovable as ever. This is a delightful cozy that fans of Agatha Christie will adore.

--Claire E. White

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The Babel Effect by Daniel Hecht

The Death of a Dustman by M.C. Beaton