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8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Amateurish, undistinguished thriller, July 12, 2010
First, it's worth noting that although the detail page and the cover materials do not mention it, this novel is not a stand-alone work. It is a sequel to "The Human Disguise." I have not read "Disguise," but it's almost certainly better than its sequel, as it's hard to imagine a publisher commissioning a follow-up to a book as sloppily written as "The Double Human."
The author has clearly worked very hard on his setting, which involves a quarantined portion of south Florida and a potpourri of right-wing bogeymen: global cooling, Hugo Chavez (here, "The Hitler of South America") Central American jihadists, etc. But he hasn't bothered to convey it in a plausible way. Instead, people drop jarring explanatory notes into conversations, and muse to themselves about the history of the region at the slightest opportunity:
"This was his first serial case. The other murders he had investigated involved single or gang killings. There hadn't been a report of a serial killer in Florida since the first of the Islamic terror attacks in Miami. The added law enforcement after the tanker bomb that took out three square blocks in the center of Miami and killed three thousand scared away a lot of the criminals. Then, when the anthrax was blown through the Dadeland Mall's air-conditioning and caused sixty-five hundred people to die, the army was sent in. After the mass migration and fear of the bioplague, it was easier just to abandon the southern tip of Florida rather than to save it."
The story progresses awkwardly. Although ostensibly a procedural, the police work is completely incidental to the revelation of the mysteries, and no detective discovers anything except by chance. The plot demands that the protagonist not recognize the serial killer he fought with during an extensive sequence at the beginning of the novel, and then later demands that he recognize him in a picture taken shortly after that fight. The killer is victim to a series of cringe-worthy coincidences that derail his attempts to murder his adversary and end the pursuit; in the span of a few chapters, there are two scenes in which he is about to strike his target, only to be foiled by the lucky arrival of the same policeman.
There's an extensive side-plot about immortals whose existence is a closely-held secret, except that the only characters who aren't in on it are quickly informed of the details by one of the very same immortals.
This is an embarrassingly bad book. Avoid.
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6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Police work like none other!, July 6, 2010
This review is from: The Double Human (Hardcover)
As a former lawman myself, and having read the first in the series, I was waiting with bated breath for this next "chapter".
I was not disappointed, in fact, I was pleased beyond my expectations. O'Neal's grasp of current law enforcement, and trends to be in the future are quite evident in this book.
Not a big sci-fi fan, I thoroughly enjoyed this book in spite of that. Well, maybe it's because of that. This is not your Daddy's sci fi.
His cast of characters continue to expand, and you actually felt a warmth at re-connecting with some from the previous issue.
And there's plenty of room for further expansion. That's a good thing! This is one sci-fi series I'm sold on.
You will be too.
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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great police/ future thriller, June 22, 2010
This review is from: The Double Human (Hardcover)
I enjoyed this book on a number of levels. It is a solid police novel that feels absolutely real. The imaginative details of the near future are thoughtful and made me look at the problems of today in a new light. The characters are deep and interesting and the plot flows along with a lighting pace.
The issue I have, if there is one, is with the book jacket copy. Even the photo makes it look like this is a vampire novel. Nothing could be further from the truth. The killer, who stabs his victims in the throat is nicknamed "The Vampire". There is no vampire or blood sucking.
The book is a fast, fun, interesting read. That's what I like. I would recommend this novel to any SF fan as well as mystery buffs.
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