cover image The Mote in Andrea's Eye

The Mote in Andrea's Eye

David Niall Wilson, . . Five Star, $25.95 (302pp) ISBN 978-1-59414-453-0

As a child, Andrea Jamieson watches her father die in a hurricane. As a grimly determined young woman running a government storm-fighting project, she falls hard for flyboy Phil Wicks, a retired navy pilot who figures dropping silver iodide on hurricanes beats working for the airlines. The two make a great team at work and at home until Phil flies out into a monster storm that vanishes in the Bermuda Triangle, taking him with it. Those who think of Wilson (The Temptation of Blood ) as a horror writer may be surprised by the tender tone of this unabashed descendant of 1940s pulp tales. Tugging heartstrings with the expertise of a master puppeteer, Wilson, a former naval technician, adds plenty of authentic touches but never overwhelms the reader with details. The clean prose, romance and fantasy elements, heart-pounding scenes of man against nature, and topical currency (thankfully not overplayed) will appeal to a wide variety of readers, which makes the overblown YA-style cover all the more unfortunate. (June)