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Phil D'Amato #3
The Silk Code
Phil D'Amato, a New York City forensic detective (also featured in several of Levinson's popular short stories and two subsequent novels), is caught in an ongoing struggle that dates all the way back to the dawn of humanity on Earth--and one of his best friends is a recent casualty. Unless Phil can unravel the genetic puzzle of the Silk Code, he and his loved ones will soon be just as dead.
Winner Locus Award for Best First Science Fiction novel of 1999.
Winner Locus Award for Best First Science Fiction novel of 1999.
363 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1999
9 people are currently reading
284 people want to read
About the author
Paul Levinson
98 books339 followersPaul Levinson, PhD, is an author, professor, singer-songwriter, media commentator, podcaster, and publisher. His first novel, The Silk Code, won the Locus Award for best first science fiction novel of 1999. Entertainment Weekly called his 2006 novel, The Plot to Save Socrates, “challenging fun”. Unburning Alexandria, sequel to The Plot to Save Socrates, was published in 2013. Chronica - the third novel in the Sierra Waters time travel trilogy - followed in 2014. His 1995 award-nominated novelette, "The Chronology Protection Case," was made into a short film, now on Amazon Prime Video. His 2022 alternate history short story about The Beatles, "It's Real Life," was made into a radioplay, streaming free since March 2023, and it won the Mary Shelley Award for Outstanding Fiction. "It's Real Life" was expanded into a novel, and published in 2024. Paul Levinson was President of the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA), 1998-2001. His nine nonfiction books on the history and future of media have been translated into a dozen languages around the world, and have been reviewed in The New York Times, Wired, and major newspapers and magazines. Two shorter books, McLuhan in an Age of Social Media and Fake News in Real Context, were published in 2015-2016, and are frequently updated. Levinson appears on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and numerous other television and radio shows and podcasts. His 1972 album, Twice Upon a Rhyme, has been reissued on CD and remastered vinyl and is available on Bandcamp and iTunes. His first new album since Twice Upon A Rhyme - Welcome Up: Songs of Space Time - was released by Old Bear Records on CD and digital, and Light in the Attic Records on vinyl, in 2020. Levinson is Professor of Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University in NYC.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 15, 2009
Fooled again. I thought I was picking up a procedural detective mystery and ended up with far more. If I tried to describe its maze of modern day Neanderthals, Amish gangs, & an ancient silk cure for what ails our DNA many would think I was joking. In structure it's almost like it's 2 or 3 different books. An Amish murder mystery, an ancient chronicle, and a scifi world jaunt in search of the modern Neanderthals. Yet they are somehow all tied together.
I've got a feeling that no matter what I say positive about it one will either love it or hate it. No middle ground on this one. All I can say is give it a try & see which one you are.
I've got a feeling that no matter what I say positive about it one will either love it or hate it. No middle ground on this one. All I can say is give it a try & see which one you are.
March 27, 2013
After an argument with myself, I am settling on a 3* review. I found this book to be exceedingly frustrating. I just felt like it could have been so much better.
The story is about a genetic virus on a DNA level and it discusses DNA based technology used by the Amish. I found the concept fascinating. I did struggle to find a character to connect with emotionally, but settled on Phil and Jenna's relationship to relate with.
Phil is a forensic examiner. He and his friends/cohorts/colleagues discover bodies that carbon date 30,000 years in the past. Deaths ensue, bodies get lost, and Phil must get to the bottom of it before humanity is wiped out. OK, maybe not quite that desperate, but that is the idea.
It is essentially an old time mystery story (think Raymond Chandler et al.) with some science fiction type ideas thrown in. Both parts are well thought out and written. I found the genetic manipulation that Mr. Levinson describes absolutely fascinating and it is this concept that sets the book apart. These parts (1,3 and 4) of the story are frantic and fast paced and make an excellent story. Of at least 4 stars.
But, there is another part to the story. The second part. The Tocharian Chariot. In this part, we are sent far to the past to take a journey with Gwellyn as he travels the known world to find the history of the 'singers' while having flings with almost every female whose path he crosses. This part is written in a totally different voice and felt like a completely different style. In fact, I double checked to make sure the book was not actually a short story collection. This part was painful. Had the first part not so engrossed me, I surely would have put this book aside. But, I really wanted to finish the mystery. I could have skipped this part, but I feared I would miss something important. This part would have rated 1*. But, since there were 3 parts with more stars - I settled on 3 for the book.
Even though the conclusion of the book does go back to this part, I do not actually feel like I would have missed anything had I skipped it. I would have just felt like I cheated. Which was beyond me. So, I read it.
Also, this book was written in 1999. This matters. There is much talk about cell phones and call costs - all of which are very different today. So, to maintain some semblance of reality, it helps to remember the writing date.
I would recommend the book with a couple caveats. 1) I would simply skip the second part. I think I would have loved the book without this part and don't think I would have missed much. 2) the writing style is a bit choppy (but that may have been my version), but the story itself is intriguing.
The story is about a genetic virus on a DNA level and it discusses DNA based technology used by the Amish. I found the concept fascinating. I did struggle to find a character to connect with emotionally, but settled on Phil and Jenna's relationship to relate with.
Phil is a forensic examiner. He and his friends/cohorts/colleagues discover bodies that carbon date 30,000 years in the past. Deaths ensue, bodies get lost, and Phil must get to the bottom of it before humanity is wiped out. OK, maybe not quite that desperate, but that is the idea.
It is essentially an old time mystery story (think Raymond Chandler et al.) with some science fiction type ideas thrown in. Both parts are well thought out and written. I found the genetic manipulation that Mr. Levinson describes absolutely fascinating and it is this concept that sets the book apart. These parts (1,3 and 4) of the story are frantic and fast paced and make an excellent story. Of at least 4 stars.
But, there is another part to the story. The second part. The Tocharian Chariot. In this part, we are sent far to the past to take a journey with Gwellyn as he travels the known world to find the history of the 'singers' while having flings with almost every female whose path he crosses. This part is written in a totally different voice and felt like a completely different style. In fact, I double checked to make sure the book was not actually a short story collection. This part was painful. Had the first part not so engrossed me, I surely would have put this book aside. But, I really wanted to finish the mystery. I could have skipped this part, but I feared I would miss something important. This part would have rated 1*. But, since there were 3 parts with more stars - I settled on 3 for the book.
Even though the conclusion of the book does go back to this part, I do not actually feel like I would have missed anything had I skipped it. I would have just felt like I cheated. Which was beyond me. So, I read it.
Also, this book was written in 1999. This matters. There is much talk about cell phones and call costs - all of which are very different today. So, to maintain some semblance of reality, it helps to remember the writing date.
I would recommend the book with a couple caveats. 1) I would simply skip the second part. I think I would have loved the book without this part and don't think I would have missed much. 2) the writing style is a bit choppy (but that may have been my version), but the story itself is intriguing.
August 6, 2025
Awesome Indies Book Awards is pleased to include The Silk Code (Phil D’Amato series) by Paul Levinson in the library of Awesome Indies Book Awards'
Badge of Approval
recipients.
November 21, 2014
This... well, it's not open to the accusation of being the same-old same-old. Amish bioengineers help protect a New York forensic scientist from a kind of retrovirus created by Neanderthals. Who are still around, and still fighting us. In the middle of the book, we go back to the 7th century, where a Tocharian druid, a Jew, a Byzantine Greek and a Moslem walk into a bar... sorry, I mean, circumnavigate Africa in search of the Singers, another name for the Neanderthals. Silk is all over the place, and the codes in DNA, music, language, and woven fabrics are freely convertible into one another (which is pretty obvious nonsense).
The science is... unlikely, and I found my suspension of disbelief tested beyond destruction a few times. I chose to regard it as more a technothriller than SF (the echo in the title of another well-known thriller involving dubious ancient mysteries helped with that). As a thriller, it kind of works. As a mystery, it very much doesn't; we're not given the clues to figure it out, and it has to be unwound in a big infodump at the end. There are scientific, or scientific-adjacent, infodumps throughout, usually short enough not to be too tedious.
The main character, the forensic scientist, unfortunately isn't very protagonistic. The author even hangs a lampshade on this early on, pointing out that he's just been reacting to events, but it doesn't improve all that much. Secondary characters drop dead around him with alarming frequency, he is apparently given a lot of latitude by his department to investigate the mystery, but his inquiries are not that effective, hence the need for the final infodump. He falls back on wild speculation as a substitute for any kind of scientific effectiveness (for a forensic scientist, he's very bad at finding evidence).
This isn't remotely a feminist book. A couple of the older female characters manage to be actual characters, but the younger ones are mainly objects of the male gaze. That includes Jenna, the MC's girlfriend, who, to me, never seemed to have any characteristics of her own; she was someone for him to have sex with, worry about and engage in expository dialog.
Nothing really hung together for me. Were the Neanderthals 30,000 years old, or was it just some technobabbled effect of the virus that made Neanderthal remains look that age? Apparently, both. Was the main Neanderthal character 300 or 30? What was the deal with the silk? Butterflies to carry messages, really?
Adding to the annoyance, I listened to this in the Podiobooks version. The narrator frequently fumbles words, and should not attempt an English accent; his attempt sounds like nothing on earth, but the closest comparison I can make is a Bostonian who's just lost a drunken brawl. The author shows off how well-connected he is in the SFF world by having well-known writers introduce each chapter.
That all makes it sound as if I hated it, and I didn't. I listened all the way through, and was entertained. It's just that the many issues eventually outweighed the entertainment factor, and apart from the chutzpah of even attempting something like this, there wasn't much to make it stand out.
The science is... unlikely, and I found my suspension of disbelief tested beyond destruction a few times. I chose to regard it as more a technothriller than SF (the echo in the title of another well-known thriller involving dubious ancient mysteries helped with that). As a thriller, it kind of works. As a mystery, it very much doesn't; we're not given the clues to figure it out, and it has to be unwound in a big infodump at the end. There are scientific, or scientific-adjacent, infodumps throughout, usually short enough not to be too tedious.
The main character, the forensic scientist, unfortunately isn't very protagonistic. The author even hangs a lampshade on this early on, pointing out that he's just been reacting to events, but it doesn't improve all that much. Secondary characters drop dead around him with alarming frequency, he is apparently given a lot of latitude by his department to investigate the mystery, but his inquiries are not that effective, hence the need for the final infodump. He falls back on wild speculation as a substitute for any kind of scientific effectiveness (for a forensic scientist, he's very bad at finding evidence).
This isn't remotely a feminist book. A couple of the older female characters manage to be actual characters, but the younger ones are mainly objects of the male gaze. That includes Jenna, the MC's girlfriend, who, to me, never seemed to have any characteristics of her own; she was someone for him to have sex with, worry about and engage in expository dialog.
Nothing really hung together for me. Were the Neanderthals 30,000 years old, or was it just some technobabbled effect of the virus that made Neanderthal remains look that age? Apparently, both. Was the main Neanderthal character 300 or 30? What was the deal with the silk? Butterflies to carry messages, really?
Adding to the annoyance, I listened to this in the Podiobooks version. The narrator frequently fumbles words, and should not attempt an English accent; his attempt sounds like nothing on earth, but the closest comparison I can make is a Bostonian who's just lost a drunken brawl. The author shows off how well-connected he is in the SFF world by having well-known writers introduce each chapter.
That all makes it sound as if I hated it, and I didn't. I listened all the way through, and was entertained. It's just that the many issues eventually outweighed the entertainment factor, and apart from the chutzpah of even attempting something like this, there wasn't much to make it stand out.
Want to read
October 15, 2021Author's guest post at my blog:
https://bookfare.blogspot.com/2021/10...
https://bookfare.blogspot.com/2021/10...
May 28, 2013
This is a book whose beauty emerged for me in its later stages. It's a fairly contemporary (1980s setting?) SF thriller with more than a touch of horror. It's difficult to do justice to the Silk Code's greatest merits without revealing elements I'd consider spoilers. In avoidance of spoilers, this review is mostly my reading experience of this book.
The plot hook caught me from the beginning and I let myself go with the seemingly wild extremes of selective evolution what ifs. That was fun to do; speculation is one of the reasons I read SF and the gene terrorism here opened new vistas. The author took a unique and courageous approach too.
Part 1's story was an origination of later relationships and a mechanism to incorporate the Amish ingenium device that would be called upon throughout the story. This Part had resolution to the extent I realised what was going on, but I was still left bemused as to whom I could trust or how the antagonists would be dealt with.
Part 2, discordantly leaped back to the 8th Century and I think my annoyance with it is a reflection of my enjoyment of the first Part of the book. I quickly had the impression that Part 2, the Tocharian Chariot, was an unnecessary interlude. The relevance of it's theme was evident and its historical and geographic placement were potentially highly interesting. Unfortunately, the tale situated in this Part was carried in a similar voice to the contemporary Phil narrative, which missed out on the descriptive, cultural and linguistic details that for me make looking at different times and civilisations interesting. As a result I had great difficulty getting into this Part. That said, there were some interesting ideas here, such as the sound potter.
I was of course mistaken about the importance of Part 2, it is integral to working out or at least trying to resolve the mysteries that develop in Parts 3 before the author does. It also deepens the impact of the discoveries that Phil and his compatriots uncover in the later Parts.
Part 3, was significantly more entertaining than the earlier Parts. In Part 1, I had been drawn into the initial Phil/Amish story and would have found that good enough to finish the book had that story continued. Part 3, however, despite the time jump and the slight story reorientation gripped me ever so much more tightly. I was intrigued and impressed by the author's speculation and the mystery elements tantalisingly dangled before my eyes. Very quickly I was compelled deeper into the book and the thriller elements ensured that I didn't surface until the end.
Part 4, contains the conclusion and you'll have to judge that entirely for yourself, because I'm off for a cup of tea.
The plot hook caught me from the beginning and I let myself go with the seemingly wild extremes of selective evolution what ifs. That was fun to do; speculation is one of the reasons I read SF and the gene terrorism here opened new vistas. The author took a unique and courageous approach too.
Part 1's story was an origination of later relationships and a mechanism to incorporate the Amish ingenium device that would be called upon throughout the story. This Part had resolution to the extent I realised what was going on, but I was still left bemused as to whom I could trust or how the antagonists would be dealt with.
Part 2, discordantly leaped back to the 8th Century and I think my annoyance with it is a reflection of my enjoyment of the first Part of the book. I quickly had the impression that Part 2, the Tocharian Chariot, was an unnecessary interlude. The relevance of it's theme was evident and its historical and geographic placement were potentially highly interesting. Unfortunately, the tale situated in this Part was carried in a similar voice to the contemporary Phil narrative, which missed out on the descriptive, cultural and linguistic details that for me make looking at different times and civilisations interesting. As a result I had great difficulty getting into this Part. That said, there were some interesting ideas here, such as the sound potter.
I was of course mistaken about the importance of Part 2, it is integral to working out or at least trying to resolve the mysteries that develop in Parts 3 before the author does. It also deepens the impact of the discoveries that Phil and his compatriots uncover in the later Parts.
Part 3, was significantly more entertaining than the earlier Parts. In Part 1, I had been drawn into the initial Phil/Amish story and would have found that good enough to finish the book had that story continued. Part 3, however, despite the time jump and the slight story reorientation gripped me ever so much more tightly. I was intrigued and impressed by the author's speculation and the mystery elements tantalisingly dangled before my eyes. Very quickly I was compelled deeper into the book and the thriller elements ensured that I didn't surface until the end.
Part 4, contains the conclusion and you'll have to judge that entirely for yourself, because I'm off for a cup of tea.
January 16, 2019
Slow going at first, but an interesting concept that is well executed in the end.
May 27, 2016
The cover caught my eye in the Mystery section of the library and I couldn't just leave it there so I picked it up and scanned the back. The book was full of the mysteriousness of ancient bio warfare and murder mixed with modern day forensics. The plot was intriguing and full of twists and turns. I had to bring it home. The story was set in New York and ancient times constantly switching back and forth explaining the plot and introducing the science and philosophy behind it. In the first few pages of the book the author had my complete and utter attention. He had killed an unknown character and introduced more with the reluctance of information. I just had to read more to find out the interesting plot as it unfolded and opened my eyes to an exciting and fantastic storyline. The main character; Phil D'Amato has an aptitude for finding death and mystery without trying and is submerged in mystery from the beginning. He displays the humorous thoughts of man and shows the readers his personality throughout the book. When the murders hit home he needs to act upon it and immerses himself into a delicate mystery where one wrong move can lead to imminent death. When he starts investigating and finds information on ancient civilization and theories the book just gets more interesting and exciting. I just couldn't put down. I became completely obsessed with his life. It was an excellent book relating ancient times and modern day mystery with many suspenseful moments. It was a fantastic page turner. Anybody interested in thrilling mystery full of plot twists, science, and philosophy would love this book as much as I did.
February 7, 2013
So far, a delight! Imaginative, clever, smooth writing. Who can ask for more? Alas! I have to put it aside to read a book related to my research on the book I'm writing: Dogs and Civilization. As soon as I finish that book--and get my next chapter written, I'll finish The Silk Code
As the above indicates, the first third of the book is excellent. It starts in the present day with fireflies bred to burn down houses. The entire book explores the possibilities of invention without using machinery, although a little magic seems okay. Maybe I'm calling it magic because I couldn't figure out how pre-humans, called The Singers created cave paintings that moved. Levinson dreams up incredible exploits, inventions and travel from 700 or more years ago. This alone is worth the read. His premise is that technological invention starts with the dawn of humans. He even describes an ancient record player made of natural, non-metallic materials.
This is a detective story, but quite different from the usual. Levinson has detectives detecting from the time of the Silk Road to the present
Why, they, did I not give it 5 stars? Because, to me, the conceit wore thin. There were no characters whom I could identify with. To me, plot alone isn't engaging. I need to care about one character, at least and to see how that character develops, not just who he or she is or is capable of at the outset.
In general, I don't like detective stories, science fiction or fantasy. I realize that this is my failing, not necessarily the author's
October 28, 2010
My second audio book, and a very compelling story.
I was let down by the ending. It seemed rushed, as though the author decided "that's enough", and wrapped everything up in a few brief pages as quickly as he could. Yes, all the loose ends were wrapped up, but it was jarring.
Or... perhaps the reason I was let down was because I simply did not want this novel to end. It was literally fascinating. Each of the 3 sections had me scratching my head saying "this author cannot be serious", but he was. If I listed some of the things in this novel, you'd think I was joking. Firefly bombs to burn down a house in seconds? Mending genetic code with silk?
But it's done so well, that you shrug, and you say to yourself "let's see how Mr. Levinson will explain this away", and you find yourself being carried away by the majestic story.
Even the 3 different parts add to the book's splendor. The middle part (which some complain is disjointed and confusing) seems to be a mini-novel in itself. It was actually my favorite section. And yes, the author does bring it all together in the end...
So... disappointing ending? Or disappointed that it did end? A bit of both, frankly. Had this book went on for a couple more hundred pages, the strange and wonderful DNA theories would have continued to keep me captivated.
And I look forward eagerly to some more Levinson in the near future...
I was let down by the ending. It seemed rushed, as though the author decided "that's enough", and wrapped everything up in a few brief pages as quickly as he could. Yes, all the loose ends were wrapped up, but it was jarring.
Or... perhaps the reason I was let down was because I simply did not want this novel to end. It was literally fascinating. Each of the 3 sections had me scratching my head saying "this author cannot be serious", but he was. If I listed some of the things in this novel, you'd think I was joking. Firefly bombs to burn down a house in seconds? Mending genetic code with silk?
But it's done so well, that you shrug, and you say to yourself "let's see how Mr. Levinson will explain this away", and you find yourself being carried away by the majestic story.
Even the 3 different parts add to the book's splendor. The middle part (which some complain is disjointed and confusing) seems to be a mini-novel in itself. It was actually my favorite section. And yes, the author does bring it all together in the end...
So... disappointing ending? Or disappointed that it did end? A bit of both, frankly. Had this book went on for a couple more hundred pages, the strange and wonderful DNA theories would have continued to keep me captivated.
And I look forward eagerly to some more Levinson in the near future...
May 27, 2015
The Silk Code left me with mixed feelings. I am generally fascinated by anything featuring Neanderthals, especially living ones in a modern setting. That was inventive but I didn't like the ending of the story and the final portrayal of the Neanderthal(s).
Some reviewers didn't care for the Tocharian interlude/sub-plot in the second part of the book. In my view, the rest of the story would have been meaningless without that part. Plus, it was a fascinating story in itself.
I don't know how to address the whole "Amish as genetic super scientists" concept. But this is a work of fiction so I suppose the author can do as he chooses and it did pull the story together.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. There were some fascinating ideas in it. Now that I'm winding up this review, I think I'll go put on my silk robe and have a cuppa tea in my butterfly garden... just in case...
Some reviewers didn't care for the Tocharian interlude/sub-plot in the second part of the book. In my view, the rest of the story would have been meaningless without that part. Plus, it was a fascinating story in itself.
I don't know how to address the whole "Amish as genetic super scientists" concept. But this is a work of fiction so I suppose the author can do as he chooses and it did pull the story together.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. There were some fascinating ideas in it. Now that I'm winding up this review, I think I'll go put on my silk robe and have a cuppa tea in my butterfly garden... just in case...
November 27, 2012
The Silk Code is certainly an intriguing story. I enjoyed it. I was particularly impressed by the amount of research that must have gone into this story.
I am not a particular fan of science fiction. However, I noted that there are two more books in this series: The Consciousness Plague and The Pixel Eye. I am adding them to my "to be read" list for future reading.
I am not a particular fan of science fiction. However, I noted that there are two more books in this series: The Consciousness Plague and The Pixel Eye. I am adding them to my "to be read" list for future reading.
August 5, 2012
Fascinating and confusing thriller that picks up on the the possibility that Neanderthal communities have survived to the present day, combined with the theory that before there was language there was the "hum" - a way of communicating feelings and social bonding. In other words, song preceded language. If you love music, you should also take a look at "The Singing Neanderthal" for an inspiring and detailed explication of this theory.
June 4, 2015
Another wonderful, sprawling, exotic read from Mr. Levinson!
Neanderthals still walk among us. Silk has powers unknown to modern science. The Amish have been bio engineering for hundreds of years.
These and other insightful, marvelous concepts keep this story moving forward at a steady pace.
Mr. Levinson's forensic detective Phil D'Amato is carried along on a wild ride through history and science.
It's fun ride, hop on and hang on!
Neanderthals still walk among us. Silk has powers unknown to modern science. The Amish have been bio engineering for hundreds of years.
These and other insightful, marvelous concepts keep this story moving forward at a steady pace.
Mr. Levinson's forensic detective Phil D'Amato is carried along on a wild ride through history and science.
It's fun ride, hop on and hang on!
June 21, 2010
This entertaining book sounds like a train wreck. A cop's investigations land him in the middle of an ancient Amish versus Neanderthal high-low-tech war about genetic engineering(firefly bombs, anybody?) and silk as a cure to flaws in Neanderthal DNA. It is the perfect pulp novel and it is impossible to put down.
February 22, 2015
Ideas were really interesting, but way too much material for one book, there were enough in the way of story-lines to have made this 2-3 separate novels in a series - sometimes smaller bites to chew are easier to swallow.
Want to read
January 12, 2011A-Z Mystery Challenge by author: book L
Read
August 16, 2013I started reading this in bed. *grump* finished at 2 AM. Still it was good.
December 24, 2015
Confusing, but interesting.
April 2, 2024
In The Silk Code, Phil D’Amato, a New York forensic detective, encounters a mystery in Amish country. A cult with expertise in genetics has bred fireflies to give off heat as well as light. With a bit of tinkering, the bugs can become murder weapons, which is only the beginning of the mystery. The plot has convolutions involving Jacquard Looms and hominid DNA. Such speculative science required considerable suspension of disbelief. But I managed.
December 29, 2023
Read this on the recommendation of a friend. It was confusing for several chapters, but then things start to line up. It then becomes a pretty standard, though a bit far fetched, police procedural. It is good enough that I will continue the series, but don't expect prize winning writing here.
January 1, 2018
First half was great, second half was tedious and confusing and boring
May 9, 2021
I liked it, but it was a bit of a ramble and a mess.
February 21, 2011
This starts off as a police procedural. It ends as a police procedural. Along the way, there's this section set in the eighth century, without which it would still be science fiction, but you could still shelve it in the mystery section and probably no one would claim they'd been the victim of false advertising.
And I cannot dissuade myself from the notion that that eighth-century section, for all its inherent attractions as a section of a different novel entirely, in this novel is simply an unusually intrusive info dump. You couldn't cut it out without working that information into the book some other way, but this would be a stronger book if Levinson had taken the time and trouble to do that.
Nevertheless, this is still an interesting and enjoyable book. Dr. Phil D'Amato, a NYC forensic detective, goes to visit a friend, another forensic scientist, in Lancaster, PA. He has barely arrived--not taken his bags out of his car--when the friend, Mo Buhler, drags him off to go visit an Amish friend, saying that he's discovered some "really interesting techniques." When they get there, they learn that the Amish friend has died suddenly, of a heart attack, and a brother Mo hasn't met before is guarding the homestead quite aggressively. They depart rapidly, and Mo, in an apparent state of alarm, announces that instead of going home, they need to go to Philadelphia. And then he starts to show signs of an allergic reaction, and with not more than two hours of Phil's arrival in Lancaster, Mo Buhler is dead. Having absolutely zero evidence that Mo died of anything other than natural causes, Phil launches his own investigation--and discovers that the "interesting techniques" Mo had mentioned to him include such useful things as breeding fireflies to live in lamps and have a flicker rate that allows them to provide useful amounts of light, and such fun stuff as catalysts to produce fatal allergies in previously unaffected people, and fireflies that, under the right circumstances (including swarms of sufficient size) produce enough heat to start fires that burn down the houses and barns of the inconvenient.
So, who killed Mo's friend Joseph, not to mention Mo? Well. Not the Amish. A group that looks and acts outwardly a lot like the Amish, a group often mistaken by outsiders for Amish. But the Amish aren't about to explain; when Phil says, "Let me get them shut down", they say, "Like you've shut down your own criminals?" They insist these people are their problem and they'll deal with it.
So, what does all this have to do with the three Neanderthal corpses that suddenly appear, in New York, and Toronto, and London? Or the death of the Toronto medical examiner, of a heart attack, right afterwards? And the rather strange janitor, who might have been the New York Neanderthal corpse, but turns up a week or two later, with a perfectly plausible story about having been on vacation? Why does the janitor carry a silk handerchief, and why was an apparently identical silk handkerchief found on the NY Neanderthal corpse? And why, exactly, does one of Phil's New York colleagues, the one who examined the New York Neaderthal corpse, suddenly become very ill, and die, weeks later--after, as it turns out, his wife sends their silk sheets out to be cleaned?
Phil and his colleagues and friends start chasing themselves, each other, and the paucity of real clues in circles, unable to trust each other because it's all too painfully clear that someone on the inside of the investigation is leaking information even before Phil and the others are sure there's a crime to investigate. When one of those people is killed in circumstances that superficially suggest a motive for Phil to have done it, things get really scary.
Not a perfect book, by any means, but very interesting, and enjoyable.
And I cannot dissuade myself from the notion that that eighth-century section, for all its inherent attractions as a section of a different novel entirely, in this novel is simply an unusually intrusive info dump. You couldn't cut it out without working that information into the book some other way, but this would be a stronger book if Levinson had taken the time and trouble to do that.
Nevertheless, this is still an interesting and enjoyable book. Dr. Phil D'Amato, a NYC forensic detective, goes to visit a friend, another forensic scientist, in Lancaster, PA. He has barely arrived--not taken his bags out of his car--when the friend, Mo Buhler, drags him off to go visit an Amish friend, saying that he's discovered some "really interesting techniques." When they get there, they learn that the Amish friend has died suddenly, of a heart attack, and a brother Mo hasn't met before is guarding the homestead quite aggressively. They depart rapidly, and Mo, in an apparent state of alarm, announces that instead of going home, they need to go to Philadelphia. And then he starts to show signs of an allergic reaction, and with not more than two hours of Phil's arrival in Lancaster, Mo Buhler is dead. Having absolutely zero evidence that Mo died of anything other than natural causes, Phil launches his own investigation--and discovers that the "interesting techniques" Mo had mentioned to him include such useful things as breeding fireflies to live in lamps and have a flicker rate that allows them to provide useful amounts of light, and such fun stuff as catalysts to produce fatal allergies in previously unaffected people, and fireflies that, under the right circumstances (including swarms of sufficient size) produce enough heat to start fires that burn down the houses and barns of the inconvenient.
So, who killed Mo's friend Joseph, not to mention Mo? Well. Not the Amish. A group that looks and acts outwardly a lot like the Amish, a group often mistaken by outsiders for Amish. But the Amish aren't about to explain; when Phil says, "Let me get them shut down", they say, "Like you've shut down your own criminals?" They insist these people are their problem and they'll deal with it.
So, what does all this have to do with the three Neanderthal corpses that suddenly appear, in New York, and Toronto, and London? Or the death of the Toronto medical examiner, of a heart attack, right afterwards? And the rather strange janitor, who might have been the New York Neanderthal corpse, but turns up a week or two later, with a perfectly plausible story about having been on vacation? Why does the janitor carry a silk handerchief, and why was an apparently identical silk handkerchief found on the NY Neanderthal corpse? And why, exactly, does one of Phil's New York colleagues, the one who examined the New York Neaderthal corpse, suddenly become very ill, and die, weeks later--after, as it turns out, his wife sends their silk sheets out to be cleaned?
Phil and his colleagues and friends start chasing themselves, each other, and the paucity of real clues in circles, unable to trust each other because it's all too painfully clear that someone on the inside of the investigation is leaking information even before Phil and the others are sure there's a crime to investigate. When one of those people is killed in circumstances that superficially suggest a motive for Phil to have done it, things get really scary.
Not a perfect book, by any means, but very interesting, and enjoyable.
September 14, 2013
The Silk Code has the dubious distinction of being the worst-written book I've read in some time.
I blame my undergraduate training in English Literature, but I can read a book and address the workmanship of a book or story separate from how I experienced it as a reader. (I've read books that were well-written, even if I personally didn't *like* it. And I've read books that I enjoyed, even loved, that had serious stylistic or grammatical issues.) So it wasn't that I didn't like The Silk Code, although I didn't really care for it, the book was badly written. It was very obvious that The Silk Code was the first novel by Levinson, and it would have benefited from a more proactive editor.
The characters are flat and shallow, even the main character from whose POV most of the book is narrated. While most of the book is written in first-person POV, Levinson randomly jumps to a limited third-person POV on several occasions. Neither I nor my book group members could see any advantages to the scenes in third person, and I found the changes jarring.
Levinson divided the book into four parts. The first part was a slight rewrite of a previously published short story. Other than introducing the main character and a minor character of parts 3 & 4, part 1 had nothing to add to the (putative) main storyline. Part 2 was more interesting, but also served little purpose. Parts 3 & 4 tied together fairly well.
The dialogue ranged from painfully stilted to ridiculously awkward. The action was more confusing than suspenseful. The basic premise was promising, but the plot as written was pretty absurd and not in a good way.
I blame my undergraduate training in English Literature, but I can read a book and address the workmanship of a book or story separate from how I experienced it as a reader. (I've read books that were well-written, even if I personally didn't *like* it. And I've read books that I enjoyed, even loved, that had serious stylistic or grammatical issues.) So it wasn't that I didn't like The Silk Code, although I didn't really care for it, the book was badly written. It was very obvious that The Silk Code was the first novel by Levinson, and it would have benefited from a more proactive editor.
The characters are flat and shallow, even the main character from whose POV most of the book is narrated. While most of the book is written in first-person POV, Levinson randomly jumps to a limited third-person POV on several occasions. Neither I nor my book group members could see any advantages to the scenes in third person, and I found the changes jarring.
Levinson divided the book into four parts. The first part was a slight rewrite of a previously published short story. Other than introducing the main character and a minor character of parts 3 & 4, part 1 had nothing to add to the (putative) main storyline. Part 2 was more interesting, but also served little purpose. Parts 3 & 4 tied together fairly well.
The dialogue ranged from painfully stilted to ridiculously awkward. The action was more confusing than suspenseful. The basic premise was promising, but the plot as written was pretty absurd and not in a good way.
February 19, 2017
Couldn't finish this one. More of a YA science fiction.
February 6, 2016
This book was equal parts fascinating and bewildering. I enjoyed the absurdity of it and the story clicked along at a fair pace, apart from the part which was set in the distant past, which I don't think added that much and was quite laborious to read compared to the rest.
So you have Archaeology and Sci-fi: two of my favourite subjects! My main criticism is that the female characters didn't seem as fleshed out as the male, they seemed rather peripheral overall. My advice is disengage your brain and just enjoy it for what it is - a good story. Mind you, I'm still not sure
So you have Archaeology and Sci-fi: two of my favourite subjects! My main criticism is that the female characters didn't seem as fleshed out as the male, they seemed rather peripheral overall. My advice is disengage your brain and just enjoy it for what it is - a good story. Mind you, I'm still not sure
July 20, 2015
While I liked the story and the characters, I felt disoriented when I was reading this. The first part is alright, the second one changes time and appears completely unrelated to the first part, to the point I though it was a short story book and not a novel. Then the third part takes us back to present day and about the middle of it there are some references to the second part. I think if after that references are done we are introduced to the second part story it would have made complete sense, but as it is, it sounds disorganized, and it's completely unconnected until the third part kicks into high gear.
But as I said, the stories are good and the characters feel right, and it was entertaining enough to win 3 stars.
But as I said, the stories are good and the characters feel right, and it was entertaining enough to win 3 stars.
January 20, 2016
I listened to the audio-book version of this several years ago because my husband said I should listen to it. I like reading better than listening because I can understand it better. At the time I listened to it I just thought it was OK, however, this is a book that I have thought about over and over. When I make my next Amazon order, I will probably be purchasing it so I can sit and read it through again. A cup of tea, lightning bugs, and seeing an Amish carriage all make me think of this book. There were some very interesting ideas and theories presented. I look forward to actually reading the pages soon.
not-with-a-ten-foot-pole
February 18, 2014Signed this petition, displaying (along with everyone else on it) a startling lack of understanding of censorship, freedom of speech, and how asking others to behave like decent human beings is not, in fact, censoring them.
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