The Satan Bug

Rating:
Summary: This Tale Has Held Up Well
Review: Alistair MacLean is one of the great adventure storywriters. His early books were solid stories, with enough serious content and character insights that they bordered on serious novels. Bordered, but never quite made it out of the adventure-story category. "H.M.S. Ulysses" and "The Guns of Navarone" are the two best examples of MacLean in "serious" mode.

These two stories are very good, and quite well told, but both suffer in different degrees from MacLean's unfortunate tendency to hyperbole: in the end the characters are too heroic, the situations too melodramatic, and the telling of the tale a bit too formulaic in its unfolding of carefully timed "surprises" and reversals of fortune.

MacLean achieves his greatest effects when he puts his protagonists into suicidally perilous situations, and when he describes the extremes of environmental conditions that push his protagonists close to physical, emotional, and psychological exhaustion. A raging sea, hurricane-strength winds, torrential rain, bone-chilling snow and cold - his writing is genuinely gripping when he describes such extreme conditions, and the toll they take on his protagonists.

Because of his fatal attraction to hyperbole, his stories are most effective when narrated from the first person, where the exaggerated descriptions and wry, self-deprecating humor can be read as peculiarities of the protagonist. (In this regard, he has something in common with Raymond Chandler and other writers of private detective stories.)

So, the general rule of thumb is that all of the first-person books are superior to the third-person books, and with a few exceptions, the third-person books aren't worth the time or effort it takes to read them. The only exceptions: "H.M.S. Ulysses", "The Guns of Nararone", and "Where Eagles Dare". The first two hold their own with his best books; "Where Eagles Dare" is certainly the best of the rest, but it doesn't amount to much more than a screenplay with some perfunctory narrative added to "novelize" it.

"The Satan Bug" is a first-rate adventure story, as tense and exciting as any book in the genre, and is my personal favorite among his books. MacLean puts the story into high gear in the opening paragraphs, and keeps the pedal to the floor the rest of the way. There is outstanding detective work done by the protagonist, Pierre Cavell, and MacLean plays fair with the reader through each step of deduction, presenting the clues honestly, so that we can match wits with Cavell. The action is plausible, and non-stop, the tension builds with each revelation about the crime and the perpetrator's motive, and to top it off there is the best cliff-hanging chapter-end that you're ever likely to come across.

Someone has broken into England's top-secret biological research lab, and made off with a number of vials of deadly germs, including the most lethal of biological weapons, the Satan Bug. Our narrator, Pierre Cavell, former head of security at the lab, is the prime suspect until he clears himself, at which point he takes over the investigation into the break-in. Unlike the MacLean of the later books, the author here does not lecture us on the obvious moral implications of bacterial research. Although this is a serious subject, there is no seriousness to the book: the biological warfare angle is strictly an event to prop up an exciting, and excitingly told, story.

MacLean pushes Cavell to the extremes of physical and psychological endurance, forcing him to rise against all odds to the heights of heroic action. The story is very fast-paced and the writing crisp and witty - genuinely funny in some of the wry descriptions and self-deprecating asides. This MacLean book is top-notch in every regard, and a must-read for any fan of the genre.

Rating:
Summary: Alistair MacLean's most exciting adventure story
Review: Alistair MacLean is one of the great adventure storywriters. His early books were solid stories, with enough serious content and character insights that they bordered on serious novels. Bordered, but never quite made it out of the adventure-story category. "H.M.S. Ulysses" and "The Guns of Navarone" are the two best examples of MacLean in "serious" mode.

These two stories are very good, and quite well told, but both suffer in different degrees from MacLean's unfortunate tendency to hyperbole: in the end the characters are too heroic, the situations too melodramatic, and the telling of the tale a bit too formulaic in its unfolding of carefully timed "surprises" and reversals of fortune.

MacLean achieves his greatest effects when he puts his protagonists into suicidally perilous situations, and when he describes the extremes of environmental conditions that push his protagonists close to physical, emotional, and psychological exhaustion. A raging sea, hurricane-strength winds, torrential rain, bone-chilling snow and cold - his writing is genuinely gripping when he describes such extreme conditions, and the toll they take on his protagonists.

Because of his fatal attraction to hyperbole, his stories are most effective when narrated from the first person, where the exaggerated descriptions and wry, self-deprecating humor can be read as peculiarities of the protagonist. (In this regard, he has something in common with Raymond Chandler and other writers of private detective stories.)

So, the general rule of thumb is that all of the first-person books are superior to the third-person books, and with a few exceptions, the third-person books aren't worth the time or effort it takes to read them. The only exceptions: "H.M.S. Ulysses", "The Guns of Nararone", and "Where Eagles Dare". The first two hold their own with his best books; "Where Eagles Dare" is certainly the best of the rest, but it doesn't amount to much more than a screenplay with some perfunctory narrative added to "novelize" it.

"The Satan Bug" is a first-rate adventure story, as tense and exciting as any book in the genre, and is my personal favorite among his books. MacLean puts the story into high gear in the opening paragraphs, and keeps the pedal to the floor the rest of the way. There is outstanding detective work done by the protagonist, Pierre Cavell, and MacLean plays fair with the reader through each step of deduction, presenting the clues honestly, so that we can match wits with Cavell. The action is plausible, and non-stop, the tension builds with each revelation about the crime and the perpetrator's motive, and to top it off there is the best cliff-hanging chapter-end that you're ever likely to come across.

Someone has broken into England's top-secret biological research lab, and made off with a number of vials of deadly germs, including the most lethal of biological weapons, the Satan Bug. Our narrator, Pierre Cavell, former head of security at the lab, is the prime suspect until he clears himself, at which point he takes over the investigation into the break-in. Unlike the MacLean of the later books, the author here does not lecture us on the obvious moral implications of bacterial research. Although this is a serious subject, there is no seriousness to the book: the biological warfare angle is strictly an event to prop up an exciting, and excitingly told, story.

MacLean pushes Cavell to the extremes of physical and psychological endurance, forcing him to rise against all odds to the heights of heroic action. The story is very fast-paced and the writing crisp and witty - genuinely funny in some of the wry descriptions and self-deprecating asides. This MacLean book is top-notch in every regard, and a must-read for any fan of the genre.

Rating:
Summary: The Satan Bug
Review: In the book the Satan Bug by Alistar McLean, scientists have developed a virus that can wipe out the
entire population by just putting a spoonful into the air.
Pierre Cavell, a private dective, was visited by Inspector Martin who informed him that Neil Clandon had
been murdered while on his watch. Dr. Baxter was also missing.
Cavell went to Mordon, the place where all the labs are. There he meets Colonel Weybridge, Inspector
Wylie and General Cliveden. When Cavell goes outside he discovers that the fence surrounding Mordon had
been cut.
In E block Cavell discovers that Clandon had been poisoned by a butterscotch candy. Before Cavell
goes into his lab Dr. Gregori takes him and Inspector Hardanger to the side and explains to them what the
Satan Bug is. Cavell puts on protective clothing and goes in anyway. He finds Dr. Baxter laying on the floor,
dead. Dr. Gregori walks over to the cabinet where the Satan Bug is kept, only to find it was missing.
After analyzing the clues Hardanger believes that Dr. Baxter checked out the night he was murdered
and then returned later cutting the hole in the fence.
Cavell went to interview Tom Hartnell and found out that Hartnell got a call from a guy in Alfringham to
meet him but when Hartenll arrived no one was there. Cavell figures out it was Tuffnell, an attorney that was
also a money lender. When Cavell went to leave he went into Hartnell's barn and found dried red mud on his
scooter, a hammer and a pair of newly cleaned pliers.
The General informs Cavell that Bryson and Chipperfield's two daughters were kidnapped so they would
help in the break end. Cavell thinks that someone broke out of Mordon, not in.
Eric Chessingham becomes a bit suspect due to all the lies he told. On his way back to the hotel Cavell
is knocked out by someone in his car.
When Cavell wakes up he's in a cellar tied up. After a few minutes he gets free he gets out. A few hours
later an Army car picks him up on the stranded road. The General informs him that someone wrote a letter
saying he would give a demonstration proving a) he had the viruses and b) he was willing to use them. And
he said that the hammer and pliers that were found in Hartnell's barn was used in the break in. After learning
this Cavell decides to become Inspector Gibson of the Metropolitan police so the kidnappers don't know that
Cavell got away.
Hartnell and his wife are arrested for accessory to a crime. Another call came but it came to Cavell's wife
Mary, saying that if the investigation wasn't stopped by 6 pm she would receive Cavell's ears in the mail.
And he gave her the true identity of the General. After hearing this Cavell knows time is running out. And he
knew who he had to talk to. Cliveden was the only person who knew the Genereal's identity.
Cavell learns that Dr. Alexander MacDonald is behind it all. He's been a top flight communist espionage
agent for the past 15 years, if not more. A call comes in saying that a virus is attached to a bomb and is set
to go off and 3:45 pm. Hardanger orders that everyone be evacuated from the area that the bomb is said to
be. The bomb went off killing everything in a 2 1/2 mile radius. When Cavell went to MacDonalds house he
wasn't there and neither was his housekeeper. Cavell found him in the cellar. He had be hung. They then
found Easton Derry's body in the wall. Another call comes into the police saying that if it's not called off by
midnight he'll release more in the heart of London. And that he has Mary. After Cavell reviews the newest
evidence he figures that the real Dr. Gregori is dead.
Cavell runs to all the houses that was in the area that Mary had last been seen. He knocked on the
door and found a little boy named Danny that had seen Mary just before she was kidnapped. He gave
Cavell the description of the car that she was in. Cavell knows that it was Dr. Gregori that had stole the
Satan Bug. As they followed Gregori's trail they caught up to him at a curve where they set up a road block.
Gregori took them all to a barn and locked them in. He then threw in a bottle that had a virus in it.
All the men got out of the barn, cleaned themselves off then went to find Gregori who still had Mary.
They found him in downtown London and Cavell went to fight him. He got in a fight with Gregori's assistant,
ultimately killing him.
Gregori put them on a helicopter and had a pilot fly them over London several times. Cavell told him he
knew who he was. He was Enzo Scarlatti. Cavell then told him all that he knew about him, shocking Scarlatti.
In the end Scarlatti jumps off the helicopter after a long fight with Cavell.

Rating:
Summary: The Satan Bug
Review: In the book the Satan Bug by Alistar McLean, scientists have developed a virus that can wipe out the
entire population by just putting a spoonful into the air.
Pierre Cavell, a private dective, was visited by Inspector Martin who informed him that Neil Clandon had
been murdered while on his watch. Dr. Baxter was also missing.
Cavell went to Mordon, the place where all the labs are. There he meets Colonel Weybridge, Inspector
Wylie and General Cliveden. When Cavell goes outside he discovers that the fence surrounding Mordon had
been cut.
In E block Cavell discovers that Clandon had been poisoned by a butterscotch candy. Before Cavell
goes into his lab Dr. Gregori takes him and Inspector Hardanger to the side and explains to them what the
Satan Bug is. Cavell puts on protective clothing and goes in anyway. He finds Dr. Baxter laying on the floor,
dead. Dr. Gregori walks over to the cabinet where the Satan Bug is kept, only to find it was missing.
After analyzing the clues Hardanger believes that Dr. Baxter checked out the night he was murdered
and then returned later cutting the hole in the fence.
Cavell went to interview Tom Hartnell and found out that Hartnell got a call from a guy in Alfringham to
meet him but when Hartenll arrived no one was there. Cavell figures out it was Tuffnell, an attorney that was
also a money lender. When Cavell went to leave he went into Hartnell's barn and found dried red mud on his
scooter, a hammer and a pair of newly cleaned pliers.
The General informs Cavell that Bryson and Chipperfield's two daughters were kidnapped so they would
help in the break end. Cavell thinks that someone broke out of Mordon, not in.
Eric Chessingham becomes a bit suspect due to all the lies he told. On his way back to the hotel Cavell
is knocked out by someone in his car.
When Cavell wakes up he's in a cellar tied up. After a few minutes he gets free he gets out. A few hours
later an Army car picks him up on the stranded road. The General informs him that someone wrote a letter
saying he would give a demonstration proving a) he had the viruses and b) he was willing to use them. And
he said that the hammer and pliers that were found in Hartnell's barn was used in the break in. After learning
this Cavell decides to become Inspector Gibson of the Metropolitan police so the kidnappers don't know that
Cavell got away.
Hartnell and his wife are arrested for accessory to a crime. Another call came but it came to Cavell's wife
Mary, saying that if the investigation wasn't stopped by 6 pm she would receive Cavell's ears in the mail.
And he gave her the true identity of the General. After hearing this Cavell knows time is running out. And he
knew who he had to talk to. Cliveden was the only person who knew the Genereal's identity.
Cavell learns that Dr. Alexander MacDonald is behind it all. He's been a top flight communist espionage
agent for the past 15 years, if not more. A call comes in saying that a virus is attached to a bomb and is set
to go off and 3:45 pm. Hardanger orders that everyone be evacuated from the area that the bomb is said to
be. The bomb went off killing everything in a 2 1/2 mile radius. When Cavell went to MacDonalds house he
wasn't there and neither was his housekeeper. Cavell found him in the cellar. He had be hung. They then
found Easton Derry's body in the wall. Another call comes into the police saying that if it's not called off by
midnight he'll release more in the heart of London. And that he has Mary. After Cavell reviews the newest
evidence he figures that the real Dr. Gregori is dead.
Cavell runs to all the houses that was in the area that Mary had last been seen. He knocked on the
door and found a little boy named Danny that had seen Mary just before she was kidnapped. He gave
Cavell the description of the car that she was in. Cavell knows that it was Dr. Gregori that had stole the
Satan Bug. As they followed Gregori's trail they caught up to him at a curve where they set up a road block.
Gregori took them all to a barn and locked them in. He then threw in a bottle that had a virus in it.
All the men got out of the barn, cleaned themselves off then went to find Gregori who still had Mary.
They found him in downtown London and Cavell went to fight him. He got in a fight with Gregori's assistant,
ultimately killing him.
Gregori put them on a helicopter and had a pilot fly them over London several times. Cavell told him he
knew who he was. He was Enzo Scarlatti. Cavell then told him all that he knew about him, shocking Scarlatti.
In the end Scarlatti jumps off the helicopter after a long fight with Cavell.

Rating:
Summary: This Tale Has Held Up Well
Review: When first released, the film "The Satan Bug" was quite a thriller, one of the more watchable movies in the developing days of action-adventure films featuring lone-wolf heroes. The book, however, was much much better, far richer with detail, riddles and twists. Today, the film, while still interesting, has not aged well in comparison with contemporary action-adventure works... but the book still stands up, still holds its own, still commands a reader's attention and enjoyment page after page.