The Genesis Secret by Tom Knox

The fundamental plot idea caught my attention in the airport bookshop. Time was short, about to spend a week in Austria, quick I thought, buy it. Given a bit longer to browse, I might not …

… and I would probably have been happier not having read this one. The “genesis” part of the plot is reasonable, but the main narrative weaves between the activities of a psychopathic killer who delights in horrific methods of killing people and “our” hero, Rob. Obviously the threads are brought together to an ultimately satisfactory conclusion, but for my taste, there is far too much gruesome detail about the killings, and the main tension in the book is about when next one will turn a page and find something horrific described. The character descriptions are uneven, but the plot does have enough momentum to drag you through the book, even as it might sicken you. (I wonder what I might have done had I other reading choices …)

I did finish it, but I have no desire to read it again. I left it in my hotel room. I’ve never done that before: bought a book, and not got it home, or even thought it worthy of trading in.