Earthquake Games by Bonnie Ramthun  (12)
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The Thirteenth Skull by Bonnie Ramthun  (5)
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Though it begins as a promising locked-room mystery, Ramthun's debut novel tdiverges into a gadget-heavy techno-terrorist thriller. When a female war-gamer at a top secret air force base is murdered while testing the ballistic missile defense system during a global war game, Colorado Springs homicide detective Eileen Reed is sent to investigate before government officials can arrive to cover it up. The murder is a puzzle and Reed is stumped, but there are bigger problems looming. Somebody at the base is selling secrets to a rogue spy, and CIA analyst Lucy Giometti is hot on the trail of Fouad Muallah, a wacked-out Arab terrorist who plans to involve the U.S. and Russia in a nuclear war that will leave him emperor of a worldwide Islamic regime. The murder victim, the spy and the terrorist are all connected, but it takes a long time to get to the heart of the case and the body count rises as Reed and Giometti try to figure out the links between them. Veteran cop Reed has loads of suspects with motives for the murder, but she is distracted by her emotions, falling for a prime suspect. When she misses the biggest clue to the killer's identity, the reader suspends belief in her ability as a cop. Giometti, however, is a hoot. Pregnant, sassy and brilliant, she stuffs her face with Twinkies and beef jerky, and lets nothing, especially the top brass, get in the way of her pursuit of Muallah. Former Defense Department war-gamer Ramthun's overwhelming use of computer and space technology and bureaucratic procedure bogs down and dilutes her otherwise well-conceived tale of murder, espionage and terrorism. (Aug.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Kirkus Reviews
It's a computer age spin on ye olde locked room mystery that newcomer Ramthun trots out. This particular locked room belongs to Terry Guzman, a war-games programmer at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado Springsand the lethal screwdriver sticking out of her gorgeous back belongs to one of her seven colleagues. No one else would have had the opportunity. And, of course, it's not immediately apparent to Detective Eileen Reed how any of them, lacking keys, lacking ectoplasm, could have passed through Guzman's thoroughly locked door. The crime occurred during a hush-hush, high-tech game, featuring all manner of anti-everything defense systems. The suspicious seven (the ``gamers'') were each supposed to be pushing buttons in individual computer rooms while virtual enemies mounted furious attacks on virtual US. But one of them hated Guzman enough to plan and commit a very unvirtual murder. Actually, all of them hated Guzman, Detective Reed ascertains almost immediately, since the late programmer was one of those despicable people for whom gratuitous cruelty is an end in itself. Time for Detective Reed to buckle down to serious ratiocination. If she can answer the how, she feels, she'll know the who. Soon, however, there are additional questions, equally perplexing. Could Guzman's murder be connected to a sudden spate of other murders, in turn connected to the nation's defense effort? The CIA seems to think so. Well, then, is a cover-up in the works? Smart, plucky, Detective Reed sifts, sorts, and solves her case with such commendable efficiency that she even has time for an affair of the heart. Brisk and businesslike until about the three-quarter mark when it slows down, mostly for the sake of the goopy love story. On balance, though, a creditable debut. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
See all Editorial Reviews
Though it begins as a promising locked-room mystery, Ramthun's debut novel tdiverges into a gadget-heavy techno-terrorist thriller. When a female war-gamer at a top secret air force base is murdered while testing the ballistic missile defense system during a global war game, Colorado Springs homicide detective Eileen Reed is sent to investigate before government officials can arrive to cover it up. The murder is a puzzle and Reed is stumped, but there are bigger problems looming. Somebody at the base is selling secrets to a rogue spy, and CIA analyst Lucy Giometti is hot on the trail of Fouad Muallah, a wacked-out Arab terrorist who plans to involve the U.S. and Russia in a nuclear war that will leave him emperor of a worldwide Islamic regime. The murder victim, the spy and the terrorist are all connected, but it takes a long time to get to the heart of the case and the body count rises as Reed and Giometti try to figure out the links between them. Veteran cop Reed has loads of suspects with motives for the murder, but she is distracted by her emotions, falling for a prime suspect. When she misses the biggest clue to the killer's identity, the reader suspends belief in her ability as a cop. Giometti, however, is a hoot. Pregnant, sassy and brilliant, she stuffs her face with Twinkies and beef jerky, and lets nothing, especially the top brass, get in the way of her pursuit of Muallah. Former Defense Department war-gamer Ramthun's overwhelming use of computer and space technology and bureaucratic procedure bogs down and dilutes her otherwise well-conceived tale of murder, espionage and terrorism. (Aug.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Kirkus Reviews
It's a computer age spin on ye olde locked room mystery that newcomer Ramthun trots out. This particular locked room belongs to Terry Guzman, a war-games programmer at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado Springsand the lethal screwdriver sticking out of her gorgeous back belongs to one of her seven colleagues. No one else would have had the opportunity. And, of course, it's not immediately apparent to Detective Eileen Reed how any of them, lacking keys, lacking ectoplasm, could have passed through Guzman's thoroughly locked door. The crime occurred during a hush-hush, high-tech game, featuring all manner of anti-everything defense systems. The suspicious seven (the ``gamers'') were each supposed to be pushing buttons in individual computer rooms while virtual enemies mounted furious attacks on virtual US. But one of them hated Guzman enough to plan and commit a very unvirtual murder. Actually, all of them hated Guzman, Detective Reed ascertains almost immediately, since the late programmer was one of those despicable people for whom gratuitous cruelty is an end in itself. Time for Detective Reed to buckle down to serious ratiocination. If she can answer the how, she feels, she'll know the who. Soon, however, there are additional questions, equally perplexing. Could Guzman's murder be connected to a sudden spate of other murders, in turn connected to the nation's defense effort? The CIA seems to think so. Well, then, is a cover-up in the works? Smart, plucky, Detective Reed sifts, sorts, and solves her case with such commendable efficiency that she even has time for an affair of the heart. Brisk and businesslike until about the three-quarter mark when it slows down, mostly for the sake of the goopy love story. On balance, though, a creditable debut. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
See all Editorial Reviews
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Citations
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2
books
cite this book:
- Earthquake Games by Bonnie Ramthun in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- The Thirteenth Skull by Bonnie Ramthun in Back Matter