Rachel Porter has been slapped on the wrist before in the
course of her work as an agent for the U. S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. It's never stopped her, but it did get
her a new posting in sunny Hawaii -- and a new boss, who
believes firmly in not ruffling any feathers. Unfortunately
for Norm Pryor, overlooking illegal trafficking in invasive
species is the last thing Rachel Porter has in mind. When
she discovers that exotic animals are being released on the
islands, allowed to breed, and then captured for the pet
trade, she is furious. But true horror comes when she
begins to suspect that the policing agencies are aware of
what's happening -- and are deliberately turning their heads.
Neither the concerned advice of her friends nor the
increasingly dire threats of her enemies will stop Porter
from pursuing the truth.
Ms. Speart's grasp of environmental issues is formidable,
and she clearly has a good understanding of the science
behind her writing. (Alas, the same cannot be said for her
knowledge of Star Wars, as Jabba the Hutt suffers consistent
misspellings of his name.) The mystery unfolds at a
believable pace, and the crimes in question are meaningful
enough to stir the blood of anyone who cares for the earth.
The novel's resolution contains the perfect mixture of
satisfaction and frustration, leaving the way open for
future adventures of Agent Rachel Porter. Fans of
continuity will be glad to see reference to events of the
previous eight Rachel Porter novels, as well as the
reappearance of Porter's old acquaintance Vinnie Bertucci;
and those new to the series will not find themselves feeling
lost for long.
Overall, RESTLESS WATERS has all the makings of an excellent
book... yet, somehow, it fails to live up to its promise.
The recipe is right, but the final product lacks that vital
sparkle that makes the difference between desperate airplane
fare and a truly pleasant read. The characters are
well-defined, but uninteresting; readers may find themselves
indifferent regarding Porter's fate, just as the
relationship between Porter and her boyfriend, FBI agent
Jake Santou, is uninspiring. More compelling is the
uncertain ground between Porter and her adversaries; the
baddies are some of the best-written characters in the book.
The novel also suffers from an overabundance of zoological
factoids that makes it read more like a travel brochure or a
biology textbook than a mystery. Paragraphs of narrative
digression into the history of the Endangered Species Act,
the cruelties of shark finning, or the feeding habits of
veiled chameleons make it difficult to follow the storyline.
Future Rachel Porter stories might be well-served by a
shift to third-person perspective: Written in first-person,
much of RESTLESS WATERS comes off as internal monologue, and
it's difficult to believe that anyone -- even an agent for
Fish and Wildlife -- actually thinks that way.
On the other hand, an attentive reader with a head for
details will learn a great deal about Hawaiian politics and
ecology. Listen closely, and sometimes you can hear Marty
Stauffer narrating between the lines.
For most people, Hawaii is heaven on Earth. But U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service agent Rachel Porter sees the rot
beneath its natural splendor. Its pristine shores are
harboring a new breed of criminal, those who would upset the
fragile ecological balance in the name of profit ... those
who would kill in the cause of greed.
On the trail of illegal traffickers in exotic animals,
Rachel stumbles upon something far more insidious and
frightening -- and a suspiciously shark-devoured human
corpse that washes up on the rocks is only the beginning.
Suddenly everyone wants her off a case that is too hot to
handle. But she won't be warned, coaxed, or threatened away,
even as the blood that darkens the tropical waters marks
Rachel Porter as the most endangered creature in Paradise.
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