Rating: 
Summary: WHERE'S PHIL COLLINS WHEN YOU NEED HIM?
Review: Oh boy...Case really goes all out in his books to make you think, "Omigosh...what IF this really happened?" In "The Genesis Code," it's a real spellbinder in that it proposes just how far do we go with genetic engineering, or cloning? It opens in a small village in Italy where a priest practically has a stroke in hearing an old doctor's confession. What possibly could it have been? Then the priest is off to Rome to secure a meeting with a cardinal to relate this horrifying unimaginable sin.
Enter Joe Lassiter, a well to do private investigating enterpreneur, who gets involved with all this when his sister and her young son are savagely murdered and then burned to a crisp in their home. Lassiter's trail leads him all over the globe, ultimately to a fertility clinic (or is it?) in Italy. The book, like other Case novels, opens with this jarring prologue and then meticulously details lots of technical information, mysterious men, secrets, secrets and more secrets, and a look at a very unusual religious sect, determined to bring the Catholic church back to its days of Latin masses, and to completely ignore the Vatican II council.
It moves well, though, and I agree that Lassister takes a long time to figure out what's going on. However, by the end, it all makes sense and resolves with a disturbing scene with a young boy and a fish bowl. As in all of Case's works, however, the main flaw is that his climaxes seem to zoom in and then poof, it's over...but even so, my friends, it's a great read.
RECOMMENDED.
Rating: 
Summary: Oustanding story - well written!
Review: Hollywood should be all over this as a thriller. What an incredibly interesting idea. Jurassic Park for the religious. When I first read this book, I was riveted from beginning to end and then spent the next month thinking about it. That has been years ago and I still tell people how good this story is - get it and see for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Hougan's best
Review: Better written and more provocative than Brown's Da Vinci Code
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful thriller that is hard to put down
Review: John Case provides an excellent mixture of suspense and intrigue in this biomedical thriller. Spining an intricate web that connects science, medicine, religion, and murder, he guides the reader through a thrilling maze of characters, questions and secret agendas that lead to a surprising conclusion. The first few chapters set the stage as an old village doctor's confession to the parish priest sets in motion a deadly chain of events. Case leaves the reader to wonder what was so disturbing about the doctor's confession, dropping clues along the way to tease the readers curiosity. Each clue, like a piece of a puzzle allows the reader to get a clearer picture of the answer....as long as the reader can put the pieces together! Yet, it is not until the final chapter that the pieces finally come together to provide the staggering answer to the puzzle. Case's knowledge of investigation provides a vibrant touch of reality to the novel, which is supplemented with thorough knowledge of religion and science. The book is also packed with action, intrigue and suspense. As a result, the book is able to raise interesting questions about science, religion, and ethics while giving the reader an adventure of a thrill ride. It is almost like a mixture of Jurassic Park, James Bond, and religion. As a theologian, I am considering using it as a case text whenever I teach a class in science and religion. Definetely a must read.
Rating: 
Summary: Better than Dan Brown, Less than Michael Crichton
Review: I recently read several of Case's books (it's a pen name. who else does this person write as?) and find them all to be entertaining page-turners. Even figuring out the end of this book early didn't slow me down. I enjoyed "The Eighth Day" more though. Yes, the chapter divisions and writing feels a bit formulaic, but it's fun. The characterization is much better than what I've read in Dan Brown. But, if you really want to be sucked in and impressed, pick up any Michael Crichton book at the library.
Rating:
Summary: Good Page Turner
Review: I read this book about 5-6 years ago and still remember it well. It came out just in time to dovetail nicely into events of our time - cloning, genetics, in vitro fertilization for 40-50 year old women, etc. While I figured out the twist in the book by about page 70, the plot was good enough to keep me engaged. While I've read others criticize the intelligence of the lead detective, I disagree. The reader has an easier time figuring out the case primarily due to the fact that Case flips back and forth to events in Rome for an omniscient point-of-view. It's a good, topical read and made me a John Case fan.
Rating: 
Summary: The world's dumbest Investigator
Review: I liked the idea and theme of the book. unfortunatly the lead charater, a brilliant investigator, was probably the world's worst detective. The reader can guesse every detail chapters before the hero can put two and two together.
The suspense was lost when you kept thinking what a moron the lead was. From forgetting that he had the one Key piece of evidence, a letter that conviently explained it all, in his pocket for half the book. Tjat, and the fact that the investigator's sneaky aproach to finding out iformation was to spill out the whole story to anyone he meets, and he's shocked when the bad guys are on his tail. as for the writing, it's so-so. i found the him repeating phrases all the time and using the same themes.
Rating:
Summary: I have recommended this to everyone
Review: I have recommended this book to a LOT of people. Every time I get into a discussion about good books, I bring this one up. It is an interesting story, with a great twist, and plenty of action. The concept of this book was very interesting to me. At the time I was majoring in Biology, and now I am a med student, going into OB/GYN. However, this book is appealing to me for entertainment as well as scientific reasons. You certainly don't have to be a scientist to understand it or enjoy it. I have been recommending it more often recently, now that I have read Dan Brown's books (Angels and Demons, Da Vinci Code)- I think that someone who likes one would like the other author's work.
Rating:
Summary: A real page turner!
Review: I was reluctant to start reading this book as I thought it would be a boring, medical-type mystery. Was I ever wrong! Case combines religion with science and comes up with a barn-burner. My only complaint is that things come to a conclusion too quicly at the end and there are too many loose ends left dangling. The epilogue is also a little hokey. Otherwise, I was very impressed with my first Case novel.
Rating:
Summary: Another Great Book From John Case
Review: This was a great book, interesting until the end. It was exciting, full of twists and turns. The premise of the book was really interesting and left you thinking "what if" at the end. A little slow paced in the middle but worth the read. I would recommend this book as well as his other book "The First Horseman".
|
