By BWilliams / 16:30, 25 October 2005 / Reviews - Books

Where do I begin with a review of this newest hardcover novel? It's hard for me to pick a good starting point to begin, because there's so much that is on the surface intriguing yet ultimately wrong. Ultimately, I have to be honest and say that DEATH IN WINTER, the newest NEXT GENERATION novel from Michael Jan Friedman, really misses the mark in a significant plot suggestion hinted at on the novel's front cover.

Two weeks after the events of STAR TREK: NEMESIS, the Enterprise is still undergoing repairs, while Beverly Crusher has departed to become the head of Starfleet Medical (included as one of the deleted scenes on the recent NEMESIS Special Collector's Edition DVD). Picard, of course, is bothered by the fact that Crusher has left the Enterprise, but he soon receives word that Beverly has been declared missing in action on the planet Kevratas in Romulan space, leading to the conclusion that Beverly has been killed in the line of duty. It's up to Picard to reunite with two of his former Stargazer comrades, Pug Joseph and Carter Greyhorse, and pick up the trail to discover the truth. What Picard uncovers is more continuing intrigue with the Romulans and the return of an old enemy out for vengeance.

One of the problems with DEATH IN WINTER is the inexplicable amount of gaps in time, as scenes early on seem to jump forward in time without so much as an explanation. For me, there has to be at the very least something believable to convince me about the passage of time. Even a line such as, 'A week later, on Kevratas,' or something similar would work. Maybe I'm just accustomed to that.

But it's not until a third of the way into the novel that Friedman lets the air out of the proverbial balloon and divulges to the reader that it's not so. To me, that's too early to let the story deflate, and that's not a good mark for a story. Had this particular plot point been held back until much later in the novel, perhaps toward the end, then it could have built up lots more suspense and intrigue in the process, possibly allowing for the introduction of many more interesting plot devices that could have swayed readers into thinking something completely different. For me, that makes for a far more interesting story to be delivered.

That's not to say Friedman has done a bad job in picking up the pieces from NEMESIS and moved the cast forward. As he has done on many occasions in the past, he has a good grasp of the characterization of all involved in the NEXT GENERATION saga. It's just that one of the main problems lies in picking up the pieces after the beautiful and devastating train wreck that was NEMESIS. With one main character already dead, and two others (Riker and Troi) departed for the Titan, the suggestion of another biting the bullet, this time in print, is enough to send even the most loyal TREK fan spinning and disillusioned. But Friedman, like the other writers in the TREK stable, is cautious about staying true to established on-screen canon and writers' guidelines, so while DEATH IN WINTER doesn't follow through on its initial perceptions, it comes dangerously close. Friedman's portrayals of Worf and Geordi LaForge are spot-on once again, demonstrating their continued loyalty to their captain and their comrades. And we do have the return of two of Picard's shipmates from the Stargazer, Pug Joseph and Carter Greyhorse, in strong supporting roles that effectively push the story forward. And the final culmination resonates from a story point referenced earlier in the A TIME TO... series and in one of the final season episodes of TNG.

I guess when I first heard about DEATH IN WINTER, I went in with much loftier expectations, and on that part it's my fault. The jacket cover sure seems to suggest something completely different that led to those expectations, as I'm sure it did with a lot of fans. Michael Jan Friedman certainly had me fooled. Sometimes it's a good thing. This time, however, it isn't.

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