State of Fear

Michael Crichton enjoys continued success with his science-based storytelling – his latest paperback “State of Fear” offers a fictional story complete with factual footnotes regarding research into the theory of global warming.
It’s a credit to Crichton’s skill that he can weave a page-turning suspense novel from statistical topics, but despite the inclusion of scientific data, the story races after a missing philanthropist and a misguided environmental group.
Just before his billionaire client disappears, attorney Peter Evans is given a cryptic phrase that reveals a secret list of disasters planned by a group of eco-terrorists.
As an attorney, Evans is sharp but naïve, and needs the assistance of several gun-toting James Bond types to figure out what is going on. The top spy is John Kenner, who – in addition to holding secret agent and MIT credentials – has the sort of memory that allows him to quote facts that include source references. He’s a one man army and a walking encyclopedia, and leaps down from his soapbox to fly helicopters into jungle dangers, drive jeeps ahead of tsunami waves, and disarm explosives on polar icecaps.
Along with Kenner and his silent sidekick, Evans helps save the planet, and almost gets the tall, beautiful, pistol-packing administrative assistant to like him.
Crichton provides plenty of action, but even his biggest fans may take exception to the facts, graphs, and references that inundate the narrative. At times, the manner in which Kenner imparts information comes almost like a commercial in the middle of Law and Order – just when the action picks up, it all stops for a brief word about cholesterol.
In Kenner’s case, the words concern environmentalists. Michael Crichton’s cause may be slightly stronger than his story, but “State of Fear” certainly heats up the idea of chasing down the facts on global warming.