John Case’s The Syndrome is a fast paced thriller about
international terrorist. It will keep the reader awake long into
the night listening to every creak and groan and for sounds that
creep just on the edge of hearing. My introduction to The Syndrome
began with dinner the night of September 11^th. Still
unaware of the whos, whys, and wherefores of the day, my husband
discussed the events and he related the following interesting
theory to me. During the Cold War, it was believed that the Communist
had hypnotized key Americans to commit atrocities and acts of
terrorism in response to post-hypnotic cues. These individuals
were so programmed that they were not even aware of it themselves.
"Perfectly innocent people were thought to be walking timebombs
just waiting for their cue to explode." If this idea intrigues
you, then you must read this book.

The book begins with a series of seemingly disjointed vignettes.
In Zurich, a young anthropologist studying totem worship named
Lew McBride has his face removed by his paternalistic advisor.
In a posh Florida resort, Nico Sullivan, a beautiful party girl
assassinates an elderly man dying from cancer and confined to
a wheelchair. In Washington, D.C., Henrick de Groot complains
to his hynotherapist that the worm living in his heart is sending
him racial hate messages. His hynotherapist, Jeff Duran, is confined
to his apartment building by debilitating agoraphobia. What is
the common link between these events and people?

When Nico commits suicide, her sister, Adrienne Cope, is determined
to find out why. When her will leaves half of her estate to Dr.
Jeff Duran, the hypnotherapist who convinced her she was sexual
molested by Satanists as a child, Adrienne goes "ballistic."
She hires a detective to find anything and everything that might
undermine Duran’s practice. What she finds out is more than she
bargains for and when two "goons" in trenchcoats arrive
with guns blazing she realizes that some information can be very
dangerous to know. Thus begins a non-stop chase across America
and around the world where anyone might be the enemy…even
your closest friend.

"John Case" is the pseudonym for Jim and Carolyn Hougan.
Jim is an investigative reporter and Carolyn is a novelist. The
Syndrome is the third joint writing venture for this husband
and wife writing team. Jim’s previous research on the U.S. Intelligence
Service makes this work ring true. The scientific background is
laid out in great detail, but presented in an absolutely fascinating
way. (I am not sure if any of it is possible or not, and I am
not sure that I want to know!) The characters are also well-developed.
This must not have been an easy writing task since not all the
characters are exactly who or what they seem to be while other
characters move in and out of personalities adding additional
complication. The best feature of the book is its perfect blend
of terror and humor. (A characteristic for success in common with
William Shakespeare and Steven Speilberg.) Some of the minor characters
add wonderful comic relief in contrast to the seeming evil or
goodness of the main characters. Ramon, the doorman, aspires to
be a movie star so he practices his voices and routines on arriving
and departing guests. There are two nameless gunmen, stereotypical
goons, who would best be described as "dumb and dumber."
In a like vein, they pay amazing attention to bizarre details.
This adds a unique flavor to the novel. It is hard to forget Nico’s
lime green gun case with its fluffy pink pompoms or Adrienne’s
rental car from hell that had a magnetic attraction for parking
tickets.

The Syndrome is a wonderful and scary read. Wonderful in
writing that alternates from nail-biting terror to laugh out loud
comedy. It is scary in its extreme timeliness. This book will
make you think about the potential for new forms of terrorism.
Mental timebombs make nuclear and chemical weapons look like child’s
play. If you want to see the new frontier of terrorism, read this
book, if you dare, and be scared.

© 2001 Suzanne Garrison-Terry

Suzanne Garrison-Terry


Education: B.A. in History from Sacred Heart University, M.L.S.
in Library Science from Southern Connecticut State College, M.R.S.
in Religious Studies/Pastoral Counseling from Fairfield University,
and a M.Div. in Professional Ministry from New Brunswick Theological
Seminary. She is currently completing a Certificate in Spirituality/Spiritual
Direction from Sacred Heart University (July 2001). She is a Licensed
Minister of the United Church of Christ and an Assistant Professor
in Library Science at Dowling College, Long Island, NY.

Interests in Mental Health: I am interested in the interplay between
psychology and spirituality. My current research focuses on the
role of hormonal fluctuation during puberty, pregnancy, and peri-menopause
as a stimuli for mystical experiences. Through the study of autobiographical
accounts of the mystical experiences of “historically accepted”
female Christian mystics and additional biographical information,
I am analyzing the connection between the onset of mystical experiences
and biological data/symptomology for the potential existence of
hormonal fluctuation or irregularity. If this sounds like an unusual
topic, nota bene how many medieval female mystics began having
“vision” on or about the age of 40!

Categories: Fiction