Nick Manns mixes a ghost story with a political message in OPERATING CODES, a novel about the moral implications of working to develop weapons of mass destruction. Most of the story is told by Graham Hayton, a teenager in England whose father designs computer software for sophisticated fighter jets. Graham's sister Matty also tells part of the story through interviews with a psychologist. The two children are witnesses to a series of bizarre and troubling events, some of which seem to have been caused by ghosts! Others are the work of live people with conflicting goals.

The trouble starts for Graham and his family when they move into Sentinel House, an old house that was once used by the British military. Their father's work seems to awaken the ghosts of the house's military past. Matty and Graham have several supernatural encounters that cause them to doubt whether their father's job is an ethical one. At the same time, some very real individuals are acting quite suspiciously around the Sentinel House. All of these events come to a head in a sensational trial --- Graham and Matty's father is arrested for treason!

OPERATING CODES challenges readers to think about war and the moral choices it can involve. Manns relies heavily on biblical passages to make his points --- in one key passage, Matty reminds her father that Jesus instructed his followers to love their enemies --- but avoids a preachy tone. A message of peace leaps off the pages, however, and is particularly thought–provoking at the moment, given the events of September 11th and after.

Despite these engaging questions and a plot built around the supernatural and other mysterious happenings, OPERATING CODES is a surprisingly slow–moving book. Graham tells his story in great detail and with a lot of foreshadowing designed to build suspense. But in a story built around moral questions, a more straightforward narrative style might have kept the story moving along better. Between philosophy and foreshadowing, some of the suspense and energy of the story is lost.

Still, OPERATING CODES has a lot to recommend it --- a ghost story, a trial, an adventure on an abandoned military base, a fictionalized history lesson. Readers will find the book challenging in a number of ways and enjoyable in nearly as many.

   --- Reviewed by Rob Cline


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