Robin Lamont’s The Experiment, the third addition to his well-received Kinship series, traverses the rough terrain of animal rights in a story that not only takes readers into a world brimming with mystery, but also exposes the horrific aspects of a topic that is not often visited – the protection of animals.
Immediately, from the beginning of the narrative, the suspense begins to build, as we meet the story’s engaging and complex protagonist, Jude Brannock, a senior investigator for The Kinship, an organization specializing in covert investigations of large-scale industrial animal abuse. scale. Jude anxiously ponders a recently hired investigator, Time Mains, his apprentice, who suddenly seemed to be mysteriously missing in action. Research trainee Tim Mains embarked on an independent mission to go undercover to collect, document and report violations at a specific company, Amaethon Industries. After a series of little to no contact from Tim, Jude embarks on an intense mission to find the missing investigator determined to get to the truth of his whereabouts, especially after his cryptic message about being on “something big.” However, Jude’s interest in the mystery of Tim’s disappearance turns out to be more than just “platonic” or “brother-in-arms” concern for him, as it turns out that the two had started an affair that needed to be kept out of the picture. view. .
Meanwhile, as his investigative efforts continue to progress, Jude faces a debilitating personal health issue. His intimate feelings for Tim create a growing mystery when he hears evidence of his adverse behavior, including drug use and an intense affair with a young woman, all while he was supposed to be working on an undercover investigation. . Now it was clear to her that Tim might not have been the man she thought he could trust with not only an important heartfelt job and not to mention her heart.
Crucially, on the whole, The Experiment turned out to be a good standalone read that I found creative and satisfying as a mystery read. Ultimately, the story wowed me with a mystery that deepened and twisted as the plot centered around a theme that I personally found a refreshing relief from the usual mystery genre fare. And as far as characterizations go, I found Jude to be a well-crafted central character whose own complex personal history was intriguing, as much as the other mysterious elements within the narrative that author Robin Lamont did a splendid job of culminating in a cohesive and intriguing . work that handled suspense well. I look forward to the other books by him, as well as hoping to see The Experiment made into a movie. I think it would be great and this book is definitely a must read.