The Dreaming Tree

This series launch from Canadian author Mather (Cyber Storm), a highly appealing blend of mystery, thriller, and speculative science fiction, introduces 27-year-old Det. Delta Devlin of the Suffolk County PD on Long Island. The daughter of an Irish cop and a Creole painter from Louisiana, Del has a unique talent that helps her in her police work: she can see millions of colors. When Del becomes entangled in a case involving an affluent man who survives a deadly car crash by undergoing a revolutionary full-body transplant, her deductive talents connect him tangentially to an infamous serial killer still on the loose, as well as a doctor obsessed with immortality, and a trust fund that could be worth billions of dollars. Though the narrative is a bit cumbersome initially and takes a while to gain momentum, the subsequent relentless pacing, well-developed main characters, and plethora of bombshell plot twists toward the end make this a fun—albeit far-fetched—tale. The science angle adds satisfying depth. [em]Agent: Paul Lucas, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (July) [/em]