Conspiracy Theory (Mass Market Paperback)

In this one, Father Tibor gets injured when someone explodes a bomb in his church. Father Tibor has changed quite a bit from early in the series, and I'm not sure he's quite consistent in this one, though it makes no difference to the plot. He seems younger, and less philosophical somehow - although he talks about evil, and he is involved with some odd outreach, he spends much less time referring to things in books, and seems to me somehow less deep than usual.

Also as the series goes by, Bennis seems to spend less and less time at writing her books, building her models, or anything related to her work.

But those are quibbles. The overall plot- a couple of murders, a botched FBI investigation, a discount store chain going into bankruptcy, and the church bombing, all of which only Gregor sees as connected, at first - is intricate. All the usual sorts of suspects are there. High society is skewered; fanatics of all sorts are skewered. The solution is under our noses - as Gregor muses, it's almost always about love or money; if one stops looking at extraneous details and follows the money, one has a good chance of finding the killer.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the book is reading excerpts from the (real) web sites of various conspiracy theory groups. You know, the ones convinced that the Illuminati are using mind control to bring about One World Order; the CIA and the Pope are hand in hand to assassinate Kennedys and blow up buildings, and other stuff even less sane. In an introduction, the author points out that every single web site she cites is, unfortunately, real. Her insight into the muddled thinking of specific characters in these conspiracy theory groups is chilling.

Perhaps my favorite side plot is the one involving Tony Ross's (the first victim) sister. She runs a "mission" to rescue child prostitutes. The difference is that her mission is an atheist one; our fictional character is a member of the real group Freedom From Religion Foundation, a group your devoted reviewer also happens to belong to. Atheists are portrayed in a favorable light, something all too rare in American culture these days. (Tibor muses that he has been around enough to know that saints come in many flavors, including atheist saints.) It was truly enjoyable for me to read something that doesn't buy wholeheartedly into the notion our current administration has that the only good works are faith-based ones. As a corollary to this, if you happen to be a Christian fundamentalist, please don't bother reading this book - it will only annoy you and raise your blood pressure.

With all those details I've barely mentioned the plot, and that's part of the way this book struck me - the details and characters were so interesting that solving the plot was almost a minor consideration. That doesn't mean there wasn't lots of action, or that the plot wasn't good - it was. It just means that this book is really character-driven, and I like that. If you prefer police procedurals with lots of ensemble work, or thrillers with international action, this will be somewhat less your speed, although there is plenty of weaponry to keep you happy too. (It isn't too much of a spoiler to say that the climax features hand grenades.) I believe there's something for everyone here, although followers of the series will get the most out of the book.

Haddam has a good plot, based on contemporary social and economic problems. The story line is strong, and appropriately unnerving. Unfortunately, the characters drift. Father Tibor swears mildly, but too often. Bennis is almost invisible, other characters are completely off stage. Gregor and John Henry Newman Jackman can't carry the action alone, and the reader misses the rich mixture of well-developed characters. The names could be changed easily, and the book presented as a non-series thriller.

It's a good mystery, but not up to her outstanding standards. On the other hand, I do look forward to her next venture. She's a fine writer, and it should be exciting to meet her new characters.