A layered, involving thriller that incorporates real-world issues.
In Schwob’s high-stakes thriller, a team of scientists races to save the planet from climate disaster.
Pic de Lucrète is a director and scientist at the Palo Alto Research Institute, a science and technology research center that works with governments and corporations to brainstorm new ideas and advance technology. He is sent to Japan to talk meet with chairman Makoto Yamashita, chairman of Tengoku E No Hashigo, an organization formed to build a space elevator. Yamashita reveals to Pic that he needs help from PARI to find the correct location for such an endeavor, which would help reduce costs of satellites, science experiments, and space expeditions. To help his team of experts, Pic tracks down young genius Lily Lee, who’s been helping her mother run a nail salon. While working toward finding a workable site and researching weather conditions, they discover that climate catastrophe is imminent, and the entire planet is in immediate danger (“The model proceeds. Fifty minutes later, the margin is now covered with angry red alerts. Methane and temperature alarms are pulsing within and around the Arctic Circle”). Meanwhile, Putin has sent henchman Galileo Olrik to the United States to set up a business and build support for Russia. Galileo’s an influential person within the fossil fuel industry, putting him at odds with the efforts of Pic and his team. With the Earth’s future at stake, the scientists use AI to create two machines, collectively known as the Artificial Wisdom Engine (or AWE), they hope will solve the climate crisis. Meanwhile, Olrik is tracking the team with evil intentions. Schwob adeptly blends climate science, technology, and character development in this geopolitical thriller. Pic and Lily stand out as dynamic and interesting: Pic is a man of many talents and a charming personality, and Lily is a friendly, smart young woman who is not afraid to stand up to her enemies. Olrik is the perfect foil for them. He’s singularly focused on advancing his own power, even at the cost of the planet.
A layered, involving thriller that incorporates real-world issues.Pub Date: Feb. 27, 2024
ISBN: 9798876003775
Page Count: 377
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Aug. 21, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A sublime female gumshoe elevates this sober, measured whodunit.
An Alaska sleuth must solve a murder case with frustratingly few leads in a mystery series opener from Nancy Buell with Bill Buell.
Special Investigator Annie Brewster’s newest case is a body dump at the Juneau (garbage) Dump. The Alaska Investigation Bureau has sent Annie to assist local cops with their inquiry into Commissioner Richard Grossman’s death. How he died isn’t entirely certain; there’s a gunshot to the neck and a knife wound in the back. But Annie and the Juneau Police Department surmise the murder happened elsewhere despite incessant rain that’s washed away possible clues. No shortage of people might have welcomed the death of Grossman, especially his employees, who saw him as a bully and worse. While the savvy inspector has theories about how the killer took out Grossman without any witnesses, no evidence points Annie to a solid suspect. This tough case begins in the late ’90s and gradually turns cold as the world heads into the new millennium. Annie, however, may get the break she needs when she teams up with both an FBI profiler and an experienced detective who has an affinity for cold cases. A former resident of Barrow, Alaska, Nancy Buell (Time Share Addendum, 2021, etc.) delivers a well-written story and realistically portrays a murder investigation. The novel often comes across as a procedural; Annie repeatedly scrutinizes case details even when she has nothing new. While this showcases her tenacity, it also makes for a leisurely paced, somewhat prolonged narrative given that readers learn early on how the murder transpired (with an inkling as to the culprit’s identity) and must wait for Annie to slowly catch up. Still, Annie is immensely likable; this investigation begets a separate assault case that she wraps up with proficiency. Moreover, her devoted lover, Fred, and their springer spaniel, Bones, help alleviate the gloomy murder plot. Notwithstanding the possibility of a welcome Annie-centric series, this book ends on a relatively disappointing note.
A sublime female gumshoe elevates this sober, measured whodunit.Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2021
ISBN: 9798989557282
Page Count: 633
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: May 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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