Book Review: Conspiracy Theory

Reviewed By: Woodstock - RAM

[4 stars]

Conspiracy Theory Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Jane Haddam
Class/Genre: Mystery Classic Ethnic Humorous
Series: Gregor Demarkian # 19

Retired FBI agent Gregor Demarkian returns in the newest entry of this engrossing series. In his career at the FBI, he was one of the first agents to work in the area of behavioral sciences, searching for clues to the identity of criminals by analyzing the nature of the criminal act.

In his retirement, he has returned to his boyhood home in Philadelphia, and lives in a tiny Armenian enclave of a neighborhood. His neighbors include good cooks who flood the various households with custom prepared delicacies, gossipy watchdogs, a welcoming restaurant, and at the center of it all Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church and the pastor Tibor Kasparian, Demarkian's good friend and intellectual equal.

The stability of the neighborhood is shattered when a bomb destroys the church and injures Father Kasparian. As Demarkian struggles to make sense of the destruction, two murders occur in a wealthy suburban enclave outside of Philadelphia. The presence at both scenes of leaflets warning of a conspiracy to establish a New World Order appears to create a link between the two events, even though there is no other obvious connection between the church and the wealthy people who died.

Haddam leads the reader on a dizzying, troubling journey through websites, leaflets, and personal interviews, all presenting a terrifying certainty that a vast conspiracy exists to take over the world and establish a "New World Order." Demarkian eventually sorts it all out and determines who committed the crimes, but a troubling aftermath remains. The type of thinking portrayed in this book will remain with us all for some time to come, unfortunately.

Woodstock - RAM

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