The Survival Methods and Mating Rituals of Men and Marine Mammals

Kenry's unusual newest (after Confessions of a Casanova) starts off at a quick clip with everyman Davis Garner, a broke, underemployed children's book author, discovering that he is HIV positive. Whether the cause was "drugs or dick," he isn't sure; but he does know something has to change. In a desperate bid to make some money and jumpstart his life, he signs on and ships out as a technical writer with a crew heading to Antarctica to do research, never mind he knows little to nothing about his supposed field of expertise. On board, Davis meets Worm, an electronics technician who is infatuated with the ship's IT specialist, Maureen. At the helm of the operation is Artaud, a seductive and crooked scientist with suspect intentions. Davis eventually settles into the swing of things and overcomes his feelings of charlatanism, but just as he's getting comfortable, Artaud's true nature starts to surface, and what seemed at first to be little more than petty workplace politics turns out to be a conspiracy that threatens the lives of everyone on board. While Davis isn't a particularly interesting protagonist, Kenry's dry wit and taste for the comically absurd will keep readers engaged with this offbeat tale. (May)