Fun murder mystery. Touches on global warming, oil politics, money and its power in US politics. It's more about money and greed; Bova books are always about the people who are surrounded in sci-fi of some kind. In this case, our hero is duped by a pretty woman; together, they interact with a Senator and a tycoon. In essence, the technology seems good, but greed takes over and people drop like flies before it. ( )

Wow. Ben Bova’s “The Green Trap” was pretty awful. I would discourage you from reading it not just because it’s a bad novel, but because it paints a lily white picture of hydrogen energy without pointing out some of its major disadvantages.

Paul Cochrane’s brother Mike is a microbiologist who discovers a way to extract hydrogen more efficiently than currently known means. But he’s killed before being able to do anything with the data. Thus begins a long, circuitous route to an evil (of course) oil executive who wants the data. He claims he wants it so he can be at the forefront of the transition between a fossil fuel-based economy to a hydrogen based one. But of course he really wants to suppress the data until he’s squeezed the last bit of petroleum from the ground.

Meanwhile, Paul begins running around the country trying to find out who killed his brother. Surprisingly soon after Mike’s death, a woman, Elena Sandoval, shows up, claims she’s something she’s not, and off they go hither and yon to get answers. Of course she’s stunningly beautiful and Paul falls for her. Throw in a US senator, a UN terrorist, and the one-dimensional hit man Kinsington and you've got one helluva mess.

Throughout the story, we get “news items” about how great hydrogen is from scientific journals, newspaper articles, etc. What the Bova fails to mention is that with the increased need for water to create the hydrogen, water prices will skyrocket. He implies that the energy companies are simply giving lip service to alternative energies because they want to appear like they’re being proactive, while they continue to gleefully rape Mother Earth. He also paints the generic scientist as someone who cares not a whit about money, just truth and answer. Right.

Stay away from this tripe! ( )

A bit juvenile and simplistic, but ok for a quick read when you have nothing else to do. ( )

Great thriller about the quest for hydrogeon run cars