โ Scribed by Faye Kellerman
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
Preeminent astrophysicist Dr. Emil Euler Ganz vanished without any warning to his family or colleagues, only to reappear fifteen years later as "Father Jupiter," founder and charismatic leader of the scientific cult the Order of the Rings of God. Now he's deada vial of sleeping pills and an empty bottle of vodka standing near his lifeless body.
Was Ganz's death an accident? Suicide? Or did someone hasten Jupiter prematurely out of this world? These are the questions LAPD Lieutenant Peter Decker is determined to answer as he enters the cult's fortress-like compound. Meanwhile, the mysterious disappearance of an Order acolyte and a child turns an already volatile situation even uglier, and Decker will need the wisdom and support of his wife, Rina Lazarus, to defuse a ticking time bomb of jealousy, greed, and lies before it explodes, destroying a multitude of misguided adult lives and scores of innocent children.
Narrator Jordan Lage uses his diverse background in theater, film, and television for all it's worth, creating a menagerie of quirky character voices and pumping the spooky meter to 11. But it really isn't necessary. Faye Kellerman's story, centering on the suspicious death of a charismatic cult leader and the deadly reactions of his followers, is mysterious and entertaining enough without all the vocal gymnastics. When playing it straight, Lage does a credible job with an intriguing and compelling plot. Next time, he might consider leaving out "dis, dat, and de uddah ting." (Running time: 4.5 hours, 4 cassettes) --George Laney
In her 11th Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus mystery (Moon Music, etc.), Kellerman develops the theme of parent-child relationships along two fronts. Before Father Jupiter became the head of a religious cult called the Order of the Rings of God, he was a renowned astrophysicist named Dr. Emil Euler Ganz. Though Jupiter has long been out of touch with his family, when he dies mysteriously his estranged daughter, Europa, becomes a pivotal help to LAPD detective Decker's investigation. Jupiter's death looks like suicideAuntil the autopsy reveals small amounts of arsenic in his body. Then two of the four remaining cult leaders are killed, prompting the cops to suspect that a serial killer is lurking among the group's members. When the police and FBI try to storm the cult's compound, Brother Bob, Jupiter's old attendant, wires the buildings and threatens to blow up everyone, leaving Decker to figure out how to save the lives of the compound's 96 children. Meanwhile, because of the pressures of the case, Decker is failing to give his two teenage stepsons the attention they need to weather the upheavals of adolescence. He relies on the help of his wife, Rina, to understand the rules of the boys' Jewish orthodox upbringing, but there are aspects of their lives he must take the time to find out on his own. Kellerman writes spine-tingling suspense and defines her characters well, but the scenes in which experts lecture the cops on physics and cult psychology are overlong and sometimes superfluous. Although the Decker/Lazarus family relationship strengthens in this novel, this is not the strongest of the series. (Aug.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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_Once Dr. Emil Euler Ganz was a preeminent astrophysicist with a worldrenowned reputation. But then he vanished without any warning to his family or colleagues. Fifteen years later, he reappeared as "Father Jupiter," the founder and charismatic leader of the scientific cult, The Order of the Rings.
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