72 - hours to Crack the Universe’s Code; Mark O'Brien

72 - hours to Crack the Universe’s Code by indie author Mark O'Brien  is a novel of political intrigue, mathematics, passion and underlying it all, an imperative directive to humanity with dire galactic overtones.

Somewhat like the Illuminati, the Mathematika is a mysterious Greek society founded long before Christianity. The reason for its existence is to bring mankind ‘that which they know but cannot understand’ and was created to ‘safeguard the truths until mankind was ready to understand them’. Now the time has come, and the Mathematika is now ruled by the dark fanatic, Alexander Kepler – who believes ethical lines were drawn so you would know where to cross them. Yet, although he is extremely violent, murderous and obsessive, Kepler is a family man, and his relationship with his wife is one of the lighter parts of the tale. This most violent and evil of men is also a romantic, tender lover. However, the time has come for the world to know some basic truths about the Universe, and it is Kepler’s task to insure they are made public.

To this end, he kidnaps a renowned Muslim leader, Ibn Qurra. His henchmen also kidnap the renowned Rabbi Jacobi, and Father George Pappus, president of the Vatican Observatory Foundation -  all three at 10:45 am on the same day.

Not all of Kepler’s heavies are 100% behind him, one is a traitor, and another considers him to be insane. All the heavies are individuals, which makes reading them enjoyable.

Ransoms are sent: a series of 3 mathematical equations which all must be solved one per day within 72 hours. If one equation is wrong, all three of the kidnapped men will die.

The protégé of George Pappus, Clancy Sylvester, astrophysicist and mathematician, is determined to get his mentor back. The author has researched all three of the religions represented by the three kidnapped leaders, and also the cultures they represent.  The author also appears to have a firm grasp of mathematics, as I do NOT; but  on the positive side he did not make me have to do the thinking so the math was fine. Clancy’s friend Jules Hadamard (female, despite the name) who is a math genius explains it all. All of the characters are distinctly individual, and if some are over the top, well that is part of the fun.

While O'Brien goes a little heavy on the descriptions at times, over all this is a compelling read. There are moments of humor and also of pathos, and the action is non-stop. All in all, I found this to quite entertaining, and well written. This is a good read, and I do not hesitate to recommend it!

In Memory of Greed, Al Boudreau

This week for your dining pleasure, we are serving up a novel of geo-political intrigue, 'In Memory of Greed'.  Indy author Al Boudreau has dished us up a thriller involving the the movers and shakers in the world of Genetically Modified Seeds, and there are some real bad guys in this frequently violent but always entertaining book!

This tale of greed and moral bankruptcy is based on the premise that (quote)'If you control the seeds, you then control the food and ultimately the world.'  This is not that new a concept but what is new is that someone finally got around to writing a real thriller based on that rather simple concept.

ModAgro is the world leader of genetically modified seeds, and the CEO, Stuart Roth is determined to make it the only source of seeds, ruthlessly destroying small businesses and farmers in a way that is both heinous and abusive. He is thwarted in a takeover bid of his competitor, Haverhill, and decides to have the CEO of Haverhill murdered.  His enforcer, Patrick Keegan makes it so, and frames the perfect patsy. 

Murhkin Mocado is a highly trained former US Navy seal.  He employed by John Haverhill, and is the son of a powerful US Senator, and has been on the fringe of trouble all of his life. He is framed for a crime that he didn't commit, the murder of a man that he liked. This begins a series of events that kept me on the edge of my seat! I could visualize this as clearly as if it were scenes in an action movie. Murhkin ends up being both hospitalized and arrested, but it is there that he meets his love interest, a nurse named Jenn Pratt. 

At the same time that Murhkin is involved in his ordeals, Joelle Barstow, an industrial espionage operative is involved in a series of misadventures which are related to Murhkin's troubles.

Soon Murhkin is taken from his hospital bed, and transported first to Keegan's Ireland, and then to the beautifully drawn country of Kenya. Joelle Barstow is tailing them all the way.

These people are not superhuman, they make mistakes.  The rage that is expressed is human in its intensity with one exception.  Stuart Roth is completely over the top, but I liked that about him. As his empire crumbles he becomes ever more out of control. His self-abusive tantrums lend comedic moments to the roller coaster ride, as do his assistant's dead-pan comments.

There is a twist at the end that left me thinking about the book long after I finished it.  This is an excellent first novel, and while it has received some mixed reviews, most of the reviewers seemed to agree with me that this book was a fun dip into the world of political intrigue.