simmering power struggle in Susan R. Matthews' Judiciary Universe comes to a boil in The Devil and Deep Space, her latest novel featuring Inquisitor Andrej Koscuisko. Posted aboard the Jurisdiction Fleet Ship Ragnarok, Andrej has carved out a stable existence for himself, performing his duties as chief medical officer and—when required by Law—torturing suspected criminals in order to make them confess. In this last distasteful job, he has become something of an anomaly, because Andrej is never content to force a suspect to wrongfully self-incriminate. Instead he seeks the absolute truth from his subjects, an insistence that is peculiar within Fleet and one that earns him more than one enemy.
Tormented by the requirements of his profession, Andrej otherwise leads a life that is exemplified by kindness, particularly in his treatment of the bond-involuntary workers who serve as Fleet's slave labor force. Andrej's relationships with the involuntaries, as with everyone else who works under him, are close and characterized by mercy and respect.
Unfortunately, political events threaten to swallow all that Andrej holds dear in his life with Fleet. A former enemy is making overtures, offering him a chance to leave Fleet and his Inquisitor duties behind forever. At the same time, an explosion takes the life of Ragnarok's commanding officer, leaving the inexperienced Jennet ap Rhiannon in command. When it looks like one of Andrej's security teams will be accused of the crime—and tortured into admitting guilt—the lieutenant pulls a switch, sending the framed security team home with Andrej, who is going on leave. As a result, Andrej may have to choose between leaving the life he hates or abandoning his closest friends to the mercies of Jurisdiction Law.
A moving mix of allegiance and desire
The Devil and Deep Space intrigues from its very first page. The various factions in this universe—the Bench, the Fleet, a religious order called the Malcontents and hardcore criminals who refer to themselves as "reasonable people"—are all maneuvering against each other, and their tiniest actions have potentially catastrophic results in Andrej's life. Even as he heads home for a much-delayed vacation, the Inquisitor has a full agenda to pursue: protecting his bond-involuntaries, securing his 8-year-old son's position in society and reconciling with the lover he abandoned when he joined Fleet. What's more, a recent attempt on Andrej's life has prompted him to seek his would-be killer, a search that might only stir up other attacks.
Matthews has a deep understanding of subcultures, whether military, religious or civilian. The two worlds in which Andrej moves are separate, incapable of meshing. As he struggles to fulfill the needs of everyone he loves, it becomes clear enough that he can't make everyone happy. A strong conflict develops, therefore, between his genetic family and his chosen one. On the one side of this tug of war is a woman he loved once and a child he is passionately attached to; on the other are men and women, all horribly vulnerable to Fleet's corruption, who have saved his life more than once. Both families need his support and protection. In The Devil and Deep Space, Andrej's dilemma is in deciding who will come first.
The deeply personal nature of this conflict, when combined with this author's as-always stellar characterization, engages sympathy at the deepest level possible. Ultimately even readers who disagree with his decisions will find themselves cheering Andrej Koscuisko onward, and hoping he can, against the odds, make it all turn out right.
