Darwin’s Cipher

By: M.A. Rothman

Narrated by: Tim Campbell

Juan Gutierrez, a cancer researcher, has spent years studying the genome of animals that exhibit immunity to some types of cancer. Over the course of his study, Juan discovers a pattern that allows him to predict the course of a species' evolution across thousands of generations. Using the algorithm he's developed from the pattern, Juan uncovers what he believes to be the key to conquering humanity's susceptibility to cancer. Others are interested in using what Juan has dubbed "Darwin's Cipher"; however, instead of cancer research, they see very different applications for the new genetic algorithm.

Nate Carrington, an FBI forensic analyst, has been struggling with several cold cases when he's alerted to an incident at a nearby ranch. It's a case of a newborn calf who is found in the middle of a herd of dead cattle. It provides a single link to Nate's other cold cases: the DNA analysis of the calf doesn't match anything in the FBI's database.

Somewhere in a rural hospital in West Virginia, four hospital workers are dead and a newborn child has been transported to the NIH's level-four bio-containment unit. It's only when the NIH sends out an alert to all hospitals and law enforcement agencies that the world realizes the danger that faces them.

©2019 Michael A. Rothman (P)2019 Tantor

Fantastic!

This was fascinating! It explored what would happen if we could artificially speed up the evolution process. There is a lot of action too and the narration is excellent! Highly recommended!

if you love techno thrillers...

Like all of Rothman's books, this one is filled with great and memorable characters, intriguing plot and awesome science. The narrator did a terrific job.

Good Book

The narration is great. The book is good. The wrap up is a little short and there are some plot holes. I will look for more books by this author to try. Definitely like the narrator.

Best intentions can have unintended consequences

i liked how well the author wove together fact and fiction, with lots of accurate science. Not an easy task.
Good read.

Exciting to the very end.

It is was compelling to listen to, could not put is down. I loved the bit of reality the author uses to weave his story. I tend all three in this series and loved them. reader was pleasant to listen to. I will listen to more books read by him.

Fun

I am heavily involved in biological sciences, so a lot of these ideas are not new to me and the aspects of the book that are patently absurd… Are patently, absurd. So to me the story felt derivative. It was still fun though.

Held my interest

I enjoyed all facets of this book; it really holds the interest from beginning to end.

I’m going to sound like a blow hard here…

I’ve read a bunch of the books from this author, mainly because they were “free“ on audible plus.

I keep getting drawn in because they have interesting characters and interesting story or science elements.

And the narrators are consistently good.

But I keep feeling disappointed and I will stop the experiment with this novel.

In the end there’s just not a lot of depth.

I like stories and novels and mysteries and thrillers and dramas where you can think about and try to predict where it might go.

This author consistently does not take things very far. There is not consistently a big “payoff“ for the journey.

I apologize for pretending I am a big book critic or something, but that’s my take.

I guess if you listen to one or two from this author and you like them then you will like the rest. Good luck.

Great read! .

By the way, if you like Michael CRICHTON books, you will surely want to read this book.

Pandemic -The Prequel

I finished this book before COVID-19 and didn't get around to reviewing. The book held my interest and it's science felt authentic. In our new pandemic era I'm recommending it to relatives as a primer. Very well researched. The writing and story pacing are accomplished, reminiscent of Michael Crichton. However you are unlikely to discover any literary bon-bons in this box.

Like the science, the ethnic and "racial" diversity of the characters seemed true-to-life, but laid in a bit heavily (in some ways the whole book seemed to be a treatment for a movie-yet-to-be-made. My thought about the heavy DIVERSITY as it went was that it could have been left to the screen adapters to flesh in those bits).