FROZEN FIRE

Millionaire Dennis Cavendish's plan to mine crystalline methane is being sabotaged by Gaia, an ecoterrorist organization dominated by charismatic Garner Blaylock and his female devotees. This story may appeal to fans of Michael Crichton or Clive Cussler, but even though the science is credible, the characters and the plot are not. It’s easy to believe that mining will jeopardize the environment, but the idea that Gaia's sabotage also involves mass destruction of life makes little sense. The listener has no sympathy for either Cavendish or Blaylock—or the numerous one-dimensional figures that surround them—despite Peter Larkin's valiant attempts to bring them to life. Also, there are noticeable inconsistencies; for example, the dialect of Cyril, a computer geek, changes halfway through, and neither version matches that actually described. C.A.T. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2009]