The Doomsday Brunette | ||||||||
John Zakour and Lawrence Ganem | ||||||||
DAW, 356 pages | ||||||||
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A review by Lisa DuMond
Zach and his mind-linked AI, Harv, are caught up in a high profile case with complications that multiply as fast as the number of
suspects. Who else would Ona Thompson, of the infamous Thompson Quads, call when one of her sisters drops dead during a dinner
party at her hyperbole of a mansion? After all, she is the richest woman in the world, so hiring the top -- okay, only -- PI
seems the logical reaction. Unfortunately for Zach and Harv, that is probably the last logical thing about this murder mystery.
Let's see... his employer and her sister are the result of cloning, have purple skin, include a superhero and a fairy
queen. Poor Foraa, the anarchist, is that motionless, but attractive, heap on the carpet. The media which keeps a constant
watch on the Quads is moving in for the scoop of the century. His relations with law enforcement could certainly use
improvement. And Harv is making a few "improvements" of his own; his changes are enough to make a detective cry. Thankfully,
they have the house computer, a sentient ape, and a decrepit butler to fill in the blanks. Now, if they would just fill them
in truthfully. It doesn't look like that's going to happen anytime soon, however.
In a case that pushes Zach's mind and body to the very limits of endurance, truth is in short supply. So is time to think
things through. Forget about time to himself; HARV is always there -- sometimes helpful, sometimes just annoying. And that's
not including the numerous, highly creative attempts on Zach's life. There's always something.
Aha! Therein lies the kick of Zach's exploits. Readers never know what to expect, but they should know it is going to be wilder
and more outlandish than anything they're picturing. The situations are more absurd. The characters just will not behave in
predictable ways. The settings defy belief, and then go on to defy even disbelief. Playing it big means not every joke hits
the mark, but, even when they miss, it's hard to convince yourself Ganem and Zakour didn't achieve exactly what they
intended. And something tells me they're not talking. Having a hell of a good time, no doubt, but keeping strictly mum.
In between reviews, articles, and interviews, Lisa DuMond writes science fiction, horror, dark realism, and humour. DARKERS, her first novel, was published in August 2000 by Hard Shell Word Factory. She is a contributing editor at SF Site and for BLACK GATE magazine. Lisa has also written for BOOKPAGE, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, Science Fiction Weekly, and SCIENCE FICTION CHRONICLE. You can check out Lisa and her work at her website hikeeba!. |
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