Bitter Waters

May 15, 2003
Half-alien PI Ukiah Oregon is in bad grace with his moms, Jo and Lara, and his protecting pack. They are unhappy about Ukiah's engagement to FBI agent Indigo Zheng: the moms because, though Ukiah is a couple of centuries old, Indigo is too old for him; and the pack because he is marrying at all. Partner and mentor Max Bennett is on Ukiah's side, however, and that is critical when the routine tracking of a missing boy exposes Ukiah to a fanatical, malignant cult that kidnaps his son, Kitanning. The cultists have learned of the existence of the Ontongard, descendants of Ukiah's enemies who are still programmed to attempt to conquer Earth for their hive, and they are every bit as dangerous as those they call "demons," for they have acquired Ontongard chemical and biological weapons. Well-chosen everyday details as well as fire, murder, sudden death, and a lot of sex lead to an ending that resolves some of Ukiah's problems but leaves Earth's fate hanging fire for eagerly anticipated sequels.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)