After being blown away by this author's earlier 'Mr. Shivers', this was quite a letdown. It took quite a long time to make it clear that this was a mystery that could be solved, the plot was overly intricate, and the characters themselves were unnecessarily complex. Add to this an entirely new kind of science, psychic abilities, and labor unrest, and you have a mess. Overall: Skip it.
Cyril Hayes is just one man who works for McNaughton but he's an alcoholic and addicted to drugs. His drug of choice is opium which he uses to drown out the impressions and thoughts that invade his mind. Yes, Hayes is unique among men. His mind can hear the thoughts of others who are close to him and the longer he is close to anyone the more he knows about them. It's driving him crazy but that talent is why McNaughton recruited him. His only friend and confidante is Garvey, a policeman with idealistic goals.
As Hayes' downward spiral increases his supervisor decides he needs someone to organize his work. That someone is Samantha, an incredibly talented researcher and organizer. The company wants her to control Hayes but can he be controlled?
The corporation and much of the world's talented people are located in Evesden, a progressive city which spawns wonders that control much of what occurs in the world. However, Hayes believes that something is terribly wrong either in the world or inside McNaughton.
The story develops at a rapid rate. People die for unknown reasons and secrets abound within McNaughton. Are they healthy or not? Workers are organizing a union to protest lowered wages and unsafe working conditions. Is the union becoming violent. I found this fast paced book exciting and unable to put aside. This is one of the rare mysteries that receive a five star rating from me. It's a science fiction mystery that I totally enjoyed and recommend highly.
As Hayes' downward spiral increases his supervisor decides he needs someone to organize his work. That someone is Samantha, an incredibly talented researcher and organizer. The company wants her to control Hayes but can he be controlled?
The corporation and much of the world's talented people are located in Evesden, a progressive city which spawns wonders that control much of what occurs in the world. However, Hayes believes that something is terribly wrong either in the world or inside McNaughton.
The story develops at a rapid rate. People die for unknown reasons and secrets abound within McNaughton. Are they healthy or not? Workers are organizing a union to protest lowered wages and unsafe working conditions. Is the union becoming violent. I found this fast paced book exciting and unable to put aside. This is one of the rare mysteries that receive a five star rating from me. It's a science fiction mystery that I totally enjoyed and recommend highly.
