W. R. R. Munro

This is pretty much a rave review for a new thriller, with one caveat (but don’t let that deter you!).

In 2033, field researcher Ayden Walker is trying to determine the reason some bees (world wide) are not pollinating the orchards in which they live. Enter a young woman who believes she has found a correlation between these bees and a new pattern of sterility in human males. With the help of several other scientists, including Ayden’s parents, Ayden expands his search, largely through show more the online network of the day, which is a joy for the reader to anticipate. Unknown to Ayden, his own conception was part of an experiment, and the impact this has on his work, and his ability to do his work, is a central part of the story.

I dare not say too much more about the plot, but it unfolds very nicely. This isn’t just a “young man finds and conquers a conspiracy”. It’s quite complex, and it isn’t necessarily who you think who’s set things in motion. My main complaint is that the young woman mentioned above, who becomes somewhat of a love interest for Ayden, is constantly whining and questioning why “the people” can’t be told what’s going on, several times causing serious problems. Luckily, she’s out of the way for much of the plot, but why Ayden would be drawn to her is completely unbelievable. Otherwise, this is a fascinating read, especially for the author’s view of science 20 years in the future.

(Courtesy of NetGalley) show less

Intervention: The Pandora Virus by WRR Munro is a technothriller sci-fi page turner that is highly recommended for all adrenaline junkies.

In June 2011 Marc and Cate knew they were in trouble if they stayed with Gardener and his biotech company. Cate was the one who realized what was happening: "It is that bad. It’s worse. It’s not chimp, Marc. I can tell you exactly what species we have been experimenting with, and believe me, we’re in the deepest trouble imaginable.” (Location show more 71)
Marc was sure she was over reacting: “C’mon, Cate. We’re not in physical danger. Gardner may be a bit of a megalomaniac but he’s also a scientist. He’s dedicated himself to medical advancement, to helping people. He’s not a thug. He’s not going to—”
“You’ve no idea what he will or won’t do, nor do I. We had no idea how far he’d take our work.” (Location 231)
It soon became clear that Gardner would go to pretty drastic measures to keep his research secret.

Jumping up to 2033, Ayden Walker is a researcher trying to get data on why bees are not pollinating trees. He is head of field research for the EPA’s Bee Anomaly investigation. His team has just announced that their research is releasing "a preliminary finding, blaming an unidentified bacterium for leaving a waxy deposit on the leg hairs of the bees, which affects the ability of the hairs to collect pollen."

Ayden is anti-GMO. As he explains to a young colleague, he is against commercializing new genetically modified organisms before they are understood. The EPA only gives them a cursory one-dimensional look at the risks, but not the complexity of interaction. He's frustrated and upset about his discoveries and an attempt by William Hanford at Genenco, a huge biotech company, to keep him quiet: “ Someone has released a genetically modified organism into the environment. That organism is causing—has already caused—substantial damage to the ecosystem and many millions of dollars of crop losses, soon to be billions. If your organization is involved, surely you need to think about damage control. Surely, the faster you cooperate, the better it will be for your organization, as well as for agriculture and the environment.” (Location 746)

Then Ayden is told the whole truth of his parents background - and thus his background. The question is really how much will the truth influence him, as well as how far will he go to find out who is releasing the GMO into the environment before life as we know it completely ends. And how far will William at Genenco go to keep Ayden quiet?

This is a thriller with a timely message about GMO and ecological consequences of our current practices. Whether you agree with Monro or not about his conclusions/beliefs, he has written a good thriller that is highly entertaining. I can't say the writing or character development was outstanding, but, with the exception of a few little slowdowns in the plot, Intervention starts out at a fast pace and certainly races along to the end. A perfect airplane book: lots of action and intrigue, with the added bonus that you won't be sobbing aloud during any part of it.

Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of WRR Monro via Netgalley for review purposes. show less