Proclivity: The Lamiaceae Chronicles—The First Clue

Matt Sizemore, the hero of Kaiser’s overblown thriller, poses a “serious threat to the social structures underpinning global civilization,” at least according to his enemies. Sizemore is on the run from evil forces looking to exploit the side effects of Cecilimate, an antidepressant he’s been taking. The drug enables users to foresee the future, though it drives most of them to suicide. A predictable series of chase sequences all over the U.S. leads Sizemore to Swisher, Iowa, where he winds up protecting a waitress from a brutish former boyfriend. The dogged FDA investigator probing Cecilimate, Kevin Sharpe, happens to have a colorful past. Sharpe’s career as an FBI agent, for example, ended when his girlfriend turned out to be an Israeli spy. These side-plot elements distract in a story that’s already disorienting with its frequent toggles between present and past that do little to increase interest. Despite the subtitle, it’s not clear in what way this book kicks off a series. [em](BookLife) [/em]