Brain Trust: The Hidden Connection Between Mad Cow and Misdiagnosed Alzheimer's Disease

Spring Break is finally here, meaning that medical examiner assistant, and amateur sleuth, as well as busy college freshman, Jenna Blake, can finally take a break from everything, and be a normal teenager. Not to mention having the chance to get a little R & R. So Jenna heads to Florida with her roommate, Yoshiko. Who knew that death was going to follow her? Jenna is plagued with viewing a series of seemingly natural deaths, but when looked into further, it is easy to see that each of the bodies has a bunch of mysterious growths of some kind in their brains. With tons of begging and prodding from Yoshiko to stay away from the case, Jenna can't help herself, and is soon emerged in solving the mystery. After countless autopsies, and information about similar deaths in other states, curious Jenna begins wondering if the deaths were truly natural. Now, as the body count begins to climb, Jenna begins wondering if she could be the next to go. And with Danny and Slick back in Massachusetts, Jenna starts to realize that she has only herself to rely on.As someone who has enjoyed every book in the BODY OF EVIDENCE series, I am happy to report that this one was just as good as the previous installments. Jenna is feistier, more daring, and more curious in BRAIN TRUST than she has been in the previous books. I'm guessing that it's because she doesn't have anyone out in Florida to help her solve the case, and to protect her from the evil that is lurking. As many previous reviewers have stated, this is the last book in the series. However, that is not true, as there will be two new BODY OF EVIDENCE books released in late 2004. I only hope that they are half as good as the last eight. Which I'm sure they will be. Don't miss BRAIN TRUST!Erika Sorocco

I really hope this wasn't the last one, though I'm sure it is, and I'm sad to see the series go. In some ways, I suppose it was a good way to end off the series, but I really think that Golden could have ended the series better, it leaves you hanging, really, and why do that when the series is OVER??? It nearly drove me insane. The book is one of those FBI books, which I normally do not care much for, but of course, Christopher Golden wrote it and so of course it was good. Brain Trust is slower to start, but it is enticing and an extremely good read. I do have a few qualms with the plot line, or so "the plague", seemed almost too far-fetched- no, not far fetched, it was weaker than other Golden books. Even with that, Brain Trust is a good book and you should all read it!

I read this novel cover to cover in the middle of a department store. While people shopped for shoes and such all around me, I was engrossed in the sun, the fun, the action, the FBI, the final shootout and the copout. The setting of Hawai'i gave me flashbacks to One West Waikiki. I liked letting Jenna relax, freeing her and Yoshiko from the typical college setting. Where some books have tried to make Intimidating FBI Men and failed, Golden has succeeded. The villains of the piece were creepy without having to be supernatural, superstrong, anything but humans to do it. Instead, it showed that their callous, detached, cold nature due to being in the "shadow" industry removed their humanity to an extent. The ending, without spoiling it, was very Law & Order. The quality of BoE is above and beyond most suspense novels - and it continues throughout the series, versus other series which lose the moomentum after a few books, or series in which the books become carbon copies.Golden and Hautala did not plan on this being the final BoE novel; the series contract simply hasn't been renewed yet. If you love these books as much as I do, write a letter to Pocket Books!

I read this novel cover to cover in the middle of a department store. While people shopped for shoes and such all around me, I was engrossed in the sun, the fun, the action, the FBI, the final shootout and the copout. The setting of Hawai'i gave me flashbacks to One West Waikiki. I liked letting Jenna relax, freeing her and Yoshiko from the typical college setting. Where some books have tried to make Intimidating FBI Men and failed, Golden has succeeded. The villains of the piece were creepy without having to be supernatural, superstrong, anything but humans to do it. Instead, it showed that their callous, detached, cold nature due to being in the "shadow" industry removed their humanity to an extent. The ending, without spoiling it, was very Law & Order. The quality of BoE is above and beyond most suspense novels - and it continues throughout the series, versus other series which lose the moomentum after a few books, or series in which the books become carbon copies.Golden and Hautala did not plan on this being the final BoE novel; the series contract simply hasn't been renewed yet. If you love these books as much as I do, write a letter to Pocket Books!

Okay, Body of Evidence has been a great series thus far. With great books that describe murders and mysterious deaths with great detail and realism, Christopher Golden has created a wonderful series for young adults and adults alike. But, the two most recent books, Burning Bones and Brain Trust both written with Rick Hautala have been the best in the series. This book has an excellent plotline, wonderful characters and excellent suspense. For those who have been following the series all the way through, this book serves as an excellent conclusion, which I think it is, because there is no preview for another Body of Evidence book, unfortunately. But, I guess we can now get hooked on the new Prowlers series. Well, in conclusion, Brain Trust is an excellent novel and I'm dissapointed there's not going to be any more.