Books
All Cry Chaos

by Leonard Rosen
Permanent Press, September 2011, $29.00

Shortly after capturing Bosnian war criminal Stipo Banovic, Inspector Henri Poincare (pronounced "Pwon-Ka-Raaay") of Interpol finds himself investigating the murder of internationally famous mathematician James Fenster, who was killed in a meticulously planned explosion: The bomb, powered by rocket fuel, blew in a crowded hotel, but only one room was affected. The leads in the case are many, unfortunately, no one clue provides Poincare with a clear idea of any of the whos, whats, or whys needed to bring the killers to justice. As Poincare grinds his way to a solution, he finds himself questioning his life and profession. He also finds himself and his family in considerable danger, as investigations current (Fenster) and past (involving Banovic) converge, placing those he loves squarely in the sites of ruthless criminals.

Although it feels like a late entry in an established series, All Cry Chaos is in fact Rosen's first novel. Clearly, he has been living with this idea and these characters for a long while, as indicated by the sense of depth in his cast and his plotting—one has the impression that, if asked, Rosen could tell you exactly what each character, no matter how minor, was doing a day, a week, even a year before they appear in the narrative. Add in Rosen's sharp, lucid prose, and his way of rendering complex mathematical and scientific concepts like fractals sexy and engaging, and you get an involving, high-concept, but eminently readable thriller, easily one of the best first novels of the past couple of years.

Hank Wagner

Shortly after capturing Bosnian war criminal Stipo Banovic, Inspector Henri Poincare (pronounced "Pwon-Ka-Raaay") of Interpol finds himself investigating the murder of internationally famous mathematician James Fenster, who was killed in a meticulously planned explosion: The bomb, powered by rocket fuel, blew in a crowded hotel, but only one room was affected. The leads in the case are many, unfortunately, no one clue provides Poincare with a clear idea of any of the whos, whats, or whys needed to bring the killers to justice. As Poincare grinds his way to a solution, he finds himself questioning his life and profession. He also finds himself and his family in considerable danger, as investigations current (Fenster) and past (involving Banovic) converge, placing those he loves squarely in the sites of ruthless criminals.

Although it feels like a late entry in an established series, All Cry Chaos is in fact Rosen's first novel. Clearly, he has been living with this idea and these characters for a long while, as indicated by the sense of depth in his cast and his plotting—one has the impression that, if asked, Rosen could tell you exactly what each character, no matter how minor, was doing a day, a week, even a year before they appear in the narrative. Add in Rosen's sharp, lucid prose, and his way of rendering complex mathematical and scientific concepts like fractals sexy and engaging, and you get an involving, high-concept, but eminently readable thriller, easily one of the best first novels of the past couple of years.

Teri Duerr
2177

by Leonard Rosen
Permanent Press, September 2011, $29.00

Rosen
September 2011
all-cry-chaos
29.00
Permanent Press