Ends of the Earth (Bug Man Novel)
Tim Downs has created an entertaining protagonist in Nick Polchak, a forensic entomologist (also known as "the bug man"). Polchak is an academic who is pulled into a murder case to help establish the post-mortem interval on the victim -- who happens to be the estranged husband of Nick's former girlfriend. Another former girlfriend is pulled into the mix because she has a cadaver dog ... and there is one set of issues already, as I'm sure you can imagine.Now put agroterrorism into the mix, based on the true geopolitics of the corn farming industry. In other words, "Ends of the Earth" is not just another police procedural; it's an international espionage story as well. Polchak finds himself in over his head more than once.The characters are well-developed and interesting, and it's easy to find a soft spot in one's heart for just about all of them -- even the villains, who see themselves as ultimately helping the world economy with their actions.Downs has left a cliff-hanger for his readers, with alternate endings available for view on his website so that readers may vote on them. The winning ending will be published in the final edition of this very entertaining novel.(Review based on unedited advance reader copy.)