Book Review - "Level 26"

There are evil people in this world as we all are aware of. They are called many names; monster, fiend, devil, immoral, wicked and so forth. Society likes to pinpoint the evil doers around us by giving then angry monikers, but sometimes nothing seems to fit a particular evil. When a person goes against every moral sense to this point we are at a loss to pigeonhole him or her, but we do keep trying.

In Level 26 such a man exists. This book is written by the creator of the television phenomenon, "CSI," Anthony Zuiker with Duane Swierczynski. It is, to use Zuiker's own words the worlds first "digi-novel." Level 26 is an interactive read, the first of its kind, where every twenty pages or so you are given an Internet address and code to unlock a video which will give you a visual of what you have just read. I, for one, love the concept and it brought the book into my intimate self as I read and then watched its progress.

In Level 26, law enforcement has a scale with which they categorize certain murderers, from one to twenty-five. In Level 26 they have had to notch the number upward to 26, hence the novel's name. The serial killer in this book has eluded capture for decades. He has plied his trade all over the world and there are no rhyme or reason to the people he selects. Steve Dark, the protagonist of the novel, has chased him for years, and in Rome almost captured or killed him, but he got away. After such a close call the murderer targeted Steve's adopted family and killed them all, driving Steve into exile and out of the FBI

Steve is working on happiness away from being exposed to the dregs of society. He is married and a soon-to-be-father. His demons have been chased, if not away, at least out of the forefront of his thoughts. But the FBI wants him back. The dark past beckons and Steve is forced to come back to the job and work with his ex-boss and a former worker with who he had a disastrous one-night affair.

Level 26 is an experience. The murderer seems to think he has God on his side, and in fact is a disciple of God. He also has a personal interest in taunting Steve Dark, giving him clues which turn out to be dead-ends, or at least a residence that he has just recently vacated. As Steve's wife is kidnapped right under the FBI's nose and secreted in a dungeon by the murderer, treachery, political correctness and hate come to a forefront and clash as Steve and his two allies fight to find, and rescue her before it is too late.

And when they do combine to trap the killer the story is over. It is done. Or is it?

I highly recommend this ground breaking novel for what books will evolve into in the years to come.