Level 26: Dark Origins

Fearful of becoming extinct, publishing increasingly has turned to interactive novels, of which LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS is the latest. Written by CSI creator Anthony E. Zuiker with Duane Swierczynski, the book proclaims itself to be the world's first "digi-novel" — not the first interactive novel, obviously, but the first to go by that marketing-ready moniker. Whatever it's called, LEVEL 26's interactivity branches beyond mere gimmick. Its 20 online "cyberbridges" serve as transition between chapters, and they're expertly filmed and edited, becoming a vital part of the book's overall experience. The jacket says these are optional, and while that's true to an extent, you'd be doing yourself a disservice to skip them. Imagine watching a movie and once every 15 minutes or so, you walk out to the lobby; that's what it'd be like. The title refers to the 25 levels that murderers can be classified by law enforcement, according to the extent of their evil. For example, Ed Gein is a 13. Here, the bad guy is so twisted, he's a 26 — one more than thought possible. His nickname is Sqweegel, and he's killed 50 people across six countries over the past 20 years. What makes him distinctive is his "uniform," so to speak — a white body condom so skin-tight it requires buttering himself down before slipping in. The cruel acts he's committed are so twisted, he's deemed a national security risk, which is why Tom Riggins of the Special Circs division at Quantico has been given the ultimate of ultimatums by the U.S. Defense Secretary Norman Wycoff: Get Sqweegel or we'll make you disappear. To do this, Riggins needs to recruit Steve Dark, the only detective who's ever come close to getting Sqweegel, and thus, the only detective who can get that close again. Dark doesn't want any part of it, having given up the game long ago, even if it results in pal Riggins' death. But when it comes apparent that Dark's pregnant wife will be among Sqweegel's targets, Dark is back in. A cop chasing a serial killer — sigh, again? Yes, but never quite like this. In giving Sqweegel that Level 26 label, Zuiker and Swierczynski have to make him commit dastardly deeds, and that they do. They go to the dark, disturbing corners to which you wouldn't expect a mainstream novel to go; things happen to people that will shake the nerves of readers with lesser stomachs — oh, those poor, underage boys who just wanted beer! — and make SAW's Jigsaw look like a pussy. In short, LEVEL 26 has balls, and swings them around. You won't fully realize to what extent until you catch the cyberbridges. At roughly three minutes apiece, these mini-movies exude the same slickness that makes CSI tick, naturally, and push the boundaries of good taste with a little skin and a lotta sick. Watching Sqweegel move bumps the character's ick factor up far more than words alone could achive; somewhat of a contortionist, he moves like a spider and a snake. The effect is chilling. Whereas the clips enhance that character, I think they work against that of Dark. He's played by CSI: NY's Daniel Buran, who looks skeevy and unwashed, which didn't exactly endear me to the detective. My only other complaint regarding the clips is that it's not exactly convenient to stop reading — because, believe me, you'll in a groove — to log on to view them. And that goes double for when you're reading in bed late at night, and sadly, the site doesn't work with the iPhone. But enough of that nitpicking. Hey, Zuiker, when's the movie? —Rod Lott Buy it at Amazon. "Sqweegel reached in and removed a small stainless-steel device that looked like a tiny harp — an anal spreader. This was relatively new and still tacky with some improvised lubricant. He smiled behind the mask, then placed it to the side. There was a cock ring with a tiny switch that would release a set of spring-loaded shark-fin-style razors. Trap the penis, bleed it out entirely. He hadn't used one of those in a while." OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR: • THE BLONDE by Duane Swierczynski • SEVERANCE PACKAGE by Duane Swierczynski • THE WHEELMAN by Duane Swierczynski

Tagged as: Crime, Horror, Sex