The Sum of Her Parts

August 13, 2012
In this rather lifeless conclusion to the Tipping Point trilogy, Dr. Ingrid Seastrom and her con-man companion, Whispr, continue their quest to discern the contents of a mysterious filament. The pair of would-be spies makes it across the African continent to the edge of the inhospitable Namib Desert, where the SICK corporation conducts experiments. Facing the threat of imminent death by dehydration, animal attacks, or harsh terrain, and still dogged by several unsavory characters bent on obtaining the peculiar filament, Ingrid and Whispr plow onward, narrowly evading disaster time and again as they struggle to reach and enter the research facility. Flat characterization and improbable rescues abound. Those who appreciate Foster’s slap-dash derring-do will be glad to see that the trilogy wrapup leaves open the possibility of continuation.

October 1, 2012
Foster has some stylistic tics that make his work a little jarring if you're not used to it, but in fact he spins a pretty good yarn. This is the third book in a trilogy, set in a future where extreme body mods are common, in which the modded thief Whispr and natural Dr. Ingrid Seastrom have made their way to the Namib desert in search of a supersecret installation at Nerens. They're searching for the originand purposeof the mysterious silver thread, which seems to be some kind of storage device. The trip across the desert is rife with danger: natural threats, the security out of Nerens, and the hired killer who still pursues them. They encounter some surprising alliesincluding an illegal diamond hunter and a clan of superintelligent meerkatsin their travels, and survive all the desert has to throw at them, only to arrive at a destination neither of them was expecting. The easy flow of Foster's plotting makes this a fun and undemanding read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)