The Genesis Secret

The Genesis Secret is an interesting history of Moslem, Christianity and Judaism dating back to Gobekli Tepe and the Garden of Eden. In the process of explaining the Genesis secret, a lot of anti Jewish racism is imparted. In fact there is a lot of racism ranted in this book. Nevertheless, the story is good, and compelling. The story gives the reader a lot to think about with regard to the origins of religion and man's murderous instinct. Four stars were awarded to this book.

It's not a bad story, though there are some seriously graphic murders detailed through the plot. Rob Luttrell finds a secret when he's reporting on an archaeological dig, a site that was deliberately burried 10,000 years ago, probable evidence of the first occupation of a city. Modern-day ritual murders link with the past and Luttrell starts to investigate. What he finds is a conspiracy of silence about the origins of man and twists truth and fiction together.

It's the kind of book that makes me want to hunt up some archaeology books and ask some questions. I wasn't blown away by it and it is part of the cash-in on the Da Vinci Code but I found it less patronising than that story and less irritating.

An archeological dig at Gobekli Tepe in Turkish Kurdistan reveals evidence of a building which may be 5,000 years older than any previous known structure. The dig also reveals evidence suggesting that the site may also be the location of Eden. Yet, underlying these finds is a seeming antagonism or hatred against the scientists by the locals working on the dig and living in the area. All of this makes for a strong hook into an intriguing storyline. To cap the efforts of the scientists, the lead archeologist is found impaled at the site.

Unfortunately, Tom Knox, the pseudonym for Sean Thomas, a London-based journalist (like his central character, Rob Luttrell) goes off on a tangent by introducing a series of brutal murders in the British show more Isles. The murders appear to be the work of psychopathic killers. Ultimately, they are connected to a group of privileged Upper-Class college students, linked to a society of the social elite known as the Hellfire Club. This club has a centuries-old history of decadence, depravity and debauchery. Its membership included leaders of society in England and America.

In his efforts to blend these two story lines, Knox strains credulity. Its seems that, despite their history of brutish and brutal behavior, the members of the Hellfire Club may only be acting that way because the leaders may possess a certain genetic strain which results in their behavior.

The book is well written, and although there were murders, the first couple of them were violent but bearable. I read primarily murder mysteries and usually they don't bother me, but after the first few,they became increasing violent. Though the murder "sacrifices" may have been based on actual historical accounts of early human cultures, there were just too many and most were unnecessary as the author had established a story line that would have worked beautifully. show less

If you ignore the religious affiliations that the title creates, clearly seeking admittance to the popular Dan Brown genre, Tom Knox has actually created a small gem which stands tall over most of the copycat trash circulating book stores right now.

The Genesis Secret is a fast paced thriller, with a tightly knit cast of characters and a solid degree of realism. There are no transparent attempts at stalling the 'secret' of the story, which is well structured. The book is well researched which results in a solid and entertaining page turner.

The only flaw is that in the finale the enemy becomes somewhat overinflated, stretching realism to create a larger than life villain. It's entertaining, however somewhat unnecessary. A very good début show more novel. show less

I tagged this book as horror due to the well done, very gruesome, and scary torture/human sacrifice scenes. They were difficult to get through, especially with the knowledge that they may have actually happened to people in the past. The writing was very readable, the characters and dialog were enjoyable, but the plot? I was disappointed. You could see what was going to happen. Because the characters have high IQ's you'd think they would see it too - or at least take some precautionary measures. But I guess they didn't really have to because the "last minute save" at the end was disappointingly predictable also.

What forced people to start farming and start living of the ground? Why did they choose such arduous way of living instead of hunting game?
Author gives a rather intriguing answer to these questions through this thriller – story mixes known archeological facts (existing sites and ancient religion cults, enchantment of old religions with sacrifices) with Biblical myths (Book of Enoch). Story itself is fast-paced and reads very fast but be aware – book is not for those faint at heart. There are scenes in the book that are rather disturbing and gory (and for that I hope they do not make the movie based on this book because I fear that the main element of the story would be second and that these massacres would dominate).

Interesting show more book, slightly too bloody for my taste but nevertheless good.

Recommended. show less

This was a decent read, but a bit too graphic on the violence (murders) for me. I can see where it was necessary, but it was still overmuch. The author obviously did his homework and he dangled tantalizing bits of history in front of me. It worked - I kept turning the pages. An obvious follow-on to the "Da Vinci Code as a plot line" school of writing, he at least found an original angle to explore. And indeed, there was enough touching on reality that it could be. Or not.