Book Review: Outer Perimeter

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Outer Perimeter     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Ken Goddard
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Fantasy   Science Fiction   Government Agency   Supernatural   Police Procedural   Forensics
Series: Colin Cellars # 2
Bantam, Feb 2001, $23.95, 448 pp.

Oregon State Detective Sergeant Colin Cellars is on administrative leave pending the results of a psychiatric examination following a strange X-Files-like incident. Since the events with the violet-eyed extraterrestrial, Colin is a true believer. As such, he has set an OUTER PERIMETER in his remote cabin in the mountains near Jasper Springs, Oregon to warn him of any intruder, especially serial killing aliens.

Taking the death rate seriously, the state establishes two six-person teams of crime scene investigators to search the area for the serial predators. However, Colin believes that he and his three amigos (ex DEA Bobby Dawson, electronic guru Malcolm Byzor, and lab technician Jody Catlin) will ultimately be the team to stop the rising homicide rate and send an unfriendly ET home or die in the process.

OUTER PERIMETER is an engaging, cleverly designed mixing of science fiction elements with a forensic-police procedural thriller. The exciting plot moves quickly forward with plenty of action, but references to the first book will, on occasion, leave the bewildered new reader first seeking evidence as to what previously happened. Overall, the spine tingling story stands alone as the fearsome foursome battles with a villain most likely not of this earth in Ken Goddard's latest chiller.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner