Wet Work by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore

reviewed by Dan Berry (January 6th 2009)

Wet Work - the second in Pocket Star's new line of tie-in novels based on The 4400 - isn't the most physically attractive book in the world. Its bright green cover (perhaps depicting some sort of dreadful nuclear attack?) boasts a stock photograph of Joel Gretsch and Jacqueline McKenzie, who both look faintly concerned. Perhaps they've accidentally put a Tetra Pak out with the recycling, or mislaid a favourite DVD.

It turns out that neither of these scenarios is correct - in fact, their characters Tom Baldwin and Diana Skouris are investigating a 4400 assassin. Set during the television show's second season (shortly after Jordan Collier's murder), Wet Work tells the tale of "the Wraith", a prolific killer who disappeared in 1992, after a death which a young Tom investigated. In 2004, when four thousand four hundred missing people appear in a ball of light, it becomes clear that the Wraith - a woman named Lona Callahan, now armed with an unusual 4400 ability - is amongst them; and she's killing again.

Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore, two authors perhaps best known for their Star Trek novels, are on writing duty for this book. And whilst it's not without its flaws, Wet Work is a strong enough story to remind you not to judge books by their covers.

The novel form allows Ward and Dilmore to tell a bigger portion of Lona's life story than would have been feasible on television. We see first-hand her life immediately before she was abducted, her return on Highland Beach, and what happens as she begins to reintegrate herself into society. This builds up a deep and layered backstory for the character, all of which is very interesting and well-written, and it's a lot more detail than the standard "returnee of the week" episodes ever gave us. Frustratingly, though, this means that it takes a while for the story to really kick off, and in those earlier chapters Wet Work doesn't quite feel like the fast-moving 4400 which fans know and love.

Irrespective of its incongruous structure and unprecedented detail, Lona's backstory is very, very good, and her character is handled and developed well throughout the book. She's flawed, but instantly likeable, and is generally endearing. Regular characters are also written well, with Tom being the most impressive, his dogged determination and occasional stubborness portrayed faithfully. Despite playing much smaller roles in the book, characters like Nina Jarvis and Alana Mareva are depicted with similar accuracy, and fans should be more than satisfied by Ward and Dilmore's characterisations.

As with its predecessor, Wet Work is very much linked in with the show's history. Ward and Dilmore have seamlessly woven the plot and its characters into the series' many ongoing arcs: at one end of the scale, there are repated references to Jordan Collier's recent death, and explicit nods to episodes such as Carrier; at the other, there are more subtle moments, such as Kyle Baldwin's snappy and troubled behaviour, which ties in to As Fate Would Have It, and a nice fan-pleasing twist towards the end.

The book has its fair share of action, as you'd expect, but there's also a lot of emotion. The chapters featuring Lona's lover, particularly in later chapters, are a perfect example of this - when she gets shot, the prose is tense and violent and exciting, but it also tugs on the reader's heartstrings. There are also some cheeky Star Trek references littered throughout the novel, which genre fans should enjoy spotting.

If you're primarily looking for a diverting and enjoyable novel, and also happen to be a fan of The 4400, then Wet Work is for you. The plot is strong, the characters are engaging, and the prose is very, very readable. However, if you're hungry for a "missing adventure" from the show's history - a tale which feels like it could be a television episode, and is very much in the vein of the series - the previous book (The Vesuvius Prophecy) is perhaps a better choice. Despite its many strengths, there's a lingering sense that Wet Work is an adventure first, and a 4400 story second - that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it might polarise the potential readership.

Ultimately, the bar has been set very high for the forthcoming pair of post-series books. There's a lot to enjoy here, and this line of novels continues to impress.