The Devil’s Workshop, by Stephen J. Cannell

YES, I will buy basically anything Stephen Cannell writes. And YES, I can almost guarantee that I’m going to like it.

Now some of the Monkies say that means that I’m not objective — to which I say, “HEY! *I* am in charge here! And if *I* think the writer of the ‘Rockford Files’ and ‘The A Team’ is as cool as it gets, then he is!!” WUHUHAHAHAHAHA!!! (evil monkey laugh)

But then, that is the beauty of having your own personal Web playground. *I* am always right!

In all seriousness, however, I love Cannell’s books because he has a unique creative flair that he applies to an ever-widening variety of subjects. He’s clever, he’s biting, and his stories are a hurtling and bumpy wooden rollercoaster ride plunging you to the earth so fast you’re sure you’re gonna fly out of the car! It’s ‘easy reading’ without the ‘easy’. You’re just so wrapped up from page ONE that you don’t want to put it down until you get to the end. Just in case you need me to jog your memory, think of such creative thrillers as The Plan, Final Verdict, King Con, and Riding the Snake.

The Devil’s Workshop is no different. Beautiful and fiesty microbiologist Stacy Richardson is finishing her doctorate in bio-chemistry when she learns that her new husband has just committed suicide. Unable to believe that the solid and practical USC scientist she married is capable of suicide, she travels to Ft. Detrick, Maryland where he was working on a top secret bio-weapons program known as the ‘Devil’s Workshop’. Stacy meets Adminral Zoll, the government official in charge of the program, and quickly discovers that the government’s story is a lie. She vows to find the truth.

Meanwhile, hobos Lucky Cunningham and Hollywood Mike are passing through Vanishing Lake, Texas, looking to scrape up enough for a bottle when, unbeknownst to them, Admiral Zoll is illegally testing new secret bio-weapons known as ‘Prions’.

Okay – you get the idea – something will go wrong, and we’ve got an outbreak of global proportions. Think ‘Outbreak’ with more colorful characters and settings, and you’re pretty much there. This isn’t a book that’s gonna change the world, but it’s fun, it’s fast, you’ll love the characters, and enjoy the ride.

Trust the Monkey. =)

Hardcover – 416 pages 1 Ed edition (September 1999) William Morrow & Company; ISBN: 0688166180 ; Dimensions (in inches): 1.31 x 9.68 x 6.41