Chicago, the Windigo City

The fourth Bureau of Supernatural Investigation (BSI) book is a fitful compromise between short story collection and novel. Still recuperating from injuries suffered in a previous episode, field agent Kal Hakala is relegated to a desk job—and then asked to serve as the temporary head of BSI (a revelation that Hakala incongruously refers to as “Hiroshima big. Two kilotons and no waiting”). Confronted with an unfamiliar leadership duty, Hakala uses the virtual reality suite built into his desk to relive the adventures of his associates. Meanwhile, an army of flesh-eating windigos is slowly assembling in Chicago, and if unchecked, the creatures could consume the world. The heroes’ cynical but steadfast bravery is undercut by their casual disregard for civil liberties. Stone eschews such luxuries as complex characterization to better focus on action and angst, and the black-and-white nature of the conflict avoids ethical and moral complications. (Jan.)