cover image Truth Insurrected: The Saint Mary Project

Truth Insurrected: The Saint Mary Project

Daniel P. Douglas. Geminid, $15.95 ISBN 978-0-9907371-0-0

Douglas’s debut tacks SF elements onto a stock noir scenario. Bill Harrison, an FBI agent turned private detective, is on a routine stakeout when he observes an unusual object in the night sky. Soon Harrison begins receiving postcards and letters mysteriously signed Echo Tango (E.T.). An informant gives Harrison and his former FBI partner bits of information that they piece together to reveal the criminal activities of the Saint Mary Project, an obscure and secretive initiative of the U.S. military. Douglas depicts Harrison as an out-of-shape smoker, entirely conforming to private-eye stereotypes. Although it’s initially hard to track the many characters, their development and relationships become clearer as the plot develops. The intrigue is entertaining. An insightful final twist refreshes the otherwise predictable plot . Though nominally SF, this novel will primarily appeal to avid readers of mystery and crime. (BookLife)