Conspiracy Theory: A Gregor Demarkian Novel (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "It was on the eighth of November, one year and some weeks after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon,..." (more)
Key Phrases: first plainclothesman, second plainclothesman, ice swans, Tony Ross, Price Heaven, Kathi Mittendorf (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The latest Gregor Demarkian mystery--the nineteenth, since 1990--finds the retired head of the FBI's Behavioral Sciences Unit investigating the bombing of a church in his Philadelphia neighborhood. Meanwhile, a conspiracy is afoot, at least according to a group of conspiracy theorists who believe that an upcoming social event is actually a gathering of the Illuminati, the shadowy organization that some people believe is secretly running the world. Without meaning to, Demarkian winds up smack in the middle of these goings-on, and, once again, he must rely on his wits and his instincts to emerge unscathed. Haddam, a prolific writer (before the Demarkian novels, she wrote under an assortment of pseudonyms), likes to tackle big themes in this series, and devotees of strongly written, intelligent mysteries drawn from the headlines will be pleased to find that she remains hard at work. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Conspiracy Theory is fast-paced and brilliantly plotted...This is a mystery thaat readers will thoroughly enjoy." -- ,Midwest Book Review,

"Conspiracy Theory is fast-paced and brilliantly plotted...This is a mystery thaat readers will thoroughly enjoy." -- Review

"[A] fascinating study in conspiracies and those who adhere to them...The book iis as up-to-date as today's headlines." -- ,Romantic Times,

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur; 1st edition (July 4, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312271883
• ISBN-13: 978-0312271886
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,640,203 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jane Haddam never ceases to astound me., July 5, 2003

By A Customer

Conspiracy Theory
Jane Haddam
St. Martin's, June 2003, 277pp.

Anthony Ross is the one of the most powerful and influential bankers in the world, and a member of Philadelphia's "High Society". Gregor Demarkian and Bennis Hannaford are attending a fund-raiser at his home in Bryn Mawr when he is shot to death on the front steps of his own home. Father Tibor Kasparian is the priest at Holy Trinity Armenian Christian Church on Cavanaugh Street, where Gregor and Bennis live. Simultaneously with Anthony Ross' death, a bomb goes off at the church and Father Tibor is injured.

Gregor Demarkian (a long-retired FBI behavioral science expert) is caught between the two crimes. As a witness and possible suspect to the Ross killing, he is asked to cooperate with the authorities, but his heart is on Cavanaugh Street with Fr. Tibor and his neighbors. It is only when Fr. Tibor comes home from the hospital and shows Gregor the obscene letter he received the day of the explosion that Gregor begins to suspect that the two events might somehow be related, although it seems far-fetched, even to him. When Ross' wife Charlotte and an FBI agent join the ranks of the murdered, Gregor is once again in the midst of a high-profile case.

Jane Haddam never ceases to astound me. She has taken the paranoia of Sept 11, conspiracy theories involving the Illuminati, the mind set of the rich and powerful, and the needs of the hangers-on to the Main Line social set, and woven them all into one dizzyingly convoluted mystery - again. And while she's done it, she has explored Philadelphia "society", the mind twists of the conspiracy theorists, and deepened the insight into three of my all-time favorite characters, Gregor, Bennis, and Fr. Tibor. From the deft needling of the CIA to the pointed one-liners scattered throughout the text, no government agency, society matron, fundamentalist, or conspiracy theorist is safe from Jane's barbed wit, and I loved every word, even the ones I wasn't sure I agreed with.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent storytelling, July 2, 2003

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

He became a legend for his work in the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit, so much so, that when he retired he was asked to consult on some very high profile murder cases in Philadelphia. Gregor Demarkian attends a Main Line charity gathering in Bryn Mawr hosted by one of the most powerful and wealthiest bankers in the world, Tony Ross, who is murdered while greeting guests on the front stairs. Although he is technically a witness or a suspect the local police ask Gregor for help, which he gladly agrees to give.

When he goes home he learns that his church on Cavenaugh Street has been bombed and reduced to rubble. Since he is close to Father Kasparian, Gregor donates his services hoping to catch the perpetrator who did this horrific act. When Tony's wife Charlotte is murdered in a M.O. identical to that of her husband's death, conspiracy literature is found in her house. Gregor feels these three crimes are linked but finding the connection and a viable suspect will take all of his skills and a good deal of luck.

Jane Haddam has a wonderful sense of place and an ability to create fascinating characters. The author peels away the veil and spin doctoring of the very rich and powerful to show that they are not different than the average person in their desires and fears. CONSPIRACY THEORY is fast-paced and brilliantly plotted while displaying how the events of September 11th fit into the mindset of a conspiracy group who believes the Illuminati are controlling the country and moving towards a one world order. This is a mystery that readers will thoroughly enjoy.

Harriet Klausner

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reliably detailed, fascinating, and quirky, May 10, 2004

By	R. Kelly Wagner "[e-mail]" (MD, United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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This review is from: Conspiracy Theory: A Gregor Demarkian Novel (Gregor Demarkian Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

Gregor Demarkian is an interesting guy, and he has evolved some over the course of the series; all the regular series characters have evolved, in fact.

In this one, Father Tibor gets injured when someone explodes a bomb in his church. Father Tibor has changed quite a bit from early in the series, and I'm not sure he's quite consistent in this one, though it makes no difference to the plot. He seems younger, and less philosophical somehow - although he talks about evil, and he is involved with some odd outreach, he spends much less time referring to things in books, and seems to me somehow less deep than usual.

Also as the series goes by, Bennis seems to spend less and less time at writing her books, building her models, or anything related to her work.

But those are quibbles. The overall plot- a couple of murders, a botched FBI investigation, a discount store chain going into bankruptcy, and the church bombing, all of which only Gregor sees as connected, at first - is intricate. All the usual sorts of suspects are there. High society is skewered; fanatics of all sorts are skewered. The solution is under our noses - as Gregor muses, it's almost always about love or money; if one stops looking at extraneous details and follows the money, one has a good chance of finding the killer.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the book is reading excerpts from the (real) web sites of various conspiracy theory groups. You know, the ones convinced that the Illuminati are using mind control to bring about One World Order; the CIA and the Pope are hand in hand to assassinate Kennedys and blow up buildings, and other stuff even less sane. In an introduction, the author points out that every single web site she cites is, unfortunately, real. Her insight into the muddled thinking of specific characters in these conspiracy theory groups is chilling.

Perhaps my favorite side plot is the one involving Tony Ross's (the first victim) sister. She runs a "mission" to rescue child prostitutes. The difference is that her mission is an atheist one; our fictional character is a member of the real group Freedom From Religion Foundation, a group your devoted reviewer also happens to belong to. Atheists are portrayed in a favorable light, something all too rare in American culture these days. (Tibor muses that he has been around enough to know that saints come in many flavors, including atheist saints.) It was truly enjoyable for me to read something that doesn't buy wholeheartedly into the notion our current administration has that the only good works are faith-based ones. As a corollary to this, if you happen to be a Christian fundamentalist, please don't bother reading this book - it will only annoy you and raise your blood pressure.

With all those details I've barely mentioned the plot, and that's part of the way this book struck me - the details and characters were so interesting that solving the plot was almost a minor consideration. That doesn't mean there wasn't lots of action, or that the plot wasn't good - it was. It just means that this book is really character-driven, and I like that. If you prefer police procedurals with lots of ensemble work, or thrillers with international action, this will be somewhat less your speed, although there is plenty of weaponry to keep you happy too. (It isn't too much of a spoiler to say that the climax features hand grenades.) I believe there's something for everyone here, although followers of the series will get the most out of the book.