Generation (edition 2012)

You will be repulsed, chilled, and maybe even nauseated, yet unable to stop reading this captivating debut thriller by William Knight!

To read more of my review please go to http://abshepherdsreinventedreader.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/generation-by-william... ( )

I’ll be honest with you. Crime thrillers are not the first books I reach for in a bookshop but I do sometimes like to delve in on occasion to keep my reading varied. I was intrigued by William Knight’s Generation with the combination of The X-Files and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo cited by one critic. A mixture of a crime thriller with a dose of horror sounded right up my street too so how did I get on?

We follow the exploits of journalist Hendrix Harrison (cool name but couldn’t shake the image of the great Jimi Hendrix) who works for paranormal magazine, Strange Phenomena, and has been left annoyed by his latest story of the Ashburton Wolf, which has turned out to be a farm dog! Hendrix’s next case is of a reported ghost sighting in Newcastle but when he heads for North England to investigate further he finds himself wading through a very peculiar mystery where corpses are disappearing from a forensic university, while a thriving company known as Mendel Pharmaceuticals are keeping a close eye on proceedings and are not afraid to turn to litigation or even violence when the likes of Harrison are snooping around looking for a story that might threaten their interests.

The novel opens with a brief background about scientists extracting a gene from the DNA of a South American flatworm, one capable of regenerating damaged organs. The research points to the possibility of one day being able to use such regeneration on humans, to prolong life and eradicate many diseases and illnesses. We soon move onto Harrison who is not up on technology, struggling with text messaging and having an aversion to Twitter, but his keen eye and sense of smell for a good story are without question. He heads for Newcastle in response to reported ghost sightings in a small village called Ravenbridge. Harrison investigates further and finds mention of ghosts have seen the police lose interest but what is reported as a ghost sighting is instead something very real, a deformed and rotting creature that is wandering around and has caused one car accident that has put the driver in a coma. Harrison may be onto something but the mystery has only just begun.

The other primary character in the novel is Sarah Wallace, an entomologist, perfectly at home with flies, maggots and corpses. She is initially suspicious of Harrison but gradually they join forces as one of the corpses donated to the Newcastle University Institute of Forensic Science where Sarah works at is stolen and later found in a river. If that isn’t bad enough further studies of these corpses reveal that they are in far better condition than they should be! Something clearly isn’t right. As Harrison digs deeper he finds that he is being watched very closely and the more information he unearths the more his life is in danger. The novel gathers pace as Harrison and Sarah try to fit the pieces together but unseen assailants are ready to lash out when they get too close to the truth. Will they get to the vortex of this mystery?

Generation starts intriguingly and I was hopeful that this might delve into the paranormal but it’s pretty much a crime thriller throughout, no real horror or The X-Files moments, which isn’t a bad thing of course. I particularly enjoyed the segments referred to as case numbers which had the most mystery in the book for me but I won’t say more about those as it will spoil the story. As a crime thriller I found this to be a solid read. An inevitable romance between Harrison and Sarah seemed unnecessary and readers looking for horror and the supernatural may be somewhat disappointed. However, if you’re looking for a crime thriller then this will tick many of the boxes for you.

Generation is a decent crime thriller with an intriguing mystery in the beginning. The prologue does give away a lot of what is to come and the idea of regenerating organs reminded me a little of one of my favourite Japanese films Casshern (2004). Knight’s book shows a lot of promise and I’ve no doubt he will only get better and hopefully we’ll see more of Hendrix Harrison. ( )

Hendrix ‘Aitch’ Harrison has been known to discover some unusual cases during his employment as a techno-phobe journalist at Strange Phenomena and at times it seems like he’s on more of a wild goose chase than chasing down a scoop. Like being called to investigate the story of the Ashburton Wolf! Also known as… a farm dog. He’s anti-Twitter and likes to do things a certain way but he’s also tenacious and knows how to take the lead on a story. In other words, he’s the kind of journalist you’d like investigating when something goes wrong with a company.

Said company in this case is Mendel Pharmaceutical. They’re riding high on the wave of a new therapy that will make the board members very rich indeed. Who cares if it’s ethical? Who cares what the consequences are of the science behind it? They’ve put big money into this treatment and they’ll put even bigger money into protecting it and their profits.

Generation is quoted as being a cross between the X-Files and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. As a fan of both I’m not sure either reference resonated with me fully – I felt it was more Michael Crichton meets CSI. There are strange goings on and Hendrix is an investigative reporter into supernatural phenomenon but to me this smacked more of a techno-thriller. There’s nothing at all wrong with that – as a long time Crichton fan, I’m always pleased to see someone new step into the arena.

Hendrix is an intriguing character though I felt this novel didn’t delve into his personality or history nearly enough. I could see this being developed as a series or even a television show but as a standalone novel I felt that Hendrix was a little bland as a character and some aspects of the novel a little predictable. That notwithstanding, it can’t be denied that Knight has put together a compelling read here with an interesting and thought-provoking storyline. I’d certainly be interested to read more ‘Hendrix Harrison’ novels if that’s on the cards – I feel he could be further developed as a character and tried and tested in many different situations.

This is a good read with some well-executed ideas but the character development is a little lacking and the predictability of the story in some areas takes the edge off the twists in some of the others. Nonethless, it’s a great choice for lovers of Crichton or those who just enjoy a great thriller in general and it’s always nice to see a novel that’s based in the UK with landmarks that I recognise and love! ( )

A veteran of war, Hendrix 'Aitch' Harrison has lived an ordinary life, at least by his standards. Working for what's considered to be a seedy magazine catering to strange phenomenon, Hendrix has always been looking for that one story which lift him from the clutches of obscurity. When a friend mentions a passing article to him, one he has no interest in, he burns with the thought that he's been had yet again. Never once did he imagine that there would be truth within the case itself.

Delving a little deeper, he discovers a heinous plot involving Mendel Pharmaceutical, a company renowned for their breakthroughs in trying to cure cancer and other ailments. His discovery leads him to Sarah Wallace, a forensics entomologist who may have an idea as to what is going on. Unfortunately, she's convinced he's some sort of stalker and refuses to have anything to do with him.

Pursuing the leads he's been given, he realizes he may just be way in over his head. The pharmaceutical company doesn't want their research leaked out into the open and will do anything to keep that from happening. They'll silence anyone who treads on their toes and Hendrix is now their main target.

As secrets about the company's sordid experiments emerge, Hendrix wonders if upsetting the balance in order to set things is worth the risk. Bodies soon start showing up in the oddest of places; bodies that refuse to remain dead. Mendel Pharmaceutical is forced to take action in hopes of erasing what they've done so that the public will never know what really goes on within their clinical trials.

In a race against time, Hendrix gathers needed evidence on the company's shady research, much to the CEO's chagrin. With Sarah caught in the crossfire, he knows they must thwart the enemy's plans or risk dying in the process. The public must know what goes on behind the pharmaceutical's walls and they will bring everything to light, no matter the cost.

This was quite a unique take on all things zombies. Normally they're portrayed as crazed, flesh-eating shells of the person's they used to be. William allows us to delve into the minds of several beings that are dead yet alive within their own right. He's written such a thought-provoking and quite intriguing story that could very well be a take on a 'what if this were to happen in real life' sort of situation. I enjoyed the book very much and look forward to reading more of William's work soon. ( )

Reviewed at http://www.mandikayereads.com/archives/1330 (3/30/12)

Once again, I’ve managed to read a zombie book. Except this is a zombie book unlike any other.

In 2001 scientists isolated a gene in the South American flatworm that regenerates damaged organs. Within 5 years, it had been spliced into the chromosomes of animals using a live retro-virus. If successful, aging could be stopped – even reversed, diseased or damaged organs could be regrown, and life could be extended indefinitely. Scientists are now working to modify the DNA of humans by injecting the virus.

But there’s just one question left to ask… could there be a situation in which you would want to die but were unable to do so?

After reading this book, the answer is emphatically yes.

Interspersed throughout the story were chapters from the perspective of living corpses - those who had been infected by the virus and could not die, though their bodies were decomposing.

It was quite horrifying.

The book revolves around Aitch – Hendrix Harrison – an off-beat journalist who stumbles onto the story while investigating tales of ghost sightings. He is led to Dr. Sarah Wallace, a forensic entomologist, whose entire life’s research has just been destroyed by the pharmaceutical company developing the virus. Together they work to find out what the company is hiding while dodging murder attempts and accusations.

It really is quite thrilling. Crime dramas aren’t usually my forte, but this one is definitely worth reading. My only negative comment is that there was a very predictable sex scene that added nothing to the story, and actually detracted from it from my perspective. ( )