SCIENCE FICTION

The Genesis Code

By Christopher Forrest. Forge, $23.95

Delving into the mysteries of DNA, scientists have discovered introns, parts of the double helix that apparently have no use. After translating an ancient Mayan text, a prominent geneticist believes that the introns were inserted in the human genome by an ancient civilization to give humanity a coded message. Just as he's about to reveal the secret, he's murdered - but not before e-mailing a cryptic note to his former partner and his assistant, who soon discover that the message is a warning about an impending catastrophe that threatens all life on Earth.

Final word: Derivative at times, but the suspense will hook you in.

- Mark Graham

MYSTERY

The Chicago Way

By Michael Harvey. Knopf, $23.95

Harvey, who helped develop TV's Cold Case Files, has penned an all-American novel with tongue in cheek and a tip of the hat to Raymond Chandler. Chicago P.I. Michael Kelly, former cop and current Cubs fan, agrees to help his one-time partner look into a rape that took place eight years before. Soon, the partner is shot dead and Kelly gets under the skin of the Chicago police to find out why. Like Philip Marlowe, he's not tough enough to avoid the various blondes and redheads who cross his path and narrates his blunders with Marlowe-like humor.

Final word: As brisk as a wind off Lake Michigan, with sharp urban wit and dialogue to match.

- Jane Dickinson

Mark Graham Jane Dickinson