Review by Booklist Review
The latest Gregor Demarkian mystery--the nineteenth, since 1990--finds the retired head of the FBI's Behavioral Sciences Unit investigating the bombing of a church in his Philadelphia neighborhood. Meanwhile, a conspiracy is afoot, at least according to a group of conspiracy theorists who believe that an upcoming social event is actually a gathering of the Illuminati, the shadowy organization that some people believe is secretly running the world. Without meaning to, Demarkian winds up smack in the middle of these goings-on, and, once again, he must rely on his wits and his instincts to emerge unscathed. Haddam, a prolific writer (before the Demarkian novels, she wrote under an assortment of pseudonyms), likes to tackle big themes in this series, and devotees of strongly written, intelligent mysteries drawn from the headlines will be pleased to find that she remains hard at work. --David Pitt Copyright 2003 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Out of today's headlines, the prolific Haddam-this is number 19 in the Gregor Demarkian series (after 2002's Somebody Else's Music)-has fashioned a tale that should be stronger than it is. In addition to a conspiracy cult and hints of domestic terrorism, we have multimillion-dollar corporate mismanagement, child prostitution and the rich vs. poor debate, all presented in longwinded, heavy-handed rhetoric that nearly swamps the mystery. Pity, for the core story is a dandy. One winter night in Philadelphia, two terrible things happen: Father Tibor Kasparian is injured in the bombing of an Armenian church and a prominent businessman is assassinated on his front steps in the midst of a big party. Are the two crimes connected? And what does either have to do with the conspiracy group called America on Alert, whose hate-filled literature is swirling through the city? That's the challenge for Gregor Demarkian, retired head of the FBI's Behavioral Sciences Unit, and resident of Cavanaugh Street, Philadelphia's Armenian-American neighborhood. The citizens of Cavanaugh are as wonderful as ever, but the other characters are such stereotypes they might have been e-mailed in from central casting: the Rich Bitch, the Heartless Capitalist, the Social Climber, the Lonely Spinster manipulated by the Charismatic Cult Leader. The best character is Cavanaugh Street itself, as much a living presence as any human. Spending time there is always a pleasure. Agent, Don Maass. (July 7) FYI: Haddam has been a finalist for both Anthony and Edgar awards. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Psst. Are you reading this review/voting for that candidate/gobbling that fast food/watching that game show or TV anchor because you want to, or are you controlled by the CIA or the Illuminati? When billionaire banker Anthony van Wyck Ross and his patronizing Main Line wife Charlotte are killed barely a week apart in their spacious Bryn Mawr driveway and Father Tibor Kasparian's Holy Trinity Armenian Christian Church in nearby Philadelphia is bombed almost the moment the financier cashes his last check, the common denominator seems to be the Harridan Report, a handful of tracts delivered by a fringe group called America on Alert. Although no one's ever met chief Reporter Michael Harridan, the FBI is watching his paranoid followers, especially lumpen Kathi Mittendorf. When an undercover FBI agent also turns up dead, the press and the local fuzz are convinced the wacko conspiracists are at work again, but Armenian-American Poirot Gregor Demarkian focuses instead on analyzing the motives of Ross's family members and his confidential assistant David Alden, now immersed in the Price Heaven bankruptcy. Briefed on society decorum by his girlfriend Bennis and on crime-scene clues by Police Commissioner Jackman, Gregor zeroes in Harridan, but not before tracing conspiracy theorists back to the Middle Ages. Sometimes windy but never preachy, Haddam (Somebody Else's Music, 2002, etc.) provides a well-documented primer (Internet sites duly cited) on the scary reasoning shared by generations of conspiracy nuts and the snobbery of old money. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
