Synbio

With the increasing sophistication of genetic manipulation comes promise but also dreadful danger; the same methods that can be used to identify which genetic factors curtail life allows genetic hackers to insert those sequences into the DNA of their targets, consigning the unlucky to infection, fatal seizure, catastrophic cognitive decay or simple heart attack, all seemingly natural causes of death. Seth Stringer is an ambitious researcher, easily manipulated into providing the shadowy Chimera Biogenetics corporation with the all too lethal products they demand and too slow to grasp the implications of his work. Eugenie Tattersall also works for Chimera, using cunning and looks to gather the genetic samples the covert weapons require. Driven by crises of conscience, the two resolve to leave, but Chimera is a company that firmly believes the only acceptable method for employees to "retire" is in a body bag. Drawing on the implications Moore's Law has had on the cost of genetic research, the author constructs a world where any person, peon to President, could find themselves the victim of individually crafted bio-weapons. Both protagonists are sympathetic in their belated realization of personal corruption, but the plot dissolves into a fairly standard technophobic thriller plot, diverting but short of memorable. Agent: Cynthia Mason Literary Agency. (July)