Publishing Information
Authors:  A.C. Crispin and Deborah A. Marshall
Publisher:  Pinnacle Books, Inc., 1430 Broadway, New York, NY 10018
ISBN:  0-523-42469-8
Canadian ISBN:  0-523-43443-X
Copyright:  1985, Warner Bros., Inc.
 

Comments
A novel that deals almost exclusively with the L.A. Resistance, as well as sprinkling in some characters from Crispin's previous V novel, East Coast Crisis.  The relationship between Mike and Marjorie Donovan is unconvincing at best, but many of the known L.A. characters are realistically drawn, especially Willie.
 

Major Plot Points

• While Science Frontiers works on a red-dust variant, Diana plots to destroy the ecological balance along the West Coast with her own brand of toxin, developed to clear red-dust remnants from the water system of Earth
• Juliet deals with a personal problem while working on the latest bacterial tests at Science Frontiers
• Mike is reunited with his ex-wife Marjorie
• Diana plants a spy within the Resistance
• Chris Faber finds love with an unlikely candidate
• Willie finally realizes his worth and importance both to the Resistance effort and to his friends

Memorable Moments
p. 14  Elias and Miranda ask Willie's opinion on some sketches
"Which one of these do you like the best?" Miranda spread out the series of sketches.
"Umm... they are all most excellent, Miranda."
"Yeah," said Elias.  "But which one really grabs you, Willie?  I need the one that knocks your socks off, makes you want to die to have it, y'know?"
Willie blinked uncertainly as he struggled with the colloquialisms.  "I cannot see how a piece of paper could restrain me and remove my socks, and I'm sorry, Elias, I do not wish to die to have any of these."

p.56  Julie reveals her problem to Robin
"You've always treated me as an adult, whether I deserved it or not, and you've always been honest with me, whether I wanted it or not."  Robin shook her head slowly.  "I've kind of gotten used to that kind of treatment from you, and I hope things aren't starting to change between us."
Juliet bit her lip, and Robin saw tears welling up behind her eyelashes.  "I'm late, Robin, and I've been sick to my stomach all the time for the past week.  I'm afraid I might be pregnant."

p.90  Willie longs for the affection of another human being
After Miranda had explained the colloquialism, Willie subsided once more into gloomy silence as his thoughts turned, as they often did at night, to memories of Harmony.  There had never been anything approaching actual lovemaking between them, but somehow Willie hadn't missed the physical release.  Finding out that someone really cared about what happened to him had been the most important discovery of his life.  Now, although he knew that Elias, Miranda, Elizabeth, Mike, and Julie were all his friends, he still ached with loneliness.  The thought of walking alone to his silent room was unbearable; the thought of lying awake in it was enough to make him want another drink.  Anything to blunt the emptiness.
 

The Back of the Book...

The Enemy Above --
The Enemy Within

Due to a critical water shortage on the Visitors' home world, alien leader Diana is ordered to suspend battle plans and reactivate the desalinization plants off the coast of L.A.

When resistance scientist Julie discovers a new type of red dust, which reproduces in kelp and is impossible to filter, the Visitors develop a deadly defoliant that will destroy the delicate ecological balance and spell disaster for the West Coast.

On another front, Diana uses a new improved conversion technique to plant, among the resistance, a spy who will be accepted without question.  A person close to Donovan is now his greatest threat...  And if the resistance is destroyed, there will be nobody to stop the horrible... Death Tide.
 

Ordering Information
All of the "V" novels are currently out of print.  However, you can often find used copies at reasonable prices
at the Advanced Book Exchange.
 

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