I could not be more disappointed in this book. What this seriously written by the same authors as the previous entries in the series? These books have always centered around Monkeywrench, a small eccentric group of computer programmers who end up assisting the police in a series of cases throughout the novels. The group dynamics of Monkeewrench and the halting relationship of Grace Mcbride and police detective Magozzi has been the heart and soul of the books, but these elements are MIA in this latest entry. Although I have read all the previous books, I still needed a reminder of who the characters were and why I should care about them, which I was still piecing together at the end of the book. The characters, who I know and feel affectionate toward from the earlier books, still seemed two-dimensional and uninteresting. Such character development as did take place seemed unrealistic and almost insulting. Grace McBride, a deeply damaged women, paranoid and suspicious as a result of a horrific childhood, is on a cruise with a retired FBI agent as the story begins, and has discovered that wearing a sundress and sandals completely alters her outlook on life. Really? The writing is clunky, cliches abound, the Native American called Chief has sequoia-like legs, and blood is referred to as the liquid of life.... cringe. The big showdown at the end, with an army coming for our heroes who are waiting on platforms in the trees must have taken place off-screen; a few people die, and suddenly Harley is calling the all clear. What? To add insult to injury, I listened to this book on CDs borrowed from my library (so glad I ddin't pay for it); I disliked the reader and, at the end of each CD, some inappropriately upbeat music played underneath the narrator, often completely at odds with the tone of the book. Will I read the next Monkeewrench book? Only if it is pre-read by a trusted friend who assures me that the series has rediscovered its heart.