The Devil's Eye

September 22, 2008
McDevitt fills the fourth far-future Alex Benedict adventure (after 2005's Nebula-winning Seeker
) with historical details and thrilling stunts as well as sharp political allegory. When famous horror writer Vicki Greene leaves antiquities dealer Alex a desperate message and then voluntarily has her memory erased, he and his pilot companion, Chase Kolpath, follow clues literally to the end of the galaxy, where Vicky had been researching her next novel. Official threats and a kidnapping reveal a planet-threatening catastrophe, covered up for years by hapless bureaucrats. As panic ensues and evacuation looks hopeless, the space opera turns into commentary on government reaction to emergencies and the values of openness. McDevitt balances the two sides of his story well, never losing sight of either the fast-paced action or the message behind it.

November 15, 2008
When interstellar antiquities dealer Alex Benedict ("Talent for War; Polaris; Seeker") receives an urgent message from famous writer Vicki Greene, he accepts a most unusual challenge. Someone has wiped Greene's memory, so she doesn't remember why she asked for Benedict's help or that she has given him an enormous amount of money to accomplish something she no longer remembers. Benedict and his assistant, Chase Kolpath, soon find themselves on a planet outside the galaxy, uncovering political secrets that someone desperately wants to hide. The Nebula Award-winning McDevitt's gift as a raconteur and a creator of genuinely likable characters comes to the fore as Benedict and Kolpath follow the trail that leads to more than they bargained for. A solid addition for libraries where the series or the author has a following.

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2008
A prominent writer calls interstellar antique dealer Alex Benedict and his assistant, Chase Kolpath, for help. By the time they reach her planet, she has disappeared. She gave Alex an enormous sum, though, so they trail her to an extremely well-drawn, remote human world. The disappearance is, it seems, connected to a political scandal old enough to warrant being called antique. Involved are living persons, however, who so strive to end Alexs career that hes kept busy staying alive. A singularly good example of McDevitts giftthe previous Alex Benedict caper, Seeker (2005), won a Nebula Awardfor combining fast pacing, unforgettable world-building, and nerve-tingling suspense.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)