The Trudeau Vector

Juris Jurjevics is an amazing literary talent, who draws on a wealth of science-fact to lay the groundwork for his fiction. The Trudeau Vector is an exciting blend of drama, romance and humor, cleverly blended with spine tingling, top notch sci-fi! I hope we see a lot more great books from this author!

Two different stories are told simultaneously. Dr. Jessica Hanley is a well-known; nonconformist American epidemiologist who gets an emergency call to go to the Trudeau Research Center. Four of the scientists working in this remote center were found dead out on the ice. No one can figure the cause of these brutal deaths. There was a fifth scientist who mysteriously escaped via a Russian submarine. Admiral Rudenko is summoned out of retirement to locate the submarine. Jessie dearly misses her ten year old son Joey on this five month mission. Her tough exterior cracks just a bit whenever she in touch with her son. It is a stressful mission, where she races against the clock in this unforgiving environment, trying to find answers. Not known for being very socialable; Jessie is impressed by the hard work and dedication of the scientists at Trudeau. She falls in love with Jack Nimit, an engineer; and as she discovers there's no secrets in the Trudeau Center. Jessie and the Admiral do meet in a volatile ending. An excellent debut novel!

Juris Jurjevics is, in a sense, the man behind the curtain. He is the co-founder and publisher of Soho Press, whose intricate, well-written mysteries are set in exotic locales and peppered with unusual characters. As expected, THE TRUDEAU VECTOR --- Jurjevics's initial excursion into the world of authorship --- possesses these elements, and more. A Canadian research center whose international team is ensconced in a remarkable but fragile ecosystem is rocked by the deaths of four of its members. Three are found in impossibly contorted positions, their irises and pupils erased, while the fourth inexplicably committed suicide by giving himself over completely to the frozen environment outside. Dr. Jessica Hanley, a quirky but brilliant epidemiologist, is sent to determine and isolate the cause of each death. These tragedies coincide with the departure of another member of the team, a Russian scientist who is picked up by submarine from her home country; unbeknownst to the world, except for Russia, the vessel is lost. Admiral Rudenko, a mothballed Russian naval officer, is roused out of quasi-retirement to lead an expedition to find it. The mission is a success but a horrid one: the sub is discovered though all the passengers are dead, exhibiting the same symptoms that afflicted the three research team members. THE TRUDEAU VECTOR proceeds along these two, slowly converging tracks, with the principals of each unaware of the other. Hanley wants to interview the Russian team member who left on the day of the killings, not knowing that she has been the victim of the same malady aboard the submarine. Meanwhile, Rudenko, who is unaware of the deaths at the research center, is sent there to pick up the remaining Russians. Jurjevics's pacing is nothing short of marvelous; he is in no hurry here, but his narrative is anything but plodding. His unseen and unknown microbiotic serial killer could strike again at any moment, which increases the tension factor one-hundredfold. He also peppers his story with marvelous little factoids, the product of which is obviously yeoman's research, yet these items never get in the way of his story or characters. Hanley would be a necessary irritant in lesser hands; here, one actually begins to like her, partly due to her brilliant intuitiveness as she assembles the minutiae of the scene of the deaths (and the lives) of the four victims. It is Rudenko, however, who almost steals the show. Sturdy, dependable and gruffly likable, he is a knowing, underestimated pawn in a much larger game. THE TRUDEAU VECTOR creates a bit of a conundrum. Jurjevics's debut is the stuff of wonder and immediately leaves one wishing for more --- though not at the cost of losing his guiding hand at Soho Press. If somehow the reading public could continue to have the benefit of both, it would be a blessing. Highly recommended. --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

The rescue team went out searching for the four missing members of the international scientific team stationed at Trudeau Arctic Research Station on a six month tour. They found three dead near the ice cap hole under study with their bodies monstrously misshapen; the conclusion was death was a welcome respite from the agony they must have suffered. The fourth person apparently wandered away from the party and was found also dead, frozen naked. No one knows what happened and the weather prevents any evacuating the survivors from the area. The Canadian government parachutes epidemiologist Jessie Hanley into the remote site to learn what caused the grotesque deaths. Hanley searches for fatal bacteria or a virus. Meanwhile unbeknownst to the scientist is that a nearby Russian submarine succumbed to the same disease while escorting a rogue scientist into the Arctic. While talking with her dyslexic son by satellite and making love with a hunk of an Inuit, Hanley tries to track down the cause of the disaster before others die as she now believes one of the crew is heavily involved, but whom? This is exciting thriller starring a wonderful protagonist who does a yeoman's job to balance (albeit long distance) the needs of her son with her work. The story line is action-packed, but the beauty of the tale lies with the harsh vivid description of the frozen tundra that leaves no room for error. Part mystery, but mostly an environmental thriller, fans of action-packed biotech errors leading to contagions will want to read the fast-paced THE TRUDEAU VECTOR. Harriet Klausner

Apocalypse then, apocalypse now - apocalypse is a trend in contemporary literature. However few portray it so realistically, with such harrowing design as does Latvian born author Juris Jurjevics His debut novel transports readers to the Trudeau Research Station in the Arctic. Both the Station with its myriad scientific marvels and the unforgiving yet beautiful cold of the far North are painted with a true word brush. Cofounder and publisher of the Soho Press, Jurjevics knows his way around both plot and execution. "The Trudeau Vector" will fascinate us just as it may cause worry and wonder, simply because Jurjevics can render the unthinkable possible. International scientists have gathered at the Trudeau Station for six months of unforgiving winter and challenging work. This scenario abruptly changes when three of the scientists are found dead. Evidently their deaths were horrible, and the cause is unknown. Enter an American epidemiologist, Dr. Jessica Hanley, sent to discover what caused the untimely deaths. As the Station is numbed by the loss of colleagues and the brutal cold, there is activity in Moscow. Retired Admiral Rudenko is asked to locate a Russian submarine that has gone off the radar screen in Norwegian waters. His search and Hanley's investigation come together in surprising and threatening ways. Film and television actor Robertson Dean delivers an excellent voice performance, both somber and compelling as suspense mounts and the world seems poised for disaster. - Gail Cooke