Though the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl occurred over twenty-five years ago, the residents of Belarus are still experiencing the effects of radiation. Some residents appeared to have survived the fallout with little effect only to have developed problems many years later. They are hoping for a miracle which appears to be within the realm of possibility according to scientists at competing corporations. The results are mixed and concerned citizens are not sure whether there is a cure in the near future or that they are being duped by wealthy corporations who wish to be wealthier.

Joshua Brewster is an Alabama bee farmer who has raised a strain of bees that apparently have special properties in their venom which have health benefits for many people including those suffering from certain forms of cancer. Though Joshua is the quintessential  beekeeper, the business is actually owed by Helen Freyl, the granddaughter of a wealthy family in Springfield Illinois, who had received the bee farm as a Christmas gift from the family patriarch when she was eight years old. As Helen has grown her grandmother has tried unsuccessfully to educate her in the business of bee farming, but Helen has gotten attached to both Joshua and his sister Lillian who was originally Helen’s parents’ housekeeper.

As an adult Helen has pursued a career in physics and she has learned a great deal about radiation. In fact her doctoral thesis is entitled Collision Theory and the Absorption of Radiation in Matter. Helen was the recipient of a scholarship from the Univers Chemical and Analytical Industries (UCAI) which financed her education. The fact that this company is interested in the bee venom and the nuclear disaster victims in Belarus is not lost on Helen.

Through a series of events which occurred prior to the action in Venom David and Helen had become an item. In the opening pages of this novel, David is attacked in his house. He escapes, but in order to discourage whoever is after him he plants a homemade bomb in his house. When the news is reported, Helen assumes that David has been killed, and has, to put it mildly, lost her enthusiasm for life.

Venom has all the necessary prerequisites for a classic thriller. There is international intrigue, industrial espionage, human interest, and a nod to biological warfare. There is no shortage of action and the characters are empathetic. We get to cheer for the bad guy who is, at heart, a good guy in the person of David Marion and hope that his differences with Helen can be resolved.

At times it is necessary to adopt the attitude of willing suspension of disbelief in this novel. While all of the events certainly could have happened, there are a number of serendipitous occasions where David or Helen happens to be in the right place at the right time . Both protagonists also seem to have just the skills necessary to solve the immediate problem at hand. While I can easily believe David has the skills to hotwire a car and participate effectively in a car chase, Helen’s academic skills seem a bit far ranging for her area of expertise. In addition, the curative properties of the bee venom seem too good to be true. Nonetheless a good story ensues.

As is the case in many thrillers of late the Russian mafia plays a significant role in Venom. No doubt the lees than upstanding members of society of the former Soviet Union have managed to make their mark on the world but it would be nice to see evil elements based in some other corner of the world now and again.

David and Helen make an interesting couple. They are both obviously strong individuals in their own right and it is easy to imagine that they would encounter differences of opinion. In this outing they seem completely at odds with each other and yet in the end those differences vanish as so much smoke.  I personally like a happy ending, but would rather it come about gradually.

There is plenty of action though not much suspense in this tale. The reader is privy to most everything that is happening. The chase scenes are quite well done though. The detail is such that the reader can easily imagine himself sitting beside David as he tries to outwit his pursuers. It could be argued that the book could be condensed by fifty to one hundred pages without loss of content, but that would probably include some chase scenes which are worth the price of the book alone.

--Andy Plonka