Darwin Minor is like a cross between S.S. Van Dine's Philo Vance and TV's Thomas Magnum. It's as smart as the Spencer novels but without the in your face machismo. Minor drives an NSX that will do 160mph and reads 100's of books. After Russian hit men unsuccessfully try to take he and his car out of the action Minor has to work with a pretty and almost as smart D.A. to uncover a billion dollar insurance scam and figure out why and where he fits in.

We learn that Darwin Minor is a widow, his wife and son killed in a plane disaster he himself was called out on before anyone realized who was on the passenger list. Simmons has moments of exitement in the book but for the most part it is character driven and it begs for a sequel. It's to Simmon's credit that he can write something so different from the serious and award winning sci-fi and horror he does better than anyone. I suspect people who picked this up just because it had Simmon's name on the cover didn't give it a real chance.

If your looking for something different in the genre however, you will probably enjoy this book as much as I did. I'll buy the next Darwin Minor book in a heartbeat. This is a smart and intelligent read and I reccomend giving the NSX a spin around the block.

another genre change!
Review date: 2001-03-28 Rating: 8 out of 10

Once again Dan Simmons changes genre and proves the man cant be pinned down. This time the book is about a vehicle crash inspector and is a tense thriller. It is not my favorite Simmons book, I prefer the more supernatural tales he twists so well, but it is a good read all the same. If you like Simmons you'll know each book is very different, and you'll know what to expect, and if your new to his stuff, dont judge him on this work alone. He is incredibly versatile and a wonderful story teller. Darwins Blade is worth a read, but as I said not my personal favorite. My own favorite is Children of the Night, a story weaving Romanian modern day tragedy with time old tales of Vampires and linking them together with some modern medical and scientific genius. Give this one a go, but make sure you try the other book to.

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