Bad Seed

Rating:
Summary: Great New Voice in Mystery Writing
Review: A complex and involving plot line; an engaging protagonist; and an atmospheric setting. The fourth book in the Alex Bernier series, and the first in hardcover, brings the sharp and irrevent reporter into harm's way as she tries to solve two bombings and a brutal death on the local college campus. She pits her investigative skills, and those of her newpaper cohorts, against a group of shadowy bioterrorists. Filled with great characters, snappy writing, and a compelling story. Couldn't put it down. A great sequel to "Reliable Sources," "Distemper," and "The Fourth Wall," although it can stand alone. A new, young writer to watch.

Rating:
Summary: excellent journalistic investigative tale
Review: Benson University in upstate Gabriel, New York is in the midst of a major debate over genetically engineered foods. One side of the heated controversy sees this as a means to feed the world population and end the Malthus effect. On the other side, opponents believe science is running amuck Dr. Frankenstein style destroying future generations of third world people.

When the Gabriel Monitor science reporter Jake "Mad" Madison mixes alcohol and prescription drugs to mend a broken heart, he lands in the hospital, which leaves Alex Bernier to report on the food controversy. Brilliant botanist Dr. Kate Barnett leads the genetic food experiments, but is soon found murdered in her laboratory. Alex investigates the homicide looking at the activities of the Don't Break the Food Chain opposition as well as Kate's scientific cronies knowing that either side could hide a murdered amidst their crowd.

BAD SEED is a good, make that excellent, journalistic investigative tale that uses modern scientific debate as a mechanism to set up the motive for a homicide. The story line is fast paced, but clearly belongs to Gen Xer Alex whose retorts provide the audience with humor even as she takes her inquiries quite seriously. Beth Saulnier has written a wonderful novel that is part of a strong series worth reading by fans of investigative tales.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: A superb journalistic mystery
Review: Hip, young journalist, Alex Bernier and her co-workers at the Gabriel Monitor have seen their fair share of excitement. But nothing like the "frankenfoods" debate.

When protesters at the local university gather to protest genetically modified food research, Alex is on the scene to cover the demonstration. What she didn't count on was having to report that the school's agriculture building exploded and that a prominent university spokeswoman had been beaten to death in her lab.

Alex also didn't count on having to solve the murder mystery herself.

Using her widely acclaimed Gen-X writing style, Beth Saulnier takes an issue from today's headlines and turns it into a fast-paced, thrilling mystery. Alex Bernier is as fun and irreverent as always as she wades deeply into the politics of protest and the corridors of university power.

A great addition to Saulnier's catalogue.

Rating:
Summary: Great New Voice in Mystery Writing
Review: I loved it! I have now flown through all four of Saulnier's books found each of them smart, funny and a terrific read. In Bad Seed, poor Alex Bernier, who seems to have an excess of death in her life, is caught up in a finely woven web of science, zealotry and current events. Through basic, hard nosed reporting she stumbles to the bottom of a global plot nestled in the little town of Ithaca. Talk about think global, act local- this one could literally be "ripped from the headlines." I pre-ordered it after reading the first three in the series and am now hoping she keeps this series going. Definitely worth picking this one up.

By the way, I was really disheartened by the Publishers Weekly review but decided to read the book anyway. Did they ever get it wrong! This book is fun and good.

Rating:
Summary: Add a star if you miss Cornell
Review: I read this book because the review claimed that the town of Gabriel is really Ithaca, NY and that Benson College is in reality Cornell University, my alma mater. After reading Bad Seed I'm hooked on the charachter of Alex Bernier. She,s tough and intelligent and just insecure enough to make her lovable. Surrounded by her nutty but loyal friends and coworkers she wise cracks her way through this intriguing and suspenseful mystery about a new strain of rice being developed at the Ag School and the mayhem and murder that ensue. I've already ordered Saulnier's previous three books and look forward to the publication of the next Alex Bernier mystery. This story was a great read whether or not you attended Cornell University or lived in Ithaca, but add a star if you did.

Rating:
Summary: Add a star if you miss Cornell
Review: I read this book because the review claimed that the town of Gabriel is really Ithaca, NY and that Benson College is in reality Cornell University, my alma mater. After reading Bad Seed I'm hooked on the charachter of Alex Bernier. She,s tough and intelligent and just insecure enough to make her lovable. Surrounded by her nutty but loyal friends and coworkers she wise cracks her way through this intriguing and suspenseful mystery about a new strain of rice being developed at the Ag School and the mayhem and murder that ensue. I've already ordered Saulnier's previous three books and look forward to the publication of the next Alex Bernier mystery. This story was a great read whether or not you attended Cornell University or lived in Ithaca, but add a star if you did.

Rating:
Summary: A Sharp Reporter, Suspects and Secrets
Review: When a murder in academia leaves Benson College PR person Lane Freeman dead by poison and his wife (the Dean of Agriculture) in prison, no one in small-town Gabriel is surprised, since they were an extremely unhappy couple. Nor does anyone take particular note of the protest happening outside a conference at the school on agricultural biotechnology, until a few bombs destroy part of the campus, and the school's popular and revered head biotech professor is found beaten to death.

Not satisfied with the obvious explanations for the murder, Alex Bernier (a saucy twenty-something newspaper reporter whose nose for news puts her right in the thick of things) does a little digging, and comes up with a gaggle of suspects and secrets, including a plan to introduce genetically modified food to an unsuspecting populace. But those who wish their secrets to remain secret will stop at nothing to save themselves.

This book is a super five star treat that I think you'll enjoy very much, and you'll more than likely even get a chuckle or two out of it.

Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne