Charles Simpson’s UNCERTAIN HARVEST is a literary thriller that pits a journalist and an entomologist against a mega-corporation called Naturetek, which plans to dominate the agricultural world with its irreproducible seeds without regard for the environment.
After middle-aged American journalist Ed Dekker is almost killed at a biotech conference in Austria—twice—and then finds the murdered body of a scientist he was meant to interview on his home turf, he decides to pursue the story of Naturetek’s involvement in genetic engineering with the help of an Irish biologist he met at the conference, Aisling, and his retired Special Forces brother, Bart. As they travel from Austria to Boston to Oaxaca, Naturetek cronies and government intervention throw wrenches in the investigation while Ed works to prove that journalism can illuminate terrors that may change people’s minds.
The developing relationship between Ed and Aisling in the first part of the book, about a quarter of it, slows the pace to the point that the real meat of the plot is not launched until the second part, when Ed decides to take up the mantle of investigating Naturetek. The sometimes funny but sometimes borderline misogynistic banter between Ed and Aisling feels unrealistic and out of place, making the book seem, at first, more like an awkward romance novel than a corporate mystery. Both characters are fully realized individuals with believable personalities and opinions, but their relationship lacks plausibility because Ed puts Aisling on a pedestal, and therefore, Aisling sometimes feels like an archetype when depicted through his eyes. Once the plot begins twisting and turning in the book’s second part, distracting dialogue and Ed’s meandering thoughts, although often entertaining, continue to divert attention away from the thrilling facets of the action.
For all its plot and pace faults, the book’s writing is eloquent, descriptive, and engaging. Lovely turns of phrase materialize cityscapes, and clever analogies evoke precise and tangible realities. Agricultural and business concepts are rendered in approachable yet expressive language that bolsters understanding while remaining elegant. Arguments for agriculture’s importance in preventing climate changes woven throughout the text are compelling and convincing. Partway through the book, the point of view opens to include Bart as well as Ed and occasionally Aisling. While the jump from one character’s perspective to another is confusing at first, it deepens the characters by showing how others perceive them and how those who Ed thought about before think themselves. Ed and Bart’s brotherly relationship is the emotional heart of the novel, and they grow through the troubles of the book’s plot and as they dive into aspects of their history.
Charles Simpson’s UNCERTAIN HARVEST features elegant and evocative prose which is unfortunately weighted down by its slow pace and unlikely romance.
~Aimee Jodoin for IndieReader