Darwin's Cipher: A Medical Thriller (The Carrington Files Book 1)

Written for easy reading, the complexities of science are neatly picked out so that even I understand genetics a little better. Thank you Mr R. Characters are neatly formed, and I hope we'll see them again in the future. A number of typos (reported, for your attention), but nothing that messed with the storyline.The plot isn't unique, but neither is real life - what IS special is the way MrR has you thinking that you know what will happen next... But oh... No you don't! I really enjoyed the book.Um, may I ask you to ensure your characters names are very different to each other please? I got a bit confused - but maybe I'm just not as clever as I'd like to be. Maybe there's a genetic modification for that. Hmmmm...

I like a good techno-thriller, but since the death of Michael Crichton and with Phillip Kerr moving onto German detectives and unpleasant tales of first-person murdering pickings have been thin. I have enjoyed the works of Daniel Suarez, and the more "techno" output from Preston/Child and William Hertling, but having exhausted their catalogues I was getting a bit desperate for my latest trip. That's when I found Darwin's Cipher, the second novel from M A Rothman.The basic plot is a simple one: advanced gene therapy being developed as a cancer cure is surreptitiously diverted into potential military applications, and both the medical and military uses generate very dangerous side-effects, which have to be contained or reversed. The story romps along at a good pace, the "techno" elements are well developed and fairly believable, and you come to like the competent, well-meaning central characters, turning pages enthusiastically to see if they can avert the apocalypse.The writing is perhaps a bit weaker on the conspiracy side of the thriller. There are lots of secondary characters with varying motivation: good, bad, and those doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. However these motivations are readily revealed and rarely change, and it lacks the sheer murk of a good conspiracy. Also whereas the technical elements are either tidied up neatly or left hanging deliberately, that's not so true of the darker plot elements, and several key aspects are left unexplained.That said, these are minor complaints. I did enjoy this book and I'll definitely read Rothman's other techno-thriller(s).In an afterword the author explains that it's very difficult to get traditional publishers interested in such material, despite the success of Crichton, Kerr and others. That's a shame, because it's a genre which continues to intrigue me, and does have an audience. However it looks like we have to continue to go hunting to find the good ones, even before trying to discern the plots of the stories themselves.

Engaging and well-paced. There is plenty of science involved but it’s explained really well and without patronising the reader.The plot itself both warning and educational.Highly recommended!

I really enjoyed this book. Mr Rothman writes has mastered the knack of delivering a great story with believable characters. The science is detailed enough to be engaging but as a reader you're not blinded by it. I love books that entertain me and make me feel smarter.

I love a sci-fi novel that's plausible though just ahead of current activity. This satisfies that and has likeable characters too. Very much enjoyed this book, an easy to read page turner.

as a thriller I like the sci fi based on scifact. the story was good although a couple of holes for me were left unfilled. and I'm left wondering if they were just forgotten. also as others have said - the coincidences were a bit much! kathy's bird attack left lots of unanswered questions. BUT on the whole it was a good read from start to finish that I read over two days - so it held my attention well. bit too close to the current truth though.

Really enjoyed this one from an author unknown to me. It's a well-plotted techno/biological sciences thriller about gene therapy and what happens when it goes wrong. I did find, occasionally, that things were a *little* convenient in terms of which characters knew who, but it did mean that the plot rattled along at a good pace. The Kindle version is a bit odd because %-wise, it finishes around 89% with a *lot* of post-analysis and notes. It meant that the book felt like it finished a bit abruptly. It didn't, actually, it just felt like it!I look forward to reading more from the author.

What a book, i loved everything from beginning to end. The characters are likable and grow with the story. The science, although scary, isn't differcult to grasp as it is explained well and not overdone. The story is about people and connections and ultimately love.