Imagine you could genetically engineer a microorganism that was able to produce LSD into its culture broth. If the microorganism was a brewing yeast you could make beer spiked with homemade LSD. Imagine how much mischief you could cause with that. If the microorganism was a bacterium that you had also engineered to transfer LSD-synthesis to every other bacterium in a person’s body, you could make some very potent live yoghurt. Imagine what sorts of mischief you could do then.Follow Karen Spencer, an investigator with the Plasmid Control Commission on her first solo field mission as she identifies exotic microbes like these and pursues those who created them and put them to use.And all the time she is chasing them down, the greatest mischief these microorganisms have caused is being played out in the dizzying depths of the North Atlantic.
Born in the village of Moore in the Borough of Halton, located midway between Runcorn and Warrington in Cheshire, England, where his father was a licensed victualler, Rik de Mora gave up a promising career on the Mersey Ferries to follow his dream of being a session musician at Abbey Road. He never actually played his guitar in any Beatles’ sessions, though he often claimed that he had. Now, he’s decided to write fiction and it’s up to you to decide how well that’s turned out.
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William Burton Fears, M.D., F.A.C.E.
Introduction: “The Rochdale Yeast” by Rik De Mora the author touches on a very sensitive and not talked about subject matter, mind altering hallucinations and their potential to be used as a weapon against our country. For me as a physician, this brings up a terrifying scenario that even I don’t want to think about which is the ease of mass production of these compounds, the very small amounts necessary to render catastrophic alteration of the mind and the vulnerability that they represent on a national security level.
Summary: Dr. Karen Spencer has been asked to investigate a situation thought to be associated with lower-level criminal activity of synthesizing and selling drugs. Her investigation quickly becomes much more dangerous than anticipated and her life quickly becomes under danger. As the investigation advances, she becomes involved in an international intrigue which involves characters that are much more dangerous than anticipated. The investigation turns into a painful murder of a close friend and associate after an attempt on her life. Fortunately for the reader, it is revealed that she has a history that renders her up to the task she is about to face and the with a friend and associate she continues her investigation moving up the chain of command into an international crisis which threatens the world order and nearly culminates into a nuclear confrontation.
Evaluation: The author clearly has solid scientific evidence for his story telling but also has an ability to weave a plot that keeps the reader engaged and wondering what will happen in the next chapter. Although it has a clear scientific basis, he can inform the reader in a clear way that is easily understood by the non-scientist reader. There is some graphic sexual content, but it is tastefully done for the mature reader. I would have liked the Chinese antagonist Nectar Medici defined more a little earlier in the book. Who were her superiors, why was she doing what she was doing and what was her background? It was to me like she was out there but not very well developed as the primary protagonist.
Recommendation: I thought that it was a good read which was well written with a strong main character and a lot of excitement. I think that it would make an excellent movie but the whole idea is so dangerous that I would almost hate to put it out in the world today. The atom bomb is powerful, but the mind is much more dangerous. I would recommend this book to readers of science fiction, action, and mystery novels.
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