BSI Starside

The Cause of Death

by Roger MacBride Allen

Bantam, 470 pages, $6.99

The Bureau of Special Investigations Starside is the human agency charged with investigating all crimes committed by humans or against humans in all of known space. A pretty large task for a small underfunded government agency. Especially when most of the elder races that run the galaxy won't even talk to the brash, rude, uncouth young races, like the humans. Needless to say, this makes finding out about problems difficult and solving them . . . . . Wel,l let’s just say the dedicated men and women of the BSI try really hard.

After a rather lengthy start, this novel becomes a pretty good murder mystery. Sort of, almost, well, depending on which races’ definition of murder you are using it could be a murder, or death by premeditated self-defense, or the legally required killing of an overaged male by his son, or a coup attempt, or it just boggles the mind, all the possibilities that Mr. Allen has come up with.

I found this an enjoyable read and look forward to the next book in the series. - William B. Whitmore