As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot (plenty of reviews like that out there already).

I was expecting this to be a sci-fi book, but it is more of a thriller with a pinch or two of sci-fi in the mix, plus a good helping of conspiracy theories.

The book starts strongly, and the writing is very detailed, and you could imagine this as a movie. However, as the book progressed, I began to find myself picking holes in the plot a little. There is some gruesome detail towards the end (and also a rather too detailed sex scene, which added nothing to the plot IMHO).

Overall I enjoyed reading this novel. However I felt that the ending felt a little rushed, particularly given the level of detail that went into the earlier part of the book, so am only awarding 3 stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

David Blum, an investment banker and former FBI agent, returns to his home town after his father has died. A messenger brings him an envelope which suggests that his father did not die in an accident but was murdered. And so begins this page turner where Blum teams up with Kay Westfield who once witnessed a bizarre incident at a research farm near where his father was killed. The research farm is owned by a professor in genetics, Otto Feldmann, a colleague of his father's at the same university.

This is a very engaging book which I raced through. My only criticism is that I think the romance aspect of the story could have been completely omitted as it didn't really add anything to the plot and instead replaced with more information on the science of what was going on at the research farm. But an enjoyable read overall.

I really enjoyed this. It was kind of different to the usual thriller. The chief protagonist was like an investment banker although he had been in the FBI (financial crimes he would point out). I thought it was going to be sci-fi and there may have been a tiny bit of that but mainly it was a thriller with conspiracy theories thrown in. It might have started at a walk but the pace slowly and inexorably increased until it got really exciting towards the end.

David Bund is back home for his father's funeral, His father died suddenly and unexpectedly from an apparent heart attack. At home after the funeral a young man thrusts an envelope into his hand and disappears. Inside is request to meet Hans Meier the following night. He has information about David's father's death, the situation is dire and you can't trust the police. Intrigued David arrives at the meeting place but no Hans. He calls in to Hans's home the next day but finds that it has been ransacked. He wonders what the intruders were after. He later finds a mysterious list hidden in Hans's bathroom. Soon David is on a very strange and very dangerous path of discovery. He is up against a very well resourced and dangerous group. Fortunately he meets allies along the way but they realise that the stakes are higher than they could have imagined. The fate of much of humanity is at risk. Very melodramatic I know, but it was so much fun and the good guys were just so relatable. The ending sets it up for a sequel although be reassured its not a cliffhanger. I would certainly be interested in reading any sequel.