About the Author

Malcolm Rose is the author of more than twenty-five novels for young adults. A former professor of chemistry, he is a well-known crime and thriller writer. Rose has won many awards over the years, including the Angus Book Award for Tunnel Vision and the Lancashire Book of the Year Award for Plague. His first book in the Traces series, Framed!, was selected as a 2006 Best International Book by the International Reading Association.

Reviews

"The combination of forensic investigation and futuristic genres is a promising mixture for this series..." --KLIATT

KLIATT
The combination of forensic investigation and futuristic genres is a promising mixture for this series...

Ernie Cox - KLIATT
Crisscrossing an English landscape of the future, forensic investigator Luke Harding works to solve a string of murders. Luke is the youngest Birmingham School of Forensic Investigation graduate, at 16, and faces challenges from his superiors and the general public during his investigation. He is assisted by Malc, a robotic Mobile Aid to Law and Crime. Together they analyze physical evidence, search public records, and keep notes. As Luke and Malc conduct their inquiry, a tsunami threatens London and the lives of all involved. Quick pacing makes "Roll Call" a page-turner; it also blurs the finer details of this futuristic setting. While descriptions of the forensic evidence are detailed and interesting, many questions about the societal structure and technical descriptions of the tools and machines of this new age are vague. The partnership between Luke (the maverick) and Malc (the rigidly logical machine) provides comic relief, but lacks the synergy of similar robot/boy pairings. Those interested in this theme may find Jeff and his mixed-up robot, Norby, of the "Norby Chronicles" by Janet and Isaac Asimov to be a richer and more nuanced read. The combination of forensic investigation and futuristic genres is a promising mixture for this series, although not fully realized in this volume. KLIATT Codes: J--Recommended for junior high school students. 2005, Houghton Mifflin, Kingfisher, 213p., Ages 12 to 15.