Wheels Within Wheels

A Novel of the LaNague Federation

By: F. Paul Wilson

Narrated by: Greg Tremblay

A monstrous conspiracy is brewing against the LaNague Federation and the freedoms it guarantees to its member planets - at least that’s what Old Pete says. He’s come to the offices of Interstellar Business Advisors, a firm he co-founded more than half a century before, to enlist the aid of its current CEO, Josephine Finch. Dubious at first, Jo humors the old man by promising to look into the matter.

She does not have to look far before she is convinced that something is afoot, something that will not bear the light of day, something involving a revolutionary means of interstellar travel. And when one of the trails leads to the planet Jebinose, site of her father’s bizarre death, Jo finds herself personally involved.

She is soon pitted against one of the shrewdest, most devious minds in Federation politics, and against a wild-card psi who might well destroy them both. But what Josephine Finch begins, she finishes.

Wheels Within Wheels follows her on a course that involves five planets and three alien races. Before she is through, she will bring the galaxy’s largest corporation to its knees, avenge her father’s death, abort a cynical political plot, and start an interstellar war.

Don’t mess with Josephine Finch.

©1978, 2005 by F. Paul Wilson (P)2020 by Blackstone Publishing

A Great Whodunnit and Prometheus Award Winner

A great Whodunnit story, with all that you’d expect from a Prometheus Award winner. Murder, intrigue, dictator wannabes, and the rights of individuals to live their life as they choose.

Libertarianism threatened by past history

F Paul Wilson’s Wheels within Wheels is situated in his LaNague Charter universe. The charter offers governmental limits that essentially establish a libertarian philosophy. While this state of affairs has been in existence for some time, those pesky bureaucrats have been doing their best to water things down. When one LaNague proponent enlists the aid of a like-minded fellow, past history rears its ugly head to complicate their efforts.

Wilson can tend to drift into preachiness regarding economic theory. There’s a nice subplot that deals with forgotten history dealing with a planet with an intelligence species that possesses a unique set of cultural mores.

The narration is good with decent character distinction. Pacing is smooth.