The third tie-in novel to the Earth: Final Conflict TV series is a straightforward futuristic thriller, set in the days before and during the arrival on Earth of the alien Taelons. Maj. Will Boone, an Army Special Operation agent, is offered a job with the Denver Police Department. Happily, his wife, a computer wizard, is willing to leave her top-secret position to go with him. In Denver, Boone finds himself on the trail of both illegal hackers and murders suspected of being Taelon work. But nothing is as it seems, of course; there are wheels within wheels and conspiracies within conspiracies. And it turns out that the real danger lies not with the Taelons, but with a pseudoresistance organization, apparently trying to provoke an apocalyptic rebellion against the Taelons in order to rule the ruined Earth afterward. Boone, his enterprising wife and a hacker named Augur barely escape with their lives as they break up this conspiracy on behalf of the real resistance, with government backing. Boone is eventually appointed bodyguard to the Taelon Companion for North America, which clearly promises further volumes. And that's good news: the Boones make an attractive team. Longtime collaborators Doyle and Macdonald (The Stars Asunder, etc) have once more proved their versatility and skill, and fans of the series will enjoy this well-paced and technologically sound entry. (Aug.)
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