Jurjevics, Juris – THE TRUDEAU VECTOR

[LJ Roberts]

THE TRUDEAU VECTOR (Suspense-Canada-Cont) – G Jurjevics, Juris – 1st book
Viking, 2006 – Hardcover

Dr. Jessica Hanley, an American epidemiologist, has been asked to Trudeau Research Center at the Arctic Circle. Four of the scientists have been found on the ice—dead in a way no one can identify what may have killed them. The fear is of a fast-moving epidemic that must be identified and stopped. But what is a Russian Submarine looking for?

I had some problems with this book. There was very little depth or appeal to the characters. The once I actually found most interesting was the Russian Admiral. There is a romantic relationship that starts almost as soon as the characters meet and, although I’m not a parent, I did have trouble believing the protagonist would have gone off to an inaccessible location for five months considering what was going on at home. There were also strengths. The sense of place and the environment in which the story was set was excellent. The suspense built nicely throughout the story although I also felt the ending was a bit of a let down. With a bit of Alistair McClain, in the descriptions of the Artic and the involvement of the Russian Navy, and a bit of Tess Gerritsen in the medical information and suspense, Juris has put together a decent, but flawed, debut book.