Chaos Theory

I generally don't care much for or about thrillers, but I knew this author from his short story work, so I gave it a try. And I have to say, it hooked me from beginning to end, keeping me awake for most of two nights. The book follows the conventions of the thriller genre, but what makes it (for me) are the characterizations. This is the story of a dozen or so real and believable people, undergoing real and believable turmoil. I think what turns me off to most thrillers is the lack of this sense of real people. If they're just cardboard cutouts, who cares if they're in danger? But the characters in Chaos Theory aren't just complex, the'yre also full of the odd personality bits and pieces that you always have with flesh and blood people. You really feel you know these characters, so you're caught up when things go wrong for them. I really didn't want this book to end, and so my first reaction when I finished was to pick up Krist's other thriller, Bad Chemistry (me, somebody who doesn't read thrillers!) I guess there goes another night or two of sleep.

(Originally submitted 02/10/00) What if 2 good and normal 17-year-old boys found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time and saw something they weren't supposed to see, which actually wasn't what they thought they saw at all? This is what happens to Jason Rourke and Dennis Monroe in the beginning of this superbly plotted novel. From that point on, they become fugitives, suspects in a D.C. cop killing. They know something is up when the picture of the dead cop in the newspaper is not of the same man they ran down in their car while escaping as he tried to rob them at gunpoint. As the story progresses, Jason is on the run, hidden out by high school teacher and former investigative reporter Renee Daniels, their friend and confidant, while Dennis, who didn't run fast enough, is kidnapped by a sinister group of men. Harcourt, the allegedly dead cop, was the subject of an investigation into stolen evidence. At the same time, it has been noticed that certain homeless denizens of the city who bear a resemblance to high profile criminal suspects are disappearing with alarming regularity. When Jason confides in Renee the bizarre story of what he and Dennis did and what they saw and what they subsequently learned from news reports, as well as a drugs setup at school involving both of them and being chased by men who may or may not be police officers, she turns to her old friend, FBI agent Frank Laroux. Frank is skeptical of the unlikely story he's hearing but, as he begins asking questions and compiling data, he begins to believe the boys are telling the truth. While Jason is put under FBI protection, Dennis is still missing and, as the pace of Laroux's investigation picks up, finding him becomes a race against time. This book is what a great thriller is all about. It's well written with vibrant, 3-dimensional characters, and a literary social commentary to boot. The suspense simply does not let up until the very end. Anyone who liked "Nathan's Run" and "The Client" is going to love this. I highly, highly recommend it.

Gary Krist's second book is a compelling thriller about people in jeopardy who are forced to desperate means to fight their way out. It moves swiftly and forcefully, with plenty of hairpin turns. The ultimate message -- that the corruption that's been tolerated for years here in Washington has had a frightening real-life impact on our lives -- is delivered in a subtle, memorable way through the actions of the characters, and the forward momentum of the plot. It's a beautifully written book, a page turner with substance.

I read Gary Krist's Chaos Theory in a single day. I picked it up after hearing a great review on NPR's Fresh Air, and it was even better than advertised. The suspense never lets up, and there are some really interesting, well drawn characters, but what really made it interesting for me was the picture it gave of Washington D.C, the city the locals know. I lived there in 1995-7 and the District really was on the verge of collapse. Nothing worked and who knows what was going on under all the confusion? Chaos Theory gives us an idea of what can happen in a city when chaos lets the strong take advantage of the weak. Highly recommended.

If you read the first 5 pages of this book, you won't stop until the end. But Chaos Theory is more than a superb thriller. It is an engrossing look at Washington, DC (the town I live in) in the mid-1990s, amid rampant corruption and civic decay. And it is peopled by sharply drawn characters that drive home the real human stakes of good--and bad--government. Krist has an amazing ability to put himself inside the head of people of very different ages and social circumstances. I can't recommend this book highly enough.