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The Rainbow Connection by Ian Harac has its subject listed as "SciFi Snarky Thriller." It had me at snarky.

The book tells the story of an FBI agent who is responsible for inter-dimensional copyright. When the wrap-up a fairly standard bust results in a dead munchkin, Agent Matt Anders is pulled into a conspiracy that affects his whole department and takes him through Oz all the way to Dorothy's Kansas.

This book has three things to recommend it.

First, it's a very clever take on the parallel worlds idea and how the discovery of such (including worlds found in fiction) would alter our own world. It thinks about both how government and business would react and also how those of us who are somewhat outside the social mainstream would choose to take advantage of such technology.

Second, the writing is tight. There wasn't any thing that made me want to roll my eyes with the pointlessness of it. The characters are well fleshed out. The dialogue is, in fact, snarky. It's also clever. The action scenes are fast and the story doesn't get bogged down around them.

Finally it's short. At 92 pages it's a nice quick romp through this brave new world.

The book is set up for more in the same world and I hope the author does choose to write about this Earth again. Even if he doesn't I'll still be keeping my eyes out for more of Harac's work.

John Enzinas reads frequently and passionately. In his spare time he plays with swords.