WATCHERS
by
Dean Koontz
A great fan of Dean Koontz, I read this story years ago and I've just finished reading it again. Even by the standards of the great Dean Koontz, this is a wonderful book. It's a story filled with promise, unconditional love and pathos.
Two genetically altered creatures escape from a laboratory. One is a beautiful golden retriever, the other a monster who is neither human nor non-human. Both possess super intelligence.
A man who has almost given up on life. A woman so shy, she cannot look anyone in the eye. A ruthless psychotic assassin. A government agent who must find the creatures. Their paths will cross and not one of them will ever be the same again.
Beautifully crafted it will simultaneously warm your heart and make it ache. Make you laugh and make you cry. The characters are so real, they feel like family. Its strong underlying themes are love, loyalty and compassion, and it draws from the reader just about every possible emotion.
It spells out the consequences and moral ethics of genetic engineering, highlighting the potential beauties and tragedies of tampering with nature. Even though the book itself is over 20 years old and, in the light of recent research a little dated, it still sends out a powerful and poignant message to mankind to stop and think before he continues along these lines of research.
Woven against the background of a love story that is a delight to read, it is a book that will haunt you for a long time, one of those rare books that you don't want to end.
Of all Dean Koontz's books, and perhaps of all the books I have read, this is the one I will remember the most. Perhaps for always.
* * *
CHROMOSOME 6
by
Robin Cooke
This is the second time I've read this book, the first time being a few years ago. I enjoyed it just as much as the first time I read it.
A taunt medical thriller set in New York City and Equatorial Africa, it deals with the problems, dilemmas and consequences of genetic engineering.
A prominent member of the mob is shot to death in New York City, then his body disappears from the morgue. Later a body turns up in the morgue with a few essential pieces missing.
Meanwhile, a lucrative and covert organ transplant project is taking place in deepest Africa.
Problems and danger mount for the main protagonists and their friends as the tension escalates and the story progresses to it's conclusion.
This is a real page turner. Recommended.
* * *
A QUIET VENDETTA
by
R.J. Ellory
Ernesto Perez, retired number one hit-man for the Mafia, gives himself up to the FBI. He wants to tell his life story to one man, and he holds all the cards....
Ray Hartmann, a down on his luck lawyer is the man Perez wants to tell his story to. Exactly why he chooses Hartmann is an enduring mystery, revealed only at the very end of the book. While struggling with his own demons, Hartmann is compelled to listen to Perez, at first against his wishes and gradually because of a growing fascination for the killer.
And so begins a fascinating rapport between the two main characters. Two adversaries who are poles apart and yet in some ways similar, and, in an almost incomprehensible way, they understand, respect and empathise with each other.
All the while the FBI and the New Orleans PD are powerless to take any action. All they can do is listen. Perez is in control.
Meanwhile the Governor of Louisiana's daughter has been kidnapped and must be found before she is dead.....
I am a great fan of R J Ellory, and I would say that of all of his books that I have read, this is my favourite. It is beautifully written and full of fact intertwined with fiction. It tells of the rise and influence of the Mafia in the USA and as such gives great insight into American history.
Staring slowly, it soon draws the reader in and then propels itself into a breathtaking pace. It has lots of graphic violence and some pages conjure up disturbing images.
It's a story of love, loss, loyalty and revenge. A brilliantly crafted book that makes for unforgettable reading. A stunning novel.
Ray Hartmann, a down on his luck lawyer is the man Perez wants to tell his story to. Exactly why he chooses Hartmann is an enduring mystery, revealed only at the very end of the book. While struggling with his own demons, Hartmann is compelled to listen to Perez, at first against his wishes and gradually because of a growing fascination for the killer.
And so begins a fascinating rapport between the two main characters. Two adversaries who are poles apart and yet in some ways similar, and, in an almost incomprehensible way, they understand, respect and empathise with each other.
All the while the FBI and the New Orleans PD are powerless to take any action. All they can do is listen. Perez is in control.
Meanwhile the Governor of Louisiana's daughter has been kidnapped and must be found before she is dead.....
I am a great fan of R J Ellory, and I would say that of all of his books that I have read, this is my favourite. It is beautifully written and full of fact intertwined with fiction. It tells of the rise and influence of the Mafia in the USA and as such gives great insight into American history.
Staring slowly, it soon draws the reader in and then propels itself into a breathtaking pace. It has lots of graphic violence and some pages conjure up disturbing images.
It's a story of love, loss, loyalty and revenge. A brilliantly crafted book that makes for unforgettable reading. A stunning novel.
* * *
HOUSE RULES
by
Jodi Picoult
First I am the mother of person with Asperger's Syndrome, so it was with special interest that I read this book.
This is the tale of Jacob Hunt who has Asperger's Syndome; a (usually) high functioning condition on the Autistic spectrum. His obsession with various things and concepts, particularly forensic science, soon leads him into deep, deep trouble. Also his conceptual limitations ensure that he has many confrontations with his peers, sometimes his mother and often with his brother Theo; the latter who, feeling a little left out of things develops problems of his own.
Jodi Picoult tells the story through the eyes of all the characters in the book chapter by chapter, and this works particularly well for this story, as it quite adequately shows how "Aspies" see the world and how they use their various coping strategies to attempt to adjust to various situations. Telling the story from the perspective of different characters also illuminates how others struggle to perceive the world of someone with Aspergers, how they attempt to understand the Asperger's world and and how a 'normal' person's perceptions of the Asperger's world conflicts with their own view of reality.
If I have one gripe about this book, it's the mother's notion that she is never wrong, and thus her obvious oblivion to the psychological problems that beset long suffering brother Theo.
Having said that, this is a very well written book and Jodi Picoult has obviously done quite a lot of research into the condition as she described Jacob's unique world and behaviours admirably.
It's a page turner in it's own right and keeps us all guessing as to the final outcome.
This is the tale of Jacob Hunt who has Asperger's Syndome; a (usually) high functioning condition on the Autistic spectrum. His obsession with various things and concepts, particularly forensic science, soon leads him into deep, deep trouble. Also his conceptual limitations ensure that he has many confrontations with his peers, sometimes his mother and often with his brother Theo; the latter who, feeling a little left out of things develops problems of his own.
Jodi Picoult tells the story through the eyes of all the characters in the book chapter by chapter, and this works particularly well for this story, as it quite adequately shows how "Aspies" see the world and how they use their various coping strategies to attempt to adjust to various situations. Telling the story from the perspective of different characters also illuminates how others struggle to perceive the world of someone with Aspergers, how they attempt to understand the Asperger's world and and how a 'normal' person's perceptions of the Asperger's world conflicts with their own view of reality.
If I have one gripe about this book, it's the mother's notion that she is never wrong, and thus her obvious oblivion to the psychological problems that beset long suffering brother Theo.
Having said that, this is a very well written book and Jodi Picoult has obviously done quite a lot of research into the condition as she described Jacob's unique world and behaviours admirably.
It's a page turner in it's own right and keeps us all guessing as to the final outcome.
* * *
CHASE
by
Dean Koontz
This is one of, if not the earliest suspense book by Dean Koontz originally published under the pseudonym of K. R. Dwyer, but recently reworked and published under his real name.
It tells of Vietnam war hero Ben Chase who is struggling with many personal demons after his war experiences. One night he witnesses a murder and intervenes in order to save the victim's young teenage girlfriend from also being murdered. The result is that Ben finds himself on the killer's hit-list.
This book is a fairly good read, but its main interest for me lies in that it shows how Dean Koontz has evolved in his writing style over the years.
Okay for a quick read. Will most likely keep you turning the pages.
It tells of Vietnam war hero Ben Chase who is struggling with many personal demons after his war experiences. One night he witnesses a murder and intervenes in order to save the victim's young teenage girlfriend from also being murdered. The result is that Ben finds himself on the killer's hit-list.
This book is a fairly good read, but its main interest for me lies in that it shows how Dean Koontz has evolved in his writing style over the years.
Okay for a quick read. Will most likely keep you turning the pages.
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