Rating: 
Summary: A Wonderfully Written Jouney!
Review: This is a beautifully written suspense thriller that tugs at you while you become one with the main character, Dr. Max Train. As the authors take you on a global chase through some of the most fascinating historical destinations in the world, you become one with the Cross Dr. Train finds in Mt. Olivet . . . not knowing for sure what you have found, or what to do with it. The authors then jet the reader from Jerusalem onto a fast-paced heart-pounding voyage not knowing for sure if it is Dr. Train or what appears to be The True Cross as the story's main character. In his brilliance, Senese's writing style cleverly and unmistakeably made me feel as if I too was a character in the book, effectively created by the author's ability to challange the reader directly with the unfortuitious circumstances presented, leading me to continually wondered how I would react if I found myself in the various difficult and undesireable circumstances Cloning Christ's Max Train finds himself in. Heart racing, palms sweating, teeth gritting, muscles tensing, in reading this superb work, I experineced a very rare, wonderfully written story of great value and significance, especially in today's climate where society's questions of genomics and human cloning are heavily in the minds of most individuals. I would place Cloning Christ on a short list of 'must haves' for any complete personal library of the highest standards, equal to if not better than many of my favorite works of the past ten years, including stories by some of my favorite authors such as those written by Yann Martel, Michael Farber, Anita Diamant, Francine Rivers, Anna Quindlen, Ann Patchett, Rohinton Mistry, Scott Turow, Jonathan Kellerman, Michael Connelly, and Umberto Eco.
Rating:
Summary: Brutally Honest
Review: 'Cloning Christ' must be read with an open mind, especially if you are a Christian, like myself. Afterall, the context of the lead character's initial outburst to Our Lord could be stringently viewed as blasphemous conduct, and the reality is, though mild, Dr. Train's pain and anguish combined with his struggle to accept the life he now lives, filled with emptiness he is unable to comprehend or endure, is in fact a harsh conversation he has with God. It is in this portrayal of the story's protaganist that the authors' show a bold, honest, and very real characterization of how Man in our deepest dispair, when nothing makes any sense and our minds are unable to comprehend all we may have suffered in our lives, is effectively portrayed. I say this because not everyone is Job, nor has every Believer always been a Believer. The fact is, there are many, many in my own congregation, who were once not Believers and unable to accept the grand plans God has developed for them. In portraying Dr. Train as a person who is so engulfed with anger, confusion, and sadness due to horrific events in his life, the authors set the stage for Dr. Train to arise from the living nightmare he leads. From black ashes of lifelessness, Dr. Train begins to re-awaken, learning how to place his trust in The Lord, while all along, the roads of danger he travels on become more severe. 'Cloning Christ' is a wonderful story of Faith. There are many wonderful lessons to be learned through Dr. Train's actions and reactions, including how GOD is in fact, in our life every day. This story is a story for everyone, regardless of your religious beliefs, afterall, it is a story about 'finding your way and sharing your goodness with your community'.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: Cloning Christ is one of the most interesting books I have ever read. A story filled with many layers of intrigue which presses you in a provoking way to essentially become the main character, Dr. Max Train. Onward you journey into darkness seeking the Light, carrying a cross that may in fact be The True Cross of Jesus of Nazareth, not knowing for sure what it is your are carrying or who may be behind the peril chasing you. What I truly found to be unique is how the authors are able to make you feel as if it is the reader carrying the burden of the True Cross on his/her own shoulders with little rhetoric or podanticness as you race into unknowns across the globe, blind to the realities that chase you. One last comment: this book is a universal book of faith, and Man's desire to be in touch with The Creator, whoever The Creator may be to you and your own theological beliefs. The language and actions fit the roles of the characters in a manner that provided 'life' to each, as the historical pasts of Man's behavior crosses the possabilities of today's science. This is not an apocolyptic story, but a suspensful current work of fiction that keeps you on the edge of your seat . . . as if it is your own seat! It is rare that a written work brings you into the story as if you are the main character. Cloning Christ by Senese & Geis is one of these works.
Rating:
Summary: "Cloning Christ": The Perfect Read For Thriller Lovers!
Review: I have read the Peter Senese/Robert Geis novel "Cloning Christ" and I loved it. At first I thought it was going to be like one of those "Left Behind" books but after I read the blurb on the jacket, I realized it was much better and so I picked it up and started reading. It is one of the most amazing thrillers I have read in a long, long time. Heroes in other thriller novels can be a little cardboard-like but Max Train is a fully dimensional character who feels more human than most characters in these types of novels. And the villains - a self-righteous cardinal and a cool-as-ice assassin - make for a definite guilty pleasure. I highly recommend "Cloning Christ" for those who loves great thrillers.
Rating:
Summary: A thriller with plenty of movement
Review: This is an interesting book, because it takes a thriller and puts God right in the middle of it. The authors stage the scene where a geneticist, Max Train, comes upon a piece of the Cross while on an archeological field trip with some students. Train has written extensively on the subject of cloning, and is warily watched by the Vatican, among other powers, for what he may be attemtping to do in the future. They never expect a geneticist who believes in cloning to come across the Cross of Christ.The thriller then begins as you go through Tel Aviv, Rome, Genoa, Switzerland as the Vatican curia and moguls of industry combine to get Train and the Cross. The evil curial prelate Cardinal Mugant will stop at nothing to get Train's sacred find, to the point he employs a savage terrorist, the Scorpion, to find and end Train's life. The Mossad have been protecting Train as he moves through Scotland after a brutal Nitzchean like scene on top a tower in Zurich with the Scorpion. To the famed Isle of Sky goes Train, and his Mossad defender, a beautiful Israeli agent, and they are hunted down at every possible turn. There are many complex subplots that travel throughout the work identifying the moitves and backgrounds of the many malevolent forces intent on killing Train and all geneticists involved in the outlawed practice of human cloning. Torture and blood are at every turn as the reader moves through Washington DC, Columbia, and New York finally for unsuspected and unexpected results that are cleverly crafted-- in the way a good thriller is. I recommend the book because it is a unique and panoramic experience through the science of cloning and religion in a way that I don't see any other writers accomplishing. A sequel to the book is definitely a must.
Rating:
Summary: A great read for fiction/thriller readers
Review: I loved this book. It is one of the most complicated yet tightly woven narratives I've ever come across. The chief character, Max Train, is a well-developed study in passion, emotion, tenacity, and tenderness. How his relationship with the young Mossad agent Sara is developed is more than ingenious. These are two helpmates attempting to flee global forces after Max, a geneticist on an archaelogical vacation trip has found the True Cross after a Jerusalem earthquake opens a centuries old cave there. Dark forces in the Vatican have been watching the iconoclastic geneticist Train, who they believe is an advocate of cloning at any cost. Global forces fear Train may clone physical remnants of Christ, and have him attacked in Tel Aviv by agents of dark forces in the Vatican once it is learned what Train has come across. You go to Rome with Max and Sara, then through Bologna, Lake Como (what a tale here: filled with ache and fear on each page), then to Scotland-- all in their frenzied attempt to flee the force of undiluted hatred, the Scorpion. He works for a totally pernicious prelate in the Curia who will stop at nothing to kill Train and recover this artifact Train finds at the Mount of Olives. The novel's cleverly thought out extortion and hypocricy of the self-righteous Cardinal Mugant presses heavily on billionaire financiers whom he has do his bidding to capture and destroy Train. But the Mossad aid Train, who, as an expert in genetics at Syracuse, helped a Mossad contact save a family member from sure death in Brooklyn years earlier. From country to country you are wondering what the next turn will be as the Scorpion fails in each attempt to get Train, and the Vatican prelate's anger grows-- ever more with disgust and venom. How the story ends is not what one expects, and I will leave it to the reader to look for the slightest clues along the way which actually do provide insights into what may happen as you come closer to the denoument of the book. The book is well written, has majesty of literary presentation at times that ride to the heights and then throw you down into the pits of uncertainty and fever. I definitely rank this work on a level equal to Tom Clancy or LeCarre, quite frankly. There are wistful moments that you remember about Max and Sara, and especially about a relationship that actually works in this world and is forged by faith in one another and higher things that the world is ever seeking to attain.
Rating:
Summary: A Fascinating Mystery of The Soul
Review: I have never been so compelled as I was to keep reading a book the way I was in reading CLONING CHRIST. The story of Dr. Max Train and his discovery of what appears to be The True Cross of Jesus is only part of the plot, as the tenticles of historically accurate greed from half a century ago provide CLONING CHRIST with a multifaceted dimension of a highly intergrated, thoroughly entertaining suspense thriller, as well as a compelling journey of faith. The authors' take on a great deal in this novel: cloning, faith, geopolitical and geofinancial issues of great concern. Simply put, they deliever on every accord, which forced me, as I raced through the pages to stop at times and question personal perspectives or events as I see them. I consider myself well-read mystery sleuth, and CLONING CHRIST receives my highest marks.
Rating:
Summary: A great story
Review: At the moment I can't recall another book that played with my emotions the way Senese and Geis' novel CLONING CHRIST has. The authors offer several extraordinary plot lines, including the existance of God in the form of mankinds' faith in the Lord. Additionally, the complex (socially, morally, ethically, and scientifically) issues of genomics and genetic science are brought to the forefront of the reader through a style that I though was clever: the authors choose to leave the complexity of genetic science's formations out of the story, but provide great insight of the complex issues via the strong plot line among the story's main character, Max Train, and the seperate interactions amongst the historically accurate Fifth Crusade. What I would like to say most is that seldom has there been a time when I went back to a novel to re-read it due to a fascination with the subject matter, the gripping style of the chase, and the historical accuracy for which a writer uses fact and wraps a compelling story around it. In CLONING CHRIST, I did that. And as much as this story is an educational piece, make no mistake, it is a first rate thriller that will not allow you to put the pages down.
Rating: 
Summary: Very enjoyable
Review: Cloning Christ is a classic story of a person search for redemption and enlightenment. In Max Train, the stuggles the authors develop are multidemensional: combined with a plot that is tight, readers will enjoy this high-charged suspense novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Coulda Been Great!
Review: What could have been an exciting read is weighed down by superfluous description... after description... after description. I found myself wanting to edit the book - I couldn't focus on the storyline anyway! I'm glad I got this from the library and didn't waste money on it!
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