Reviewed by: Pete Barber
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Approximate word count: 90,000-95,000 words
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Author:
Toni Dwiggins is a technical writer who has turned her hand
to writing fiction. She has published two other novels: Interrupt, a science fiction piece, and Volcano, which, like Badwater,
is part of the Forensic Geology Series
Description:
Cassie and
her older partner and mentor, Walter, are forensic geologists. They are called
in by the FBI to help trace some highly radioactive waste stolen from a nuclear
storage facility in Death Valley.
Appraisal:
The opening sequence hooked me. The author did a terrific job of pulling
me right into the story by describing a mysterious figure walking down the
road. The lead characters—Cassie and Walter—are multi-faceted and interesting
in their own right, and the interaction between them works well throughout the
piece. Their background (necessary because this is the first in a series) is
well explained as the story progresses—no back-story info dump required. I
found the nuclear science interesting and the people dealing with the
radioactive waste felt real especially in the way they used nicknames for the
highly dangerous materials they were dealing with—it humanized what might
otherwise have been a dry subject. Having radioactive material as the quest
raised the stakes considerably.
The writing is tight. I jarred a little at first with the mixed use of
first and third person, but once I understood what was going on, I no longer
noticed. My only issue with the story was the difficulty I found in visualizing
the scenes. Partly this is because the protagonists are geologists and so they
describe the world as a geologist would see it. Partly though, the author
didn’t give enough specifics about size and distance, or some similes that
would have offered a guide (is it bigger than a football field etc). I often
found myself not knowing if something was twenty yards away, or twenty miles. A
large part of the end-game is played out in mine shafts and I had no concept of
how far, how deep, how tall or wide these tunnels where. There are a couple of
maps at the front of the book, which I didn’t see until after I’d finished
(doh!). But even so, they aren’t a lot of use when reading on an e-book.
Baring that gripe, this is a solid story. I think it would appeal in
particular to readers with an interest in geology and/or with knowledge of the
Death Valley region.
Format/Typo Issues:
None noted.
Rating: **** Four stars
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