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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