The Nostradamus Code. P. Temple Hickey. Markham, ON: Double Dragon Press, 2017. 165 pp., trade pbk., $18.86. ISBN 978-1-77115-375-1. Grades 8 and up /Ages 13 and up. Review by Ronald Hore. *** /4

excerpt:

I lift my eyes from the article on my slate and take in Denholm�s gaze from across our dimly lit sitting room. I can tell from his dilated pupils and hesitant speech that he�s just returned from an extended visit to an opiate den in the squalid districts but he�s doing a good job of acting sober and concerned for my dad.

�You�re sure he�s missing?� he asks, slurring his words slightly. �I mean, couldn�t he have just lost track of time while on an assignment.�

�Dead sure,� I tell him. �He was due back over a week ago. He usually checked in if there was a change to his plans. This is the longest he�s ever gone without any form of contact.�

�Have you reported him missing?�

�Did that a few days ago for all the good it will do.� The Peace Force doesn�t search for missing people. One less person to worry about in the rapidly decaying metropolis of New Stockton is a blessing for all of the authorities.

The Nostradamus Code is a young adult novel set on a planet settled from Earth sometime in the distant future. The city is plagued by economic collapse, political corruption, and organized crime. The 17-year-old hero, Scotland, decides to search for his missing father, an investigative journalist for the Globe, a news service. He is aided by a junkie friend, Denholm, who is struggling to kick his opiate habit. Along the way, they are joined by a young lady, Lyndon, who is added to the team by Keifer Gray, the man in charge of Globe. Of course, doubt is cast on just about everyone�s motives. Whom can Scotland trust?

     The story leads our hero though a series of almost impossible adventures, narrow escapes, and dramatic feats of derring-do, including leaping from fast-moving trains and sky-diving. The climax brings the group up against a home-grown religious order, the Cruciferians, which is bent on world-domination and is run by people who will go to any lengths to achieve it. Their headquarters is the heavily guarded Citadel. The book�s title refers to a secret code that, if found and released, should bring about the collapse of the corrupted religious order and the restoration of hopefully a more reasonable government.

     The Nostradamus Code should easily appeal to the reader in search of almost non-stop action, secrets, and the potential for a hint of young romance.

Recommended.

Ronald Hore, involved with writer�s groups for several years, dabbles in writing fantasy in Winnipeg, MB.

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