In a future where religion and disease have brought social order to the verge of collapse, and where some humans have been biologically enhanced while others have been mechanically enhanced, the genetically enhanced secret agent Jeremiah Jones is ordered out of retirement and tasked with finding Walt Devereaux, a genius who is hiding from a government that wants to control and use him.
It seems that Devereaux has created bio-weapons that could wipe out humanity. Is he really a dangerous man? Or is Jeremiah simply a pawn in a deadly game? Who can he trust? The nun who is sheltering Devereaux? Jeremiah's ex-partner and former lover Julianna, who once betrayed him and who also seems to be searching for Devereaux? The US Attorney General, who hopes to capture Devereaux in order to catapult himself to the presidency?
Surrounded by questions and full of sorrow and regret over the kidnapping of his son four years earlier as well as the recent suicide of his wife, Jeremiah must battle both the genetically enhanced Escala and their sworn enemies, the mechanically enhanced Elite Ops in order to decipher the truth.
Along the way, certain questions get asked: what does it mean to be human? When is force justified? What are the morals of atheism? But the questions never get in the way of the action, which races relentlessly toward the shattering climax. The Devereaux Dilemma is a thrill ride with an intellectual bent.
Industry Reviews
Steve McEllistrem's Devereaux Dilemma has it all: heart-stopping action, religious turmoil, really strong characters, and an inconclusive ending. That part's okay, because this is Book 1 of the Susquehanna Virus Series, set in a future world that is politically and spiritually broken--where genetic manipulation of human beings calls into question the basic idea of what makes us human. This is a great read!
Let's talk about the action first. The book opens with a hunter/hunted scene where we are not sure which is which. Both of the characters act in ways that almost belie their humanity. They have great strength and agility, and they have icy analytical abilities in the stress and chaos of combat. Jeremiah Jones, the book's protagonist wins this round. In spite of his formidable weaponry and abilities, though, Jeremiah manages to lose his share of confrontations.
Throughout the novel, Jeremiah displays almost superhuman strength and agility, and when coupled with weapons, shields, sense augmentation devices and camouflage suits, he is well-nigh invincible. The forces arrayed against him are fearsome indeed. With armored troops on the one hand and genetically enhanced beings on the other, he finds his hands full throughout the book. The author leads us through battle scenes with breathtaking, roller-coaster, non-stop action.
Jeremiah Jones is a driven man. He has been a 'ghost' within a special intelligence agency as part of the government, but he is on leave from this agency to hunt for his son, Josh, who has been kidnapped. The hunt for Josh has been going on for four years. The authorities have given up, assuming the boy is dead, but Jeremiah has a strong sense that his son is alive. This hope drives Jeremiah throughout the book, making it difficult for the women who try to ease his pain.
The Devereaux in the title is the spiritual leader of a movement which proclaims religion is evil and mankind should climb upon an atheistic ladder of evolution to better itself. Like many such movements, Devereauxnism starts to take on some of the evils of the very religions it speaks out against. Extremists are willing to kill for it, to die for it, to sell their non-existent souls in support of it. Extremists on the other side call it an abomination, and will kill to eradicate it. Devereaux himself is a moderate, but charismatic man who believes in peaceful co-existence with religion. He has let it be known that he has designed, in his mind, a super-virus that could wipe out humanity. Of course, everyone wants a piece of that, some to destroy it, some to exploit it. So the search is on for Devereaux.
The U. S. President, the Secretary of State, the Head of Security, and Eli, the boss of Jeremiah's old agency are all scrambling for this information, each for his or her own purposes. The search centers around a homeless shelter, run by sister Ezekiel, one of the most compelling characters in the book. The strength of her faith shines as a beacon through the book, leading many of the characters through the labyrinthian twists of their beliefs, with sometimes profound changes.Most of the scientific marvels that are present in the book are simply augmented weaponry. Even the 'healing patches' are used in combat situations for first aid. We are not so far into the future that space travel is commonplace. A mars colony is still a future dream, and we still have that pesky gravity to deal with, but there is enough techno-appeal for science fiction fans. I really liked the advanced camouflage suits--shades of ""The invisible Man.""
In conclusion, the book really asks some important questions: What makes us human? When is force or killing justified? Is religion important? Can an atheist have faith? Read it to find the answers for yourself. And read it for entertainment.
-Frank Booker
Wow! I have just read The Deveraux dilemma, and I have to say it delivered much, much more than what I was expecting. I was anticipating a lazy, Sunday plea...
