Protocol Zero

Clive Cussler fans will relish the pseudonymous Abel’s sequel to White Plague. On a bluff overlooking the Arctic Ocean, Col. Joe Rush, a Marine doctor, is studying whether polar bears are dying from a new germ when he receives a call from North Slope police chief Merlin Toovik. Merlin reports that he received a disturbing phone call from 15-year-old Kelley Harmon, who considers Joe her adoptive uncle. Kelley was hysterical, screaming about a sickness, when Merlin heard a shotgun blast just before the call went dead. Merlin also heard some strange background grunting noises. Though under orders not to get involved in local affairs, Joe goes to the isolated Harmon cabin, where he finds Kelley, her parents, and her cousin all shot to death. The full transcript of Kelley’s last call, including references to funny-tasting water and extreme light sensitivity, gives Joe some clues as to what happened. Abel nicely blends action and science in the service of a plausible, but terrifying, plot, peopled with well-developed characters. [em]Agent: Esther Newberg, ICM. (Aug.) [/em]