Alter Ego (Book) - 8/20/2018 11:48:57 AM
Exciting Investigations in an Inventive Mystery
The chemical experiments on the victims in Alter Ego by Tory Allyn make for a truly original and distinctive thriller. The bodies have both male and female characteristics. How that comes about is fascinating, particularly in the way Allyn deftly plots the story, revealing bits through the FBI investigation led by Special Agent Jack Stanwick. Stanwick enlists help of reporter Simone Wellington and investigator Raymond Davenport, with his sidekicks Bren, Derek, and Russ. But even as they uncover the unseemly elements of the deaths, Allyn also gives the perspective of a quartet of bad guys, ranging from Logan (the Speaker of the House of Representatives) to Henry Prescott (who runs much of the chemical operation), Buford (the scientist in the charge of the experiments), and Arvin (the muscle of the operation). As with the cadre of good guys, these villains are well-developed and prone to funny exchanges.
Presented in a compelling way, the motives and methods of these experiments are teasingly revealed. Allyn explains the science behind the experiments well and his knowledge of DNA, physiology, and DNA is quite impressive. Without giving away too much of the plot, the experiments delve deeply into the botany of the Amazon and ostensibly seeks to create an environmentally safe pesticide.
What makes the story so engaging is Allyn’s depiction of the characters: the romance between Simone and Jack serves a healthy counterweight to all of the toxic machinations central to the story. Plus the jocular repartee among Derek, Bren, and Russ leaven the intense climax. In fact, Allyn’s sense of play informs the serious undercurrents of Alter Ego. The opening of Chapter Nine features an alphabetically alliterative run, featuring sentences like, “Constant clashes of caterwauling and clattering chatter cursedly continued while distressed damsels demanded their designated dining destination.”
The fun, shenanigans, and the novel’s darker elements reverberate off each other right up to the concluding section – one that has more than its share of surprises. The ending points to the next installment of this rich and riveting series.
Alter Ego (Book) - 10/17/2017 11:14:00 AM
Take a bit of Weird Science, add a bit of politics, a FBI search for a serial killer, and add a zany set of private detectives, who used to be cops, and you have a unique blend of sci-fi, humor, and, political intrigue that may lead you to end reading with the question, "What...just...happened?!"
I was enjoying the book until the Davenport Detective Agency was introduced. This is the debut of a series surrounding the Agency. The concept was fine until the detectives became actual characters and started talking. Frankly, I was caught totally off guard. While admitting I didn't like three of the four members of the agency, as the book went on, I began to understand the overall plot and where the series would probably be going... Think Weird Science... If you enjoyed that movie, I think you'll also greatly enjoy this first and other books...
The intriguing string of murdered bodies that was found instantly caused alarm, mixed reactions, and confusion...This was not mutilation--it was something much more--but what?!
When the Detective Agency begins, they are to focus on a militia group that could be behind the murders and whatever else was going on... Readers will meet M.A.G.O.C. (Men Against Government Overtaking Control) and learn the basic actions of what this group has begun doing. The book can stand alone, but does leave readers with questions that move into the next book. I must admit I am curious...
The author has done a great job in creating a novel that attracts attention from the beginning to the end. It is well written and reflects a certain style of creative genius I've not seen before... I can't help but think of it as a spoof, a parody of the multiple genres included... We think, for instance, that the FBI would never bring in another agency to help solve a serial killer case. Yet, the author manages that by having the family of a victim of those murdered hire the Agency... Then there are the characters in the agency that are overplayed to the point of almost thinking they are similar to Keystone Cops... updated to the 60s... (the only clues I'll give, LOL)
The added political angle is certainly timely as we consider how individuals can take on a specific persona only to have corruption revealed at some point... But the project underway by the villains? Well, it...is...just...weird!
Check out other reviews...This is unusual enough that not everybody will pick up on what is happening and appreciate it... It certainly is, though, a novel worth further consideration...
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