Darwin's Blade - by Dan Simmons (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Darwin Minor travels a dangerous road. A Vietnam veteran turned reluctant expert on interpreting the wreckage of fatal accidents, Darwin uses science and instinct to unravel the real causes of unnatural disasters. He is very, very good at his job.

His latest case promises to be his most challenging yet. A spate of seemingly random high-speed car accidents has struck the highways of southern California. Each seems to have been staged-yet the participants have all died. Why would anyone commit fraud at the cost of his own life? The deeper Darwin digs, the closer he comes to unmasking an international network specializing in intimidation and murder, whose members will do anything to make sure Darwin soon suffers a deadly accident of his own.

"A literary thriller like no other...A hard-charging, edge-of-the-seat tale."-Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Review Quotes

"[A] high-tech, high-voltage action thriller. Offering an appealing hero and heroine, deadly villains, zippy dialogue, and high-tech weaponry and expertise, this is, most of all, a hair-raising adventure to satisfy the most discriminating reader."
--Library Journal

"A born storyteller... Simmons has over the last decade repeatedly shown himself to be one of the most versatile, intelligent, and unpredictable novelists around."
--Locus

"A literary thriller like no other... The pace of this novel speeds along like the lead car of the Indy 500... DARWIN'S BLADE exemplifies Simmons's skill at delivering novels that are different from anything else in the market today, while still managing to tell a hard-charging, edge-of-the-seat tale."
--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"A smart, well-researched thriller."
--Kirkus Reviews

"A strong, thoroughly intelligent novel-- welcome relief from thrillers that offer nothing more than action scenes strung together... Don't be surprised if you come away from this book with what might appear to be an unhealthy interest in accidents."
--Booklist

"Alternately hilarious and suspenseful... Simmons is not one to disappoint... [His] readers already know that he will keep them on the edges of their seats; that his gift for descriptive writing will make them feel as if they are right there; and that he will make them feel as if they are old friends (or enemies) with his characters. This time, though, they may be surprised to find themselves laughing out loud while reading this tale... Another tasty treat from Mr. Simmons. Savor it."
--Denver Rocky Mountain News

"Harrowing... Not since J.G. Ballard's Crash have automobile wrecks been so compelling... Simmons throws a light on a whole new murky subculture for thriller fans... [He] has mastered whatever genre he's chosen to write in... With a simple, unadorned style backed up by massive amounts of research, intricate plotting, and well-rounded characters, he isn't hemmed in by formulas."
--San Antonio Express-News

"If Donald Westlake, John Irving, and Robert Parker had sat down to collaborate on a novel, DARWIN'S BLADE would have been the aftermath... [Simmons] manages to juggle tragedy and comedy with uncommon skill... This off-beat thriller will have readers wondering whether to laugh or cry in their headlong rush to see how it all ends."
--Denver Post

"One of America's finest writers... Dan Simmons is, in many ways, the reincarnation of Robert Louis Stevenson."
--Des Moines Sunday Register

"Spellbinding... [A] gripping suspense thriller... A breezy writing style, rollicking humor, and ingenious descriptions of weird accidents make this action-packed thriller a real winner."
--Publishers Weekly

"This is an exciting novel, full of shootouts, computer-aided investigations, duplicity, and humor. The humor... [is] the black kind, common to cops, reporters, and accident investigators--where you laugh to keep from crying."
--Houston Chronicle

About the Author

Dan Simmons is the Hugo Award-winning author of several novels, including the New York Times bestsellers Olympos and The Terror. He lives in Colorado.