Does the end justify the means? This philosophical question is one explored steadily in Daniel Micko’s Predator / Nomad. Dr. Jordan Roberts is a bit of a prodigy in her field of medicine, specifically genetics. An invitation to an exclusive party is her ticket into the inner circle of Saudi royalty. Jordan is offering a solution to rid the Saudi population of all disease, but her motivations and methods remain ambiguous. Quick to bed the charismatic doctor, Saleh, the Princess and security detail for her brother, Prince Faruq, must then deal with some emotional fallout. Has she actually been sleeping with the enemy? And if so, who is the enemy working for? When Saleh digs deeper, she uncovers more about Jordan’s work than anybody even knew was possible.
You can be sure you’re in for a wild ride when the author draws parallels between Henry David Thoreau’s life and musings and those of the brilliant mathematician turned domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski on the opening pages. The writing style in this futuristic novel is purposefully erratic and abrupt. The characters are frequently changing their minds, words, or actions seemingly without provocation, including a lot of random giggling coming from hardened players in the story in some of the most unsettling scenes. An endless transition from veracity to metaphor will keep readers on their toes as Micko examines the fine line separating the lunatic or psychopath from the genius! While the character development is slight, the overall story arc is imaginative and well conceived, while at the same time puzzling and provocative. Featuring a morally perplexing, yet fiendishly brilliant protagonist who specializes in human cloning, this slick novel has a few bombshells sure to take even the most thoughtful reader by surprise.
