The Leviathan Effect by James Lilliefors, a Mysterious Review.

Review: The use of natural disasters that are not, in fact, "natural", but weapons used by terrorists to destroy property and kill people is the premise of The Leviathan Effect, a technological thriller by James Lilliefors.

Catherine "Cate" Blaine is the Secretary for Homeland Security. The daughter of a three-star general, she believes in the principles of service and loyalty. Chosen for her Cabinet post based on her experience and expertise, she recognizes that it is a political position. She does not, however, have much tolerance for Washington's partisanship. So she doesn't quite know what to make of a call from someone known as Janus on her secure telephone advising her that three recent natural disasters that had taken place recently — a hurricane, a tsunami, and an earthquake, each of which caused extensive damage and killing thousands of people — were artificially generated. And that she, together with several other Cabinet members who received the same message, must agree to pay $5 billion or suffer the consequences.

As incredible as the scenario is in The Leviathan Effect, there is a measure of plausibility to the story, mostly because the characters are so well drawn and believable. The mystery of what happens behind closed doors in "hidden" Washington, as it were, provides a backdrop to what could/should be done if Janus is to be believed, what might (or might not) happen and how it might be prevented. The search for Janus and a subplot involving a string of unsolved murders provide additional elements of intrigue and suspense.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Leviathan Effect.

Acknowledgment: Soho Press provided an ARC of The Leviathan Effect for this review.

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Soho Crime (Hardcover), April 2012
ISBN-13: 9781616950682; ISBN-10: 1616950684

The Leviathan Effect

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