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The Digital Plague by Jeff Somers
01/05/2008 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
pub: Orbit. 342 page paperback. Price: £ 6.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-84149-704-4. Buy The Digital Plague in the USA - or Buy The Digital Plague in the UK  check out website: www.orbitbooks.net and www.the-electric-church.com
This is the second in the Avery Cates books even if they have no label on the cover to that effect yet. With a third in the pipeline, I can't see that being very far off.
Avery Cates is the kind of person who habitually pisses certain groups of people off. Having killed several police officers, he isn't in the System Cops good books even if the head of the security service, Dick Marin, zeroed his crime record after Cates brought down the Electric Church. Well, not quite. Some of the monks are still around but mostly ineffective. Although it isn't specified in the book, it looks like a year after the last adventure. Cates' ranking in the criminal community and wealth is a lot healthier, meaning he can surround himself with the best protection.
That falls apart when he's kidnapped and injected with a virus. Anyone who doesn't stay in continual close proximity of him dies very quickly and the police have Cates in unauthorised custody beating the crap out of him. Cates' life suddenly becomes very precious and they need his assistance to find out who infected him and find a cure. This pursuit leaves New York for Paris and Cates is surrounded by people who'd just as soon kill him on his own side. Saying any more is going to ruin the plot twists this book has to offer.
In some respects, this is a very old kind of plot but give several twists to keep you reading to finding out how it ends. There are no goody-two-shoes in the entire bunch but this is more than made up for by some very well-written characters that bring the story to life. Written in first person and still keeping the tone working makes it effective. Mind you, with the way the death toll works, those who don't hang around don't have a good survival rating if you see what I mean.
This is a nicely devised reality that the more the more you read, the more you discover. It is also good Science Fiction because all the clues are laid in so you can work out some of the solutions yourself. This reality is brutal but interesting and providing Avery Cates' life expectancy can be maintained should go on for quite a while yet.
GF Willmetts
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