Review: Futuristic Tale Featuring a Blind Heroe
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 6, 2012
Blind Traveler's Blues by Robert P. Bennett is a not so in the distant future tale featuring an unlikely hero - Douglas Abledan, a software expert who is also blind.  Douglas becomes involved in a homicide involving a female botanist he met days earlier while on a flight to Chicago. Throw in a corn plague that is soon to become catastrophic on a world-wide level, sonar canes, and other futuristic gadgets -  and you are in for one roller coaster of a ride!I absolutely loved the beginning of Blind Traveler's Blues. I found it reminiscent of a Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child novel in that the chapter ends in such a cliffhanger you find yourself compelled to continue reading to find out exactly what is going on. The fact that Douglas is blind makes for a very interesting premise as well. I enjoyed experiencing Chicago through Douglas' eyes - or rather his other senses - as he navigated the world around him.Robert P. Bennett's literary voice is both refreshing and outstanding in that you not only feel as if you are reading the novel but you actually feel as though you are immersed in the world he has created. I was able to experience the frustration that Douglas felt at the stereotypes and prejudices he faced - some intentional, others not - as someone who is "visually impaired". Bennett is able to transfer these feelings to the reader without coming across as though he is preaching or campaigning. I applaud him for that. Douglas is a very likeable hero who I hope to read more about.Blind Traveler's Blues is the second in the Douglas Abledan series - Blind Traveler Down a Dark River being the first - but can be read as a stand-alone. In conclusion, I've never been a fan of sci-fi or futuristic novels but this one not only grabbed my attention from page one - it held it until the very last page.