"'You have to kill the babies.'
'What are you talking about?'
'Lilly's babies. You have to kill them. They're monsters.'"
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Off the Grid: You Can Hide, But You Can't Run by Blaine Readler Full Arc Press
book review by Karyn Saemann
In the hands of a lesser writer, this story about the evils of bioengineering could have sunk into tedium and cliche, but Readler's talented hand spins a witty, intelligent thriller. Carl and Fels have relocated to a cabin in the mountains near San Diego. They say they're tired of the city but are really running away from the death of Fels' nephew and a mauled finger that has ended Carl's career as a guitarist. Fels continues to commute to her job at a San Diego genetics lab. When a pregnant female ferret from the lab is left with them, supposedly to hide her from routine inspectors, Carl and Fels inherit more than a furry pet. The deadly events that ensue are chillingly believable in an age of gene manipulation.
Readler does a fine job of organizing the plot. Extraneous angles are minimal. When a new idea, place or character is introduced there's a reason for it. Important plot clues begin appearing on page one but are well-veiled. Only on a second read are they red flags. Readler expertly slips key plot clues into seemingly insignificant conversational banter. And there is a lot of banter between Carl and his neighbor, Defoe, a retired philosophy professor. Abundant infused humor keeps these stretches from miring down. Ditto for weighty science talk that often involves Fels' boss and former fiance, Rik. A limited cast and the isolated mountain location helps keep the story focused and allows for good exploration of individual personalities, including that of the female ferret, Lilly, her kits, and a coyote named Tekumewa. An intense, page-turner conclusion is just one more thing done well. All-around excellent.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review