Praise for the Bill Damen series
The Novels (Published by Chronicle Books)
Crime stories delving into embryo engineering, genetic modification, and the human future set in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Bill Damen series goes to the frontiers of current biomedical and genetic research to explore what it means to be human in a looming "posthuman" world.
Praise for James Calder and the Bill Damen novels
“Calder draws sharp, entertaining suspect portraits, and Bill’s amiable first-person narration never slackens its pace.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Calder tells his story in witty prose that calls to mind Ross Macdonald.” —Washington Post Book World
“That rare thing: a really intelligent mystery novel.” —Philip Kerr
"The thinking man's Michael Crichton." —Tony Broadbent
“Likeable good guys, nasty villains, a well-developed sense of place, a little romance, and plenty of plot twists.” —Booklist
“[An] effervescent series debut . . . with telling California backdrops, a few sinister heavies, and solid prose with a memorable kick.” —Library Journal
“Utterly original and engrossing, Knockout Mouse is at once a mystery and a cautionary tale about what can happen when the wrong people try to play God.” —Ted Conover
“James Calder’s series is sure to be a knockout. It’s smart, savvy and right in step with next week’s news.” —Toronto’s Now Magazine
“Bill Damen is a hero to root for—and James Calder is a writer to watch.” —Tess Gerritsen
See the novels on Amazon
James Calder's Amazon page.
More details
See below for a description of each novel.
Bill Damen novels by James Calder
IN A FAMILY WAY
It's a parent’s nightmare: the fertility doctor who tinkers with the very essence of a child. Bill Damen is drawn into the world of embryo manipulation, where life, death, money, and power are chillingly intertwined. Damen tracks one family’s journey into the dark realm of reproductive engineering in their attempt undo the past and redeem a tragedy. He soon discovers that the circumstances of their daughter’s birth have everything to do with her death.
“Calder tells his story in witty prose that calls to mind Ross Macdonald.” —Washington Post Book World
“Calder draws sharp, entertaining suspect portraits, and Bill’s amiable first-person narration never slackens its pace.” —Kirkus Reviews
KNOCKOUT MOUSE
The first in the trilogy of novels. A scientist mysteriously dies at a dinner party. A friend of Bill's is blamed and his search for the cause takes him inside the science and business of transgenics, antibody engineering, and genetically modified food.
“That rare thing: a really intelligent mystery novel.” —Philip Kerr
“Bill Damen is a hero to root for—and James Calder is a writer to watch.” —Tess Gerritsen
“Effervescent series debut . . . with telling California backdrops, a few sinister heavies, and solid prose with a memorable kick.” —Library Journal
ABOUT FACE
The second novel in the trilogy is set in a world where identity is fungible and beauty is a genetically manipulated spell. The investigation reveals surprising connections between venture capitalists and escort services, face jobs and data simulation, and the worlds of computer grammar and glamour. The word "glamour" derives from the word "grammar," harking back to the day when the alphabet was magic and spelling could cast a spell. Only now, the spells are being cast with gene targeting technology and human genome engineering.
"The thinking man's Michael Crichton." —Tony Broadbent