cover image The Fold

The Fold

Peter Clines. Crown, $25 (384p) ISBN 978-0-553-41829-3

Clines (the Ex-Heroes series) adds to the comfort-read shelves with this fun, character-driven techno-thriller. Leland “Mike” Erikson is a supergenius who is gifted—and cursed—with a truly perfect memory. He’s content to teach high school in a small town until his DARPA-employed friend Reggie convinces him to investigate a government-funded teleportation project that has encountered some issues. Mike’s amazed to find that the teleportation works, but there’s something seriously wrong behind the scenes. The scientists consider him a distraction at best, and a spy at worst, until a fatal accident forces them all to work together. Clines lays the groundwork nicely as the tale evolves from a scientific mystery into a thriller with elements of horror and adventure. The solid and diverse cast of characters helps compensate for the slower pace of the first half and nicely raises the stakes once things go really awry. A good smattering of pop culture references serves to ground the story and characters, and it even enhances some plot twists. Agent: David Fugate, LaunchBooks Literary. (June)