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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
A low impact novel that falls short of being a real thriller, October 15, 2002
The subject of bioengineering and the notion of germ warfare are as timely today as they were decades ago. In the 1970s and early 1980s novelists began to write stories with these themes. Their mission has always been, and still is, to inform the public and to expose the kinds of experiments (allegedly) performed by drug companies and the government. In SHOT, Jenny Siler's new suspense novel, she adds her take, telling the story of the humans who are damaged after being subjected to such experiments. Siler brings seven characters together who, for one reason or another, need to take possession of the information hidden in the files of a company that is doing research on mycoplasma ---"the smallest and simplest subclass of bacteria...capable of replicating itself...mycoplasma has no cell wall, enabling it to invade tissue and even white blood cells" --- which could cause serious immune system illnesses, since mycoplasma does not respond to any known antibiotic. The "good guys" and the "bad guys" are clearly defined in this made-for-TV style novel. The prose is simple and direct, but the characters are not strong enough to make readers really care about them or their troubles. Instead of exploring in full the reason for her characters' actions (the biochemical/germ warfare programs), Siler chooses to concentrate on just moving the plot along. In taking this route, the writer loses a great opportunity to expose what, in our time, is a threat to the world as we now know it. Thus, the novel has a very low impact, and readers may find it difficult to get angry about the two murders, blackmail, robbery, and cover-up that destroy lives and have an everlasting impact on millions of people through the manufacture and testing of "dirty drugs." With a plot that is so simply drawn, one-dimensional characters, and action confined to a small and claustrophobic arena, the novel loses its potential for being a real thriller. Some of the events in the book stretch credulity, and readers will find nothing more than an afternoon's escape in SHOT. --- Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Alarming and Suspenseful, September 27, 2002
Lucy Greene has just lost her husband Carl. The authorities are calling it an accident. If that's true, then why are there suddenly people breaking into her home to rummage through Carl's office and take his files? And why does her life seem at risk? The death of her husband has brought more of a change to her life than Lucy ever could have imagined. She's on the run with only the help of a former friend (ex-MSNBC reporter, Kevin) and a new acquaintance (Darcy, the woman who broke into her home). They embark upon a research expedition that will take them from one area of the country to another picking up new information along the way which points to the presence of a biological weapons program tested on American soldiers. The men behind that program are extremely powerful and don't want its existence brought to light. They'll do whatever it takes to prevent it. Lucy's not about to be scared off, though. Her need to know has become an obsession...one that could get her and everyone around her killed. Interspersed with the words that tell the main story is the freshness of originality brought on by Siler's use of non-cliched similes and metaphors. To add to the mix, the characters have real faces made thus by just enough background information to allow the reader to empathize with them. Jenny Siler's peek into the world of biotechnology is both alarming and suspenseful. Her writing suggests a knowledge that shows she must have done her own research on the subject to make the book that much more believable. Most importantly, there is a much-appreciated lack of the holier-than-thou attitude that could have come across with a subject such as this. The scientific aspects are put into terms that anyone can easily pick up and understand, making "Shot" an enjoyable - rather than confusing - read.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
a resounding thriller, October 22, 2002
Seeking the truth about her scientist husband's sudden death, Lucy Greene, her childhood friend, a recently fired tv journalist, & an ex-con who's being blackmailed, stumble onto lethal secrets about a government biological warfare program among Colorado's prison population. Jenny Siler's writing is lean, mean & clean - she gives the Reader enough history to bring everyone to life & then tells her story with relentlessly focused intensity. The ending is classic Siler - & leaves you praying she'll write another.
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