There’s a fine line to be walked when writing a suspense novel where the plot depends entirely on scientific and technical matters – a balance must be struck between information and entertainment. The challenge is to include enough detail and gobbledygook to keep the science geeks happy without losing the interest of general readers.

While expatriate Canadian James Powlik’s PhD in biological oceanography probably assures accuracy in the technical content of this novel, as a story it has all the appeal of an unillustrated textbook. Powlik does a creditable job in conveying the technical material for laypersons, but fails to create credible or interesting fictional links.

A privately sponsored research vessel in the Canadian Arctic encounters a water current with lethal levels of radiation that can only have come from a nuclear waste dump. Government agencies seem less than interested as crew members, wildlife, Inuit, and marine creatures absorb the toxic material and die. With expertise flown in from the South Pole and Halifax – and radiation-consuming organisms to “eat” the lethal current out of existence – the scientists attempt to avert a global disaster.

There are a few ancillary subplots featuring secret U.S. Navy bases, international espionage, and ecological concerns, but like the book’s characters, they are never fully developed. In those few sections where technical detail gives way to love, life, and death, the actors and their interactions are wooden and uninteresting. While this book may have a lot to say about how we’re poisoning our natural resources, it’s hardly entertaining reading unless you’re a technical report fanatic.