Review: Blind Traveler Down A Dark River by Robert P. Bennett

Blind Traveler Down A Dark River by Robert P. Bennett
Publisher: PublishAmerica
Publication Date: 2 May 2005
ISBN: 978-1413769999
Genre: Science Fiction, Crime
Pages: 205
Kindle Size: 256 KB
Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

Douglas Abledan is blind. But a blind man may just see something everyone else missed. A modern day miracle, a Virtual Sensory GPS unit, helps him navigate his world - but on one critical day it fails and Douglas apparently stumbles upon the scene of a what may just have been a murder. Disoriented and confused, he isn't the first man a retiring cop wants to listen to.
In the year 2021 increasing global earthquakes threaten civilization’s infrastructure. Unimat Incorporated is trying to stop the destruction by introducing a new building material. Special interests are up in arms. Environmentalists blame technology for the problem and want a different solution. Steel workers worry about jobs and safety. Now someone has hired a contract killer to stop the project. Can one lone blind man expose the killer without becoming a target?

Review:

I love science fiction and crime novels and to have both in one book was like heaven for me.  I requested this book from Robert P. Bennett, who kindly agreed to let me review it, without even reading the synopsis.  I was more intrigued by the title, Blind Traveler Down A Dark River. What an awesome title for a book.  As I started reading it I found that I was completely engrossed in the story and couldn't tear myself away.

First of all we have the character of John Haggerty, the CEO of Unimat. Unimat have been researching a product called Plasteel.  Basically they have taken the best properties of steel and combined it with plastic. How futuristic is that? Secondly we have Douglas Abledan, a blind R & D guy who uses a technology called the Virtual Sight GPS unit to help him get around. Again how futuristic does that sound? So how does this become a crime novel.

Well John Haggerty gets shot in a seemingly random drive-by shooting and Douglas Abledan witnesses it. Nobody believes that Douglas witness the murder, not even the police. How can a blind man witness a crime when he wasn't even in the area where it happened? Well basically his trusty Virtual Sight GPS unit malfunctions and tells him he's somewhere where he knows he isn't. So Douglas sets out to solve the crime himself.  That is when this book becomes a crime novel.  So how does Douglas go about solving this crime, well you're going to have to read the book to find out.  All I will say is I couldn't stop reading.

This is a fantastic book from beginning to end. I liked all the characters but I like the character of Douglas Abledan more. I hope Robert P. Bennett writes more novels like this, as I will definitely be buying them. This is a must read for fans of science fiction and crime novels, although I think anyone would enjoy it.