Disciples of Dread

The latest novel from World Fantasy Award winner Cave begins as shy, lonely schoolteacher Mark Donner is dragged into the middle of a political maelstrom because his identical twin Vince is tracking down Khargi, a terrorist from the Middle Eastern state of Siricus. Vince and his co-workers in a secret U.S. intelligence agency need Mark to pose as Vince in order to confuse the terrorist force called Death's Disciples, followers of a man called Kalim. This would seem dangerous enough, but a wild card raises the stakes: the Death's Disciples are masters of a powerful form of mind control, and can make virtually anybody do their bidding. But Mark has a wild card of his own: both he and Vince are mildly telepathic. And, strangely enough, so is Eve Vernon, the attractive deaf-mute young woman with whom Mark falls in love after he, as Vince, has fled to Jamaica. When Khargi goes for the bait, neither Mark's abilities nor Eve's may be sufficient to withstand the power of the Disciples. Although the novel is overlong and loaded with stereotypes, Cave nevertheless keeps things moving. With all its faults, this book is fun. (October)