In this 2nd book in the 'Blue Ant' series, the owner of the inscrutable Blue Ant Company - eccentric billionaire Hubertus Bigend - takes an interest in a new art form. The book can be read as a standalone with no problem.
Spook Country follows three groups of characters whose story threads merge as the narrative unfolds. The action moves from various parts of the United States to Canada as the protagonists pursue their agendas.
*****
Entrepreneur Hubertus Bigend has commissioned budding journalist Hollis Henry to write an article about 'locative art' for his new enterprise, Node magazine. Locative art, which is composed of images superimposed on the real world, must be viewed with a Virtual Reality headset. So pedestrians might stroll right past locative artworks, completely unaware.
To demonstrate this new art form, Hollis is shown an image of River Phoenix's body on the (actual) Los Angeles street where he collapsed before he died, and an image of a giant squid hovering in a warehouse.
River Phoenix collapsed in front of The Viper Room
The cutting edge technology needed to display locative art is facilitated by a reclusive oddball genius named Bobby Chombo, who also does work for the military.
It seems that Hubertus Bigend has an agenda, because he urges Hollis to interview Chombo for her article. Chombo is an introvert who almost never meets new people.
However, Hollis has an ace up her sleeve. She was once a member of the (now defunct) cult band Curfew, which Chombo liked, so she has a slight 'in' with the tech expert.
In time Hollis learns that Chombo is using his electronic know-how to track a cargo container that's been ping-ponging around the world for years. This container turns out to be the MacGuffin in the story.
*****
Tito is a young man of Chinese-Russian-Cuban heritage whose family is a self-contained criminal enterprise.
Tito's relatives are involved in forgery, espionage, money-laundering, illegal immigration, and so on. The head of Tito's family, called 'the old man', was once a United States government operative, probably in some intelligence/counter-intelligence department.
Tito is an expert in 'Systema' (a sort of parkour used to escape adversaries) and has personal Santeria gods protecting him, so he's almost untouchable as he goes about his business. Tito's occupation seems to be receiving and sending messages written in the invented language Volapuk (encoded in Russian) and delivering IPODs containing encrypted information to the old man.
As things shake out, Tito is eventually dispatched to perform a risky mission that involves the aforementioned cargo container.
*****
Brown is a shadowy personage - perhaps a former American military man - who has wired Tito's room to record incoming/outgoing Volapuk messages.
However, Brown doesn't understand Volapuk, so he abducts Milgrim - a homeless vagrant addicted to anti-anxiety drugs - who's an expert in the lingo.
Milgrim can understand Volapuk, including the idioms, and translate it into English. Brown keeps Milgrim from escaping by giving him drugs and issuing dire threats.
Milgrim, who's one of the book's narrators, isn't too bothered by his captivity because he gets the drugs he needs; has a stolen book about obscure medieval religions to read; gets to stay in decent hotel rooms; and is provided with regular meals - often in restaurants.
Druggie Milgrim has little interest in Brown's ultimate objectives, but he does note that Brown and his cohorts want to intercept Tito and snag one of the encrypted IPODs.
In time it becomes clear that Brown and company ALSO have an interest in the cargo container.
*****
The story is enhanced by additional characters and situations that add interest to the book. For instance, Hollis works with an art curator, Odile Richard, who makes robotic vacuums out of white Legos; and Hollis meets a locative artist, Alberto Corrales, who specializes in portraying dead celebrities.
Hollis also sees a couple of her former bandmates, philosophical Inchmale and versatile Laura. Laura is a formidable woman, who - when she fears Hollis is in danger - fashions a weapon out of an axe handle.
For his part, mixed-heritage Tito has a large number of family members - including numerous uncles and cousins - who are on hand to help when he needs assistance. And even loner Brown speaks to cronies on the phone, planning his secretive moves.
The author has a deft hand with conspiracies, and drops hints in the story that lead to 'aha' moments at the book's climax. All this is good fun, and the book is well-written and worth reading.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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