The
Psychotic State
Synopsis
The
Psychotic State is set
in a southern community with a modern biosphere, where genetically altered crops
are developed. Jim Fleming is a
psychologist sent by the Latrice Corporation to evaluate the first biosphere
employee who becomes unstable on the job. Other
townspeople initially present as colorful, but eccentric and then bizarre
behaviors emerge, giving spectacular notice to an emerging problem.
Jim teams with others, including lovely Molly Pierce and earthy Kate
Grant, in a race of discovery to determine the source of the psychosis before it
seizes all.
It
appears that genetics has gotten out of control.
A biosphere manager’s strange response to the crisis suggests a
cover-up and guilt. However,
readers who jump to conclusions get a taste of the confusion and mistrust that
occur in a psychotic state.
Rationality
and the scientific method are two of the heroes of the book.
The scientific detective work includes readers as they share in each
unfolding discovery.
The
team determines the cause of the psychosis, but it involves something pervasive
in our environment. Understanding
the mechanism of the psychosis leads directly to one surprising and somewhat
charming means of protection. These
two elements comprise the hook, made potent through convincing realism and
logic. They give compelling
substance to the premise that an epidemic of psychosis could be possible.
In this age of terrorism, the idea that something everywhere could make
people psychotic is haunting, and there is small comfort in knowing what it is.
There is pleasure for the readers in knowing, but not telling, when they
pass the book on to their friends.
Subplots
provide some misdirection, as well as romantic tension and background for the
main characters. Several characters
have links with one another from the past, raising suspicion about duplicity.
Jim has eyes for both Molly and Kate until he resolves this at the end.
Even after the psychotic process is understood, the townspeople clash, inexorably leading to an explosion. Not everyone believes in the one means of protection, and they refuse to use it. The book leaves readers with an image of a threatened world. They will be toying with that protection method while they eagerly await a sequel. Two additional books are outlined to make a trilogy, and I expect to finish one each year. The Psychotic State is satisfying now, and it stands robustly on its own.