Awesome tale!, 08 Aug 2007
George Galen is a brilliant (but insane) geneticist, black-listed for unethical and illegal genetic tampering. He has created a method to alter human DNA to heal diseases, but uses it to also "improve" those who receives his treatment. Galen makes his patients stronger, faster, able to heal quickly, and compliant to his will.

Dr. Monica Owens is one of the best thoracic surgeons in her field. Needing Monica to make his plans work, Galen has Wyatt, her six-year-old son, kidnapped. To keep Wyatt from harm, Monica must accompany Galen and his goons to an abandoned and forgotten nursing home. It is there that Galen has set up an impressive genetic lab, along with some unwilling test patients. Hating herself for what she is forced to do, Monica begins altering the DNA of the prisoners.

Lieutenant Colonel Frank Hartman is a brilliant (and sane) virologist. Working for the government's biohazard agency (BHA), he has discovered how to neutralize Galen's DNA-changing virus, V16. Needless-to-say, Galen is not happy.

***** This began as a short story titled MALPRACTICE which was published in a sci-fi magazine around 1977. After years of emails to each other, Card and Johnston expanded the tale to novel size.

Although this is a combination of sci-fi and medical thriller, with a little government military thrown in, it is labeled as simply fiction. If you expect to find a fantasy or sci-fi story in the lines of ENDER'S GAME, then you are going to be disappointed. This book proves that author Orson Scott Card has the rare ability to cross genres with his writing. So begin reading with an open mind and be prepared to be blown away! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Awesome tale!, 08 Aug 2007
George Galen is a brilliant (but insane) geneticist, black-listed for unethical and illegal genetic tampering. He has created a method to alter human DNA to heal diseases, but uses it to also "improve" those who receives his treatment. Galen makes his patients stronger, faster, able to heal quickly, and compliant to his will.

Dr. Monica Owens is one of the best thoracic surgeons in her field. Needing Monica to make his plans work, Galen has Wyatt, her six-year-old son, kidnapped. To keep Wyatt from harm, Monica must accompany Galen and his goons to an abandoned and forgotten nursing home. It is there that Galen has set up an impressive genetic lab, along with some unwilling test patients. Hating herself for what she is forced to do, Monica begins altering the DNA of the prisoners.

Lieutenant Colonel Frank Hartman is a brilliant (and sane) virologist. Working for the government's biohazard agency (BHA), he has discovered how to neutralize Galen's DNA-changing virus, V16. Needless-to-say, Galen is not happy.

***** This began as a short story titled MALPRACTICE which was published in a sci-fi magazine around 1977. After years of emails to each other, Card and Johnston expanded the tale to novel size.

Although this is a combination of sci-fi and medical thriller, with a little government military thrown in, it is labeled as simply fiction. If you expect to find a fantasy or sci-fi story in the lines of ENDER'S GAME, then you are going to be disappointed. This book proves that author Orson Scott Card has the rare ability to cross genres with his writing. So begin reading with an open mind and be prepared to be blown away! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

It's brilliant!!, 16 Feb 2008
A superb book!! Magical illustrations!! And should be available on the nhs!!. I have M.E. and this book has been a valued `Companion' in every sense of the word, in the loneliness, confusion and isolation that is such a major part of M.E.

Verity Red has been like a dear friend, we have laughed and cried `together', experienced similar symptoms and oh the number of times I've opened it and pointed parts out to my partner saying, "Look, it's not just me, it's part of the illness".

It's not just a book to be read and then left gathering dust, it can be read and re-read, and is extremely useful to refer to when trying to explain the effects and symptoms of M.E. to other people. I often used to think that the only way to explain the wild variation and also intensity of symptoms to someone unaffected by the illness would be for them to spend at least a week with me for 24 hours per day whilst I gave them a running commentary from minute to minute. Verity Red has lifted that energy draining burden from my shoulders for which I'm extremely grateful.

It's a wonderful book that I highly recommend.


An excellent read, 08 Feb 2008
Maria Mann has created in Verity Red a character who comes to life through the pages of this book. You will come to know Verity very well as you travel with her on a journey through a year in her life from a "Big long yawn... mouth open really wide" at 9.26 a.m. on Saturday 1st January to the last entry in her diary made twelve months later at 6.46 p.m. on Saturday 31st December (you'll have to read the book to find out what it is).

For the more pedantic reader, these dates set the 'action' in either 1994 or 2005 - but this is not a book about historical accuracy. This is a book about the human spirit and how it copes with adversity. Not, though, the thrilling sort of adversity faced by exciting, slightly larger-than-life characters, heroically overcoming impending disasters and thereby saving the planet from destruction. No, this is about the kind of adversity many of us face during some period in our lives: hard times from which there seems no escape.

In Verity Red's case, those 'hard times' take the form of M E. A quick Google search reveals M E stands for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (I'm not surprised people - particularly those who have it - shorten it to M E!) and this book recounts how she deals with the symptoms and the extra stresses and strains it places on her, including her relationship with her partner Ben, on a daily basis.

If you want to know more about the medical side of M E then I'd suggest a Google search is a good place to start (which will also reveal that the Americans seem to call it Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) but if you want to meet an endearing, funny, imaginative character whose take on life would have you laughing and 'on her side' regardless of her state of health, then read this book.

I have learned that one of the effects of M E is that it makes people very tired but this book is full of wit, energy, humour (not to mention insight into the human condition) and will have you rooting for Verity from the first few pages. I am sure we will see more from Maria Mann.

Buy It!!, 06 Dec 2007
I have reprimanded myself for not writing this review sooner.......but then at the time I was suffering from M.E. I am lucky enough to have recovered but I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone willing to take the time to read it. I bought the book on its release when I was ill and plan on going back to re-read it but each attempt has had me in tears to be reminded of how I felt and how so many are still in fact feeling.

If you have M.E. then buy it - it will have you laughing and crying but you will know your emotional rollercoaster is valid.

If you know anyone with M.E. then you should buy it as however much you think you understand.......this will enlighten you.



Dr's should be handing this out!, 15 Jul 2006
I can't recommend this book enough! It came into my life at a time when I had had ME for 4 years and was feeling totally isolated and misunderstood.

It's so funny and witty that you can't help but laugh out loud! More importantly it accurately portrays the feelings and frustrations of ME sufferers. I'd be reading parts and look around to tell everyone "That's me, that's me!!!" - of course everyone else was at work, but it made me feel better anyway!

I'd also suggest that friends and family of ME sufferers read this - it'll help explain what happened to that healthy, sane person you used to know!

As one previous reviewer wrote, the book is heavy, but you won't notice once you get past page one! I just felt like I got great value for money! It became like my new friend; whenever someone annoyed me with his or her ignorance, I'd just grab the book and stomp off - well as much as one can whilst limping with a walking stick!

Even if you're lucky enough to live a life untouched by ME, you'll still laugh, cry and enjoy the illustrations! Afterall, there's a little bit of Verity Red in all of us!


ME - A Personal Perspective, 02 Nov 2005
Never having come close to M E before this book was a revelation. I could feel the frustration as the author dissected her days into hours... minutes... trapped inside a house from which it was simply too exhausting to emerge.

Reading it from cover to cover in one sitting I was struck by how very much the author was on the outside looking in on all the usual day to day activities which she was unable to take part in. Anyone lucky enough to escape M E should stop themselves before they complain about the daily round of mundane tasks to be grateful that a trip to the dry cleaners doesn't take them a full day to recover from. They should also read this book to give them a real understanding of what it means day to day. It is rare to read a book that details the minutiae of living with an illness - most books are about the crises and dramas but this one gives you a real feeling of the unrelenting nature of coping with M E.

I should perhaps explain I have a personal interest in this book - the author is my sister-in-law who I have yet to meet - she is just not well enough to come along to family gatherings etc. I am now married to the "brother from Devon" described in the book who visits with his then wife and young son bringing the gift of kittens. I hope when we do eventually meet that it will be a less frenetic visit than the one described there. What I do know is that I will be meeting someone with a gentle but wicked sense of humour able to see the funny side in many of the grim aspects of her illness. I look forward to that day.

Awesome tale!, 08 Aug 2007
George Galen is a brilliant (but insane) geneticist, black-listed for unethical and illegal genetic tampering. He has created a method to alter human DNA to heal diseases, but uses it to also "improve" those who receives his treatment. Galen makes his patients stronger, faster, able to heal quickly, and compliant to his will.

Dr. Monica Owens is one of the best thoracic surgeons in her field. Needing Monica to make his plans work, Galen has Wyatt, her six-year-old son, kidnapped. To keep Wyatt from harm, Monica must accompany Galen and his goons to an abandoned and forgotten nursing home. It is there that Galen has set up an impressive genetic lab, along with some unwilling test patients. Hating herself for what she is forced to do, Monica begins altering the DNA of the prisoners.

Lieutenant Colonel Frank Hartman is a brilliant (and sane) virologist. Working for the government's biohazard agency (BHA), he has discovered how to neutralize Galen's DNA-changing virus, V16. Needless-to-say, Galen is not happy.

***** This began as a short story titled MALPRACTICE which was published in a sci-fi magazine around 1977. After years of emails to each other, Card and Johnston expanded the tale to novel size.

Although this is a combination of sci-fi and medical thriller, with a little government military thrown in, it is labeled as simply fiction. If you expect to find a fantasy or sci-fi story in the lines of ENDER'S GAME, then you are going to be disappointed. This book proves that author Orson Scott Card has the rare ability to cross genres with his writing. So begin reading with an open mind and be prepared to be blown away! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

It's brilliant!!, 16 Feb 2008
A superb book!! Magical illustrations!! And should be available on the nhs!!. I have M.E. and this book has been a valued `Companion' in every sense of the word, in the loneliness, confusion and isolation that is such a major part of M.E.

Verity Red has been like a dear friend, we have laughed and cried `together', experienced similar symptoms and oh the number of times I've opened it and pointed parts out to my partner saying, "Look, it's not just me, it's part of the illness".

It's not just a book to be read and then left gathering dust, it can be read and re-read, and is extremely useful to refer to when trying to explain the effects and symptoms of M.E. to other people. I often used to think that the only way to explain the wild variation and also intensity of symptoms to someone unaffected by the illness would be for them to spend at least a week with me for 24 hours per day whilst I gave them a running commentary from minute to minute. Verity Red has lifted that energy draining burden from my shoulders for which I'm extremely grateful.

It's a wonderful book that I highly recommend.


An excellent read, 08 Feb 2008
Maria Mann has created in Verity Red a character who comes to life through the pages of this book. You will come to know Verity very well as you travel with her on a journey through a year in her life from a "Big long yawn... mouth open really wide" at 9.26 a.m. on Saturday 1st January to the last entry in her diary made twelve months later at 6.46 p.m. on Saturday 31st December (you'll have to read the book to find out what it is).

For the more pedantic reader, these dates set the 'action' in either 1994 or 2005 - but this is not a book about historical accuracy. This is a book about the human spirit and how it copes with adversity. Not, though, the thrilling sort of adversity faced by exciting, slightly larger-than-life characters, heroically overcoming impending disasters and thereby saving the planet from destruction. No, this is about the kind of adversity many of us face during some period in our lives: hard times from which there seems no escape.

In Verity Red's case, those 'hard times' take the form of M E. A quick Google search reveals M E stands for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (I'm not surprised people - particularly those who have it - shorten it to M E!) and this book recounts how she deals with the symptoms and the extra stresses and strains it places on her, including her relationship with her partner Ben, on a daily basis.

If you want to know more about the medical side of M E then I'd suggest a Google search is a good place to start (which will also reveal that the Americans seem to call it Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) but if you want to meet an endearing, funny, imaginative character whose take on life would have you laughing and 'on her side' regardless of her state of health, then read this book.

I have learned that one of the effects of M E is that it makes people very tired but this book is full of wit, energy, humour (not to mention insight into the human condition) and will have you rooting for Verity from the first few pages. I am sure we will see more from Maria Mann.

Buy It!!, 06 Dec 2007
I have reprimanded myself for not writing this review sooner.......but then at the time I was suffering from M.E. I am lucky enough to have recovered but I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone willing to take the time to read it. I bought the book on its release when I was ill and plan on going back to re-read it but each attempt has had me in tears to be reminded of how I felt and how so many are still in fact feeling.

If you have M.E. then buy it - it will have you laughing and crying but you will know your emotional rollercoaster is valid.

If you know anyone with M.E. then you should buy it as however much you think you understand.......this will enlighten you.



Dr's should be handing this out!, 15 Jul 2006
I can't recommend this book enough! It came into my life at a time when I had had ME for 4 years and was feeling totally isolated and misunderstood.

It's so funny and witty that you can't help but laugh out loud! More importantly it accurately portrays the feelings and frustrations of ME sufferers. I'd be reading parts and look around to tell everyone "That's me, that's me!!!" - of course everyone else was at work, but it made me feel better anyway!

I'd also suggest that friends and family of ME sufferers read this - it'll help explain what happened to that healthy, sane person you used to know!

As one previous reviewer wrote, the book is heavy, but you won't notice once you get past page one! I just felt like I got great value for money! It became like my new friend; whenever someone annoyed me with his or her ignorance, I'd just grab the book and stomp off - well as much as one can whilst limping with a walking stick!

Even if you're lucky enough to live a life untouched by ME, you'll still laugh, cry and enjoy the illustrations! Afterall, there's a little bit of Verity Red in all of us!


ME - A Personal Perspective, 02 Nov 2005
Never having come close to M E before this book was a revelation. I could feel the frustration as the author dissected her days into hours... minutes... trapped inside a house from which it was simply too exhausting to emerge.

Reading it from cover to cover in one sitting I was struck by how very much the author was on the outside looking in on all the usual day to day activities which she was unable to take part in. Anyone lucky enough to escape M E should stop themselves before they complain about the daily round of mundane tasks to be grateful that a trip to the dry cleaners doesn't take them a full day to recover from. They should also read this book to give them a real understanding of what it means day to day. It is rare to read a book that details the minutiae of living with an illness - most books are about the crises and dramas but this one gives you a real feeling of the unrelenting nature of coping with M E.

I should perhaps explain I have a personal interest in this book - the author is my sister-in-law who I have yet to meet - she is just not well enough to come along to family gatherings etc. I am now married to the "brother from Devon" described in the book who visits with his then wife and young son bringing the gift of kittens. I hope when we do eventually meet that it will be a less frenetic visit than the one described there. What I do know is that I will be meeting someone with a gentle but wicked sense of humour able to see the funny side in many of the grim aspects of her illness. I look forward to that day.

A REAL CRACKER!!!!, 01 Dec 2007
I have just read this and two other Ken McClure books and can't believe that this guy isn't more famous.

This is a real murder mystery in the old fashioned sense with a 'supernatural' twist - though perhaps even that choice of word can be debated!!! Are the patients suffering from some wierd brain tumour remembering past lives lived or are they suffering from a disease induced schizophrenia and how come they seem to know about things and places that occurred 1000's of years ago?

As the previous poster says, rogue priests chasing around in the hunt for some old christian artefacts leads the hero to discover some shocking goings on with fatal results!!!

This book is not only a fast paced page turner (you won't be able to put it down), but it has some unusual twists coupled with some intelligent information and scientific data that will stimulate as well as interest any reader who likes a bit thought to go with his book.


Fantastic Read, 29 Nov 2007
This is the thinking man's da vinci code. The book is full to the brim with rogue priests and ancient Nazarene artifacts, murder, mystery, a hint of conspiracy and a touch of the unusual (as usual).

A real page turner, I started it about 11pm before bed one night and was just putting it down about 6 hours later!!


A GRIPPING THRILLER................, 10 Oct 2007
This is another blockbuster from the pen of Ken McClure. The books main character is a neurosurgeon called Andrew Macandrew and is not a Steven Dunbar story. The story takes our hero from America to Scotland and on to Europe. Hypnotic regression is a fasinating subject and this is certainly a page turner. I beleive this book was written some years ago and is another example of Ken McClure's forward thinking. Dan Brown should be enternally grateful that it was not published earlier as this beats the DiVinci Code hands down.

Captivating thriller, 29 Jun 2007
A tense, fast-paced thriller with lives being ruined along the way. This novel is a brilliant read with interesting characters and a thrilling plot that races you through a world of revenge, lies and a battle for power.

Awesome tale!, 08 Aug 2007
George Galen is a brilliant (but insane) geneticist, black-listed for unethical and illegal genetic tampering. He has created a method to alter human DNA to heal diseases, but uses it to also "improve" those who receives his treatment. Galen makes his patients stronger, faster, able to heal quickly, and compliant to his will.

Dr. Monica Owens is one of the best thoracic surgeons in her field. Needing Monica to make his plans work, Galen has Wyatt, her six-year-old son, kidnapped. To keep Wyatt from harm, Monica must accompany Galen and his goons to an abandoned and forgotten nursing home. It is there that Galen has set up an impressive genetic lab, along with some unwilling test patients. Hating herself for what she is forced to do, Monica begins altering the DNA of the prisoners.

Lieutenant Colonel Frank Hartman is a brilliant (and sane) virologist. Working for the government's biohazard agency (BHA), he has discovered how to neutralize Galen's DNA-changing virus, V16. Needless-to-say, Galen is not happy.

***** This began as a short story titled MALPRACTICE which was published in a sci-fi magazine around 1977. After years of emails to each other, Card and Johnston expanded the tale to novel size.

Although this is a combination of sci-fi and medical thriller, with a little government military thrown in, it is labeled as simply fiction. If you expect to find a fantasy or sci-fi story in the lines of ENDER'S GAME, then you are going to be disappointed. This book proves that author Orson Scott Card has the rare ability to cross genres with his writing. So begin reading with an open mind and be prepared to be blown away! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

It's brilliant!!, 16 Feb 2008
A superb book!! Magical illustrations!! And should be available on the nhs!!. I have M.E. and this book has been a valued `Companion' in every sense of the word, in the loneliness, confusion and isolation that is such a major part of M.E.

Verity Red has been like a dear friend, we have laughed and cried `together', experienced similar symptoms and oh the number of times I've opened it and pointed parts out to my partner saying, "Look, it's not just me, it's part of the illness".

It's not just a book to be read and then left gathering dust, it can be read and re-read, and is extremely useful to refer to when trying to explain the effects and symptoms of M.E. to other people. I often used to think that the only way to explain the wild variation and also intensity of symptoms to someone unaffected by the illness would be for them to spend at least a week with me for 24 hours per day whilst I gave them a running commentary from minute to minute. Verity Red has lifted that energy draining burden from my shoulders for which I'm extremely grateful.

It's a wonderful book that I highly recommend.


An excellent read, 08 Feb 2008
Maria Mann has created in Verity Red a character who comes to life through the pages of this book. You will come to know Verity very well as you travel with her on a journey through a year in her life from a "Big long yawn... mouth open really wide" at 9.26 a.m. on Saturday 1st January to the last entry in her diary made twelve months later at 6.46 p.m. on Saturday 31st December (you'll have to read the book to find out what it is).

For the more pedantic reader, these dates set the 'action' in either 1994 or 2005 - but this is not a book about historical accuracy. This is a book about the human spirit and how it copes with adversity. Not, though, the thrilling sort of adversity faced by exciting, slightly larger-than-life characters, heroically overcoming impending disasters and thereby saving the planet from destruction. No, this is about the kind of adversity many of us face during some period in our lives: hard times from which there seems no escape.

In Verity Red's case, those 'hard times' take the form of M E. A quick Google search reveals M E stands for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (I'm not surprised people - particularly those who have it - shorten it to M E!) and this book recounts how she deals with the symptoms and the extra stresses and strains it places on her, including her relationship with her partner Ben, on a daily basis.

If you want to know more about the medical side of M E then I'd suggest a Google search is a good place to start (which will also reveal that the Americans seem to call it Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) but if you want to meet an endearing, funny, imaginative character whose take on life would have you laughing and 'on her side' regardless of her state of health, then read this book.

I have learned that one of the effects of M E is that it makes people very tired but this book is full of wit, energy, humour (not to mention insight into the human condition) and will have you rooting for Verity from the first few pages. I am sure we will see more from Maria Mann.

Buy It!!, 06 Dec 2007
I have reprimanded myself for not writing this review sooner.......but then at the time I was suffering from M.E. I am lucky enough to have recovered but I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone willing to take the time to read it. I bought the book on its release when I was ill and plan on going back to re-read it but each attempt has had me in tears to be reminded of how I felt and how so many are still in fact feeling.

If you have M.E. then buy it - it will have you laughing and crying but you will know your emotional rollercoaster is valid.

If you know anyone with M.E. then you should buy it as however much you think you understand.......this will enlighten you.



Dr's should be handing this out!, 15 Jul 2006
I can't recommend this book enough! It came into my life at a time when I had had ME for 4 years and was feeling totally isolated and misunderstood.

It's so funny and witty that you can't help but laugh out loud! More importantly it accurately portrays the feelings and frustrations of ME sufferers. I'd be reading parts and look around to tell everyone "That's me, that's me!!!" - of course everyone else was at work, but it made me feel better anyway!

I'd also suggest that friends and family of ME sufferers read this - it'll help explain what happened to that healthy, sane person you used to know!

As one previous reviewer wrote, the book is heavy, but you won't notice once you get past page one! I just felt like I got great value for money! It became like my new friend; whenever someone annoyed me with his or her ignorance, I'd just grab the book and stomp off - well as much as one can whilst limping with a walking stick!

Even if you're lucky enough to live a life untouched by ME, you'll still laugh, cry and enjoy the illustrations! Afterall, there's a little bit of Verity Red in all of us!


ME - A Personal Perspective, 02 Nov 2005
Never having come close to M E before this book was a revelation. I could feel the frustration as the author dissected her days into hours... minutes... trapped inside a house from which it was simply too exhausting to emerge.

Reading it from cover to cover in one sitting I was struck by how very much the author was on the outside looking in on all the usual day to day activities which she was unable to take part in. Anyone lucky enough to escape M E should stop themselves before they complain about the daily round of mundane tasks to be grateful that a trip to the dry cleaners doesn't take them a full day to recover from. They should also read this book to give them a real understanding of what it means day to day. It is rare to read a book that details the minutiae of living with an illness - most books are about the crises and dramas but this one gives you a real feeling of the unrelenting nature of coping with M E.

I should perhaps explain I have a personal interest in this book - the author is my sister-in-law who I have yet to meet - she is just not well enough to come along to family gatherings etc. I am now married to the "brother from Devon" described in the book who visits with his then wife and young son bringing the gift of kittens. I hope when we do eventually meet that it will be a less frenetic visit than the one described there. What I do know is that I will be meeting someone with a gentle but wicked sense of humour able to see the funny side in many of the grim aspects of her illness. I look forward to that day.

A REAL CRACKER!!!!, 01 Dec 2007
I have just read this and two other Ken McClure books and can't believe that this guy isn't more famous.

This is a real murder mystery in the old fashioned sense with a 'supernatural' twist - though perhaps even that choice of word can be debated!!! Are the patients suffering from some wierd brain tumour remembering past lives lived or are they suffering from a disease induced schizophrenia and how come they seem to know about things and places that occurred 1000's of years ago?

As the previous poster says, rogue priests chasing around in the hunt for some old christian artefacts leads the hero to discover some shocking goings on with fatal results!!!

This book is not only a fast paced page turner (you won't be able to put it down), but it has some unusual twists coupled with some intelligent information and scientific data that will stimulate as well as interest any reader who likes a bit thought to go with his book.


Fantastic Read, 29 Nov 2007
This is the thinking man's da vinci code. The book is full to the brim with rogue priests and ancient Nazarene artifacts, murder, mystery, a hint of conspiracy and a touch of the unusual (as usual).

A real page turner, I started it about 11pm before bed one night and was just putting it down about 6 hours later!!


A GRIPPING THRILLER................, 10 Oct 2007
This is another blockbuster from the pen of Ken McClure. The books main character is a neurosurgeon called Andrew Macandrew and is not a Steven Dunbar story. The story takes our hero from America to Scotland and on to Europe. Hypnotic regression is a fasinating subject and this is certainly a page turner. I beleive this book was written some years ago and is another example of Ken McClure's forward thinking. Dan Brown should be enternally grateful that it was not published earlier as this beats the DiVinci Code hands down.

Captivating thriller, 29 Jun 2007
A tense, fast-paced thriller with lives being ruined along the way. This novel is a brilliant read with interesting characters and a thrilling plot that races you through a world of revenge, lies and a battle for power.

ANOTHER FINE THRILLER FROM KEN MCCLURE !!!!, 01 Dec 2007
This is the second Ken McClure book I have read in as many weeks and like Past Lives is fast paced and a real page turner.

It begins like the previous reviewer has said with a confession of the real killer of a young girl and the hero of the book Dr Steven Dunbar has to work out why he has confessed and how the convicted killer came to be so convicted and why he had so much overwhelming evidence against him.

Working out who is responsible is difficult and there are a lot of complicated clues, which for the more intelligent discerning reader, are pure joy. This book, more than any other I have read in some time (and believe me I have read quite a number) is a real informative clueful joy, I would go as far as to say it is like verbal sedoku if there was such a thing.

I highly recommend it, but warn you, you won't be able to put it down so don't start reading it at midnight!!!

I loved this book!!, 29 Nov 2007
Yet another cracker from Ken McClure. Fast paced thriller that starts unusually with a confession from the real killer. So, how is it that someone else was convicted of a murder on crucial and indisputable evidence? Well that is for the author to know and you to find out, but you will thoroughly enjoy doing so. Fascinating reading.



Another Excellent Read From Ken McClure, 04 Dec 2005
Another highly enjoyable medical mystery featuring Dr Steven Dunbar. A death bed confession from a dangerous serial killer, leads Dunbar to suspect a grave miscarriage of justice has been done. Despite hostility to his investigation, he is determined to get to the truth.

McClure`s highly readable style of writing makes this another compelling entry in this series of books. Definitly recommended.

Dr Dunbar IS Dr Blockbuster, 28 Sep 2005
Following on from The Gulf Conspiracy (no Roslin here!), The Eye of the Raven is Ken McClure's new book with Dr Steven Dunbar as the hero. How good was it ??? ... well I read it in 1.5 days on the beach, and I don't think I've read any book faster!!!

Dr Dunbar is an agent for Sci-Med, an elite government agency set up to deal with high tech crime in medicine and science. Hector Coombe, the baddie, confesses on his death bed to the rape and murder of a young girl. How can that be?? - an eminent scientist is already serving a life sentence and has been in jail for 9 years! There was a DNA match!!

Without giving away the story, this book is page turning stuff and at the end, Dunbar's special forces training comes to the fore!!!

What's in your garden shed?

Awesome tale!, 08 Aug 2007
George Galen is a brilliant (but insane) geneticist, black-listed for unethical and illegal genetic tampering. He has created a method to alter human DNA to heal diseases, but uses it to also "improve" those who receives his treatment. Galen makes his patients stronger, faster, able to heal quickly, and compliant to his will.

Dr. Monica Owens is one of the best thoracic surgeons in her field. Needing Monica to make his plans work, Galen has Wyatt, her six-year-old son, kidnapped. To keep Wyatt from harm, Monica must accompany Galen and his goons to an abandoned and forgotten nursing home. It is there that Galen has set up an impressive genetic lab, along with some unwilling test patients. Hating herself for what she is forced to do, Monica begins altering the DNA of the prisoners.

Lieutenant Colonel Frank Hartman is a brilliant (and sane) virologist. Working for the government's biohazard agency (BHA), he has discovered how to neutralize Galen's DNA-changing virus, V16. Needless-to-say, Galen is not happy.

***** This began as a short story titled MALPRACTICE which was published in a sci-fi magazine around 1977. After years of emails to each other, Card and Johnston expanded the tale to novel size.

Although this is a combination of sci-fi and medical thriller, with a little government military thrown in, it is labeled as simply fiction. If you expect to find a fantasy or sci-fi story in the lines of ENDER'S GAME, then you are going to be disappointed. This book proves that author Orson Scott Card has the rare ability to cross genres with his writing. So begin reading with an open mind and be prepared to be blown away! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

It's brilliant!!, 16 Feb 2008
A superb book!! Magical illustrations!! And should be available on the nhs!!. I have M.E. and this book has been a valued `Companion' in every sense of the word, in the loneliness, confusion and isolation that is such a major part of M.E.

Verity Red has been like a dear friend, we have laughed and cried `together', experienced similar symptoms and oh the number of times I've opened it and pointed parts out to my partner saying, "Look, it's not just me, it's part of the illness".

It's not just a book to be read and then left gathering dust, it can be read and re-read, and is extremely useful to refer to when trying to explain the effects and symptoms of M.E. to other people. I often used to think that the only way to explain the wild variation and also intensity of symptoms to someone unaffected by the illness would be for them to spend at least a week with me for 24 hours per day whilst I gave them a running commentary from minute to minute. Verity Red has lifted that energy draining burden from my shoulders for which I'm extremely grateful.

It's a wonderful book that I highly recommend.


An excellent read, 08 Feb 2008
Maria Mann has created in Verity Red a character who comes to life through the pages of this book. You will come to know Verity very well as you travel with her on a journey through a year in her life from a "Big long yawn... mouth open really wide" at 9.26 a.m. on Saturday 1st January to the last entry in her diary made twelve months later at 6.46 p.m. on Saturday 31st December (you'll have to read the book to find out what it is).

For the more pedantic reader, these dates set the 'action' in either 1994 or 2005 - but this is not a book about historical accuracy. This is a book about the human spirit and how it copes with adversity. Not, though, the thrilling sort of adversity faced by exciting, slightly larger-than-life characters, heroically overcoming impending disasters and thereby saving the planet from destruction. No, this is about the kind of adversity many of us face during some period in our lives: hard times from which there seems no escape.

In Verity Red's case, those 'hard times' take the form of M E. A quick Google search reveals M E stands for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (I'm not surprised people - particularly those who have it - shorten it to M E!) and this book recounts how she deals with the symptoms and the extra stresses and strains it places on her, including her relationship with her partner Ben, on a daily basis.

If you want to know more about the medical side of M E then I'd suggest a Google search is a good place to start (which will also reveal that the Americans seem to call it Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) but if you want to meet an endearing, funny, imaginative character whose take on life would have you laughing and 'on her side' regardless of her state of health, then read this book.

I have learned that one of the effects of M E is that it makes people very tired but this book is full of wit, energy, humour (not to mention insight into the human condition) and will have you rooting for Verity from the first few pages. I am sure we will see more from Maria Mann.

Buy It!!, 06 Dec 2007
I have reprimanded myself for not writing this review sooner.......but then at the time I was suffering from M.E. I am lucky enough to have recovered but I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone willing to take the time to read it. I bought the book on its release when I was ill and plan on going back to re-read it but each attempt has had me in tears to be reminded of how I felt and how so many are still in fact feeling.

If you have M.E. then buy it - it will have you laughing and crying but you will know your emotional rollercoaster is valid.

If you know anyone with M.E. then you should buy it as however much you think you understand.......this will enlighten you.



Dr's should be handing this out!, 15 Jul 2006
I can't recommend this book enough! It came into my life at a time when I had had ME for 4 years and was feeling totally isolated and misunderstood.

It's so funny and witty that you can't help but laugh out loud! More importantly it accurately portrays the feelings and frustrations of ME sufferers. I'd be reading parts and look around to tell everyone "That's me, that's me!!!" - of course everyone else was at work, but it made me feel better anyway!

I'd also suggest that friends and family of ME sufferers read this - it'll help explain what happened to that healthy, sane person you used to know!

As one previous reviewer wrote, the book is heavy, but you won't notice once you get past page one! I just felt like I got great value for money! It became like my new friend; whenever someone annoyed me with his or her ignorance, I'd just grab the book and stomp off - well as much as one can whilst limping with a walking stick!

Even if you're lucky enough to live a life untouched by ME, you'll still laugh, cry and enjoy the illustrations! Afterall, there's a little bit of Verity Red in all of us!


ME - A Personal Perspective, 02 Nov 2005
Never having come close to M E before this book was a revelation. I could feel the frustration as the author dissected her days into hours... minutes... trapped inside a house from which it was simply too exhausting to emerge.

Reading it from cover to cover in one sitting I was struck by how very much the author was on the outside looking in on all the usual day to day activities which she was unable to take part in. Anyone lucky enough to escape M E should stop themselves before they complain about the daily round of mundane tasks to be grateful that a trip to the dry cleaners doesn't take them a full day to recover from. They should also read this book to give them a real understanding of what it means day to day. It is rare to read a book that details the minutiae of living with an illness - most books are about the crises and dramas but this one gives you a real feeling of the unrelenting nature of coping with M E.

I should perhaps explain I have a personal interest in this book - the author is my sister-in-law who I have yet to meet - she is just not well enough to come along to family gatherings etc. I am now married to the "brother from Devon" described in the book who visits with his then wife and young son bringing the gift of kittens. I hope when we do eventually meet that it will be a less frenetic visit than the one described there. What I do know is that I will be meeting someone with a gentle but wicked sense of humour able to see the funny side in many of the grim aspects of her illness. I look forward to that day.

A REAL CRACKER!!!!, 01 Dec 2007
I have just read this and two other Ken McClure books and can't believe that this guy isn't more famous.

This is a real murder mystery in the old fashioned sense with a 'supernatural' twist - though perhaps even that choice of word can be debated!!! Are the patients suffering from some wierd brain tumour remembering past lives lived or are they suffering from a disease induced schizophrenia and how come they seem to know about things and places that occurred 1000's of years ago?

As the previous poster says, rogue priests chasing around in the hunt for some old christian artefacts leads the hero to discover some shocking goings on with fatal results!!!

This book is not only a fast paced page turner (you won't be able to put it down), but it has some unusual twists coupled with some intelligent information and scientific data that will stimulate as well as interest any reader who likes a bit thought to go with his book.


Fantastic Read, 29 Nov 2007
This is the thinking man's da vinci code. The book is full to the brim with rogue priests and ancient Nazarene artifacts, murder, mystery, a hint of conspiracy and a touch of the unusual (as usual).

A real page turner, I started it about 11pm before bed one night and was just putting it down about 6 hours later!!


A GRIPPING THRILLER................, 10 Oct 2007
This is another blockbuster from the pen of Ken McClure. The books main character is a neurosurgeon called Andrew Macandrew and is not a Steven Dunbar story. The story takes our hero from America to Scotland and on to Europe. Hypnotic regression is a fasinating subject and this is certainly a page turner. I beleive this book was written some years ago and is another example of Ken McClure's forward thinking. Dan Brown should be enternally grateful that it was not published earlier as this beats the DiVinci Code hands down.

Captivating thriller, 29 Jun 2007
A tense, fast-paced thriller with lives being ruined along the way. This novel is a brilliant read with interesting characters and a thrilling plot that races you through a world of revenge, lies and a battle for power.

ANOTHER FINE THRILLER FROM KEN MCCLURE !!!!, 01 Dec 2007
This is the second Ken McClure book I have read in as many weeks and like Past Lives is fast paced and a real page turner.

It begins like the previous reviewer has said with a confession of the real killer of a young girl and the hero of the book Dr Steven Dunbar has to work out why he has confessed and how the convicted killer came to be so convicted and why he had so much overwhelming evidence against him.

Working out who is responsible is difficult and there are a lot of complicated clues, which for the more intelligent discerning reader, are pure joy. This book, more than any other I have read in some time (and believe me I have read quite a number) is a real informative clueful joy, I would go as far as to say it is like verbal sedoku if there was such a thing.

I highly recommend it, but warn you, you won't be able to put it down so don't start reading it at midnight!!!

I loved this book!!, 29 Nov 2007
Yet another cracker from Ken McClure. Fast paced thriller that starts unusually with a confession from the real killer. So, how is it that someone else was convicted of a murder on crucial and indisputable evidence? Well that is for the author to know and you to find out, but you will thoroughly enjoy doing so. Fascinating reading.



Another Excellent Read From Ken McClure, 04 Dec 2005
Another highly enjoyable medical mystery featuring Dr Steven Dunbar. A death bed confession from a dangerous serial killer, leads Dunbar to suspect a grave miscarriage of justice has been done. Despite hostility to his investigation, he is determined to get to the truth.

McClure`s highly readable style of writing makes this another compelling entry in this series of books. Definitly recommended.

Dr Dunbar IS Dr Blockbuster, 28 Sep 2005
Following on from The Gulf Conspiracy (no Roslin here!), The Eye of the Raven is Ken McClure's new book with Dr Steven Dunbar as the hero. How good was it ??? ... well I read it in 1.5 days on the beach, and I don't think I've read any book faster!!!

Dr Dunbar is an agent for Sci-Med, an elite government agency set up to deal with high tech crime in medicine and science. Hector Coombe, the baddie, confesses on his death bed to the rape and murder of a young girl. How can that be?? - an eminent scientist is already serving a life sentence and has been in jail for 9 years! There was a DNA match!!

Without giving away the story, this book is page turning stuff and at the end, Dunbar's special forces training comes to the fore!!!

What's in your garden shed?

Rivetting Page Turner, 14 Mar 2008
If you want to take an easy read for the beach/train/plane/ferry this is the book for you. You will be hard pressed to find a more eloquent and tailored prose making the book really easy to read and couple it with the thrilling plot, the pages almost turn themselves. It is a cracking thriller, the style reminds me of Alistair McLean and Freddy Forsyth. McClures plots are complicated and hinged on science and more often than not these events prove in reality to be quite credible. There is also an element of science based education carpeting the pages to keep you stimulated and plenty of clues and twists to feed the amateur detectives out there. Highly recommended.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, 01 Dec 2007
This is the third of the Ken McClure books that I have read in as many weeks and like the others I highly recommend it.

Unlike the others, it is quite confusing to start with and as usual there are a large number of misleading as well as helpful clues. I was completely led down the wrong track I am ashamed to say but thoroughly enjoyed being so misled!!

The basic plot is related to a break in at a bio research institue (which is fascinating in itself as there was a breach at one of the UK ones just a couple of months ago as the previous reviewer has said), and whereby one of the leading scientists there gets murdered. From there on in, all hell breaks loose and the clues go off on all kinds of wild threads but the two or three twists near the end will totally shock you you will not foresee them no matter how hard you try to work it out. The plot in places stands on its head, what you think is obvious at first appears to be a red herring, then you realise it isn't then it becomes the obvious again and then the final twist.......... ( I won't spoil it for you)!

Like the others, you won't be able to put it down.


Cracking Page Turner, 29 Nov 2007
I highly recommend it. A real thriller about a breach of a bio security lab thus resulting in the theft of the deadly Bird Flu Virus. But who has it and why?

Al Quaeda, terrorism, murder, and enough twists to keep you guessing till the end.

Light but fast reading, it is a real page turner.



ANOTHER WINNER......................, 10 Oct 2007
This is a great read and it makes the reader REALLY think about terrorism, 'shutting the stable door ....' as John Macmillan head of Sci-Med says. This is another in the Steven Dunbar series and I was unable to put it down. I am always amazed by Ken McClures foresight only weeks after this was published we had the incident at Pirbright. The prologue is enough to make your hair stand on end.!

Ken's done it again !!!!!!, 28 Jul 2007
Ken's done it again, he has written another BLOCKBUSTER of a book, that is very topical and very believable. Again Ken has mixed some current scientific facts with a pinch of imagination and come up with a great story that is gripping and fast moving. I highly recommend this book, and had recommended it to a good friend who works in the business of manufacturing bird flu vaccines, and he is now backtracking on Dr Dunbar's career so far.

Awesome tale!, 08 Aug 2007
George Galen is a brilliant (but insane) geneticist, black-listed for unethical and illegal genetic tampering. He has created a method to alter human DNA to heal diseases, but uses it to also "improve" those who receives his treatment. Galen makes his patients stronger, faster, able to heal quickly, and compliant to his will.

Dr. Monica Owens is one of the best thoracic surgeons in her field. Needing Monica to make his plans work, Galen has Wyatt, her six-year-old son, kidnapped. To keep Wyatt from harm, Monica must accompany Galen and his goons to an abandoned and forgotten nursing home. It is there that Galen has set up an impressive genetic lab, along with some unwilling test patients. Hating herself for what she is forced to do, Monica begins altering the DNA of the prisoners.

Lieutenant Colonel Frank Hartman is a brilliant (and sane) virologist. Working for the government's biohazard agency (BHA), he has discovered how to neutralize Galen's DNA-changing virus, V16. Needless-to-say, Galen is not happy.

***** This began as a short story titled MALPRACTICE which was published in a sci-fi magazine around 1977. After years of emails to each other, Card and Johnston expanded the tale to novel size.

Although this is a combination of sci-fi and medical thriller, with a little government military thrown in, it is labeled as simply fiction. If you expect to find a fantasy or sci-fi story in the lines of ENDER'S GAME, then you are going to be disappointed. This book proves that author Orson Scott Card has the rare ability to cross genres with his writing. So begin reading with an open mind and be prepared to be blown away! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

It's brilliant!!, 16 Feb 2008
A superb book!! Magical illustrations!! And should be available on the nhs!!. I have M.E. and this book has been a valued `Companion' in every sense of the word, in the loneliness, confusion and isolation that is such a major part of M.E.

Verity Red has been like a dear friend, we have laughed and cried `together', experienced similar symptoms and oh the number of times I've opened it and pointed parts out to my partner saying, "Look, it's not just me, it's part of the illness".

It's not just a book to be read and then left gathering dust, it can be read and re-read, and is extremely useful to refer to when trying to explain the effects and symptoms of M.E. to other people. I often used to think that the only way to explain the wild variation and also intensity of symptoms to someone unaffected by the illness would be for them to spend at least a week with me for 24 hours per day whilst I gave them a running commentary from minute to minute. Verity Red has lifted that energy draining burden from my shoulders for which I'm extremely grateful.

It's a wonderful book that I highly recommend.


An excellent read, 08 Feb 2008
Maria Mann has created in Verity Red a character who comes to life through the pages of this book. You will come to know Verity very well as you travel with her on a journey through a year in her life from a "Big long yawn... mouth open really wide" at 9.26 a.m. on Saturday 1st January to the last entry in her diary made twelve months later at 6.46 p.m. on Saturday 31st December (you'll have to read the book to find out what it is).

For the more pedantic reader, these dates set the 'action' in either 1994 or 2005 - but this is not a book about historical accuracy. This is a book about the human spirit and how it copes with adversity. Not, though, the thrilling sort of adversity faced by exciting, slightly larger-than-life characters, heroically overcoming impending disasters and thereby saving the planet from destruction. No, this is about the kind of adversity many of us face during some period in our lives: hard times from which there seems no escape.

In Verity Red's case, those 'hard times' take the form of M E. A quick Google search reveals M E stands for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (I'm not surprised people - particularly those who have it - shorten it to M E!) and this book recounts how she deals with the symptoms and the extra stresses and strains it places on her, including her relationship with her partner Ben, on a daily basis.

If you want to know more about the medical side of M E then I'd suggest a Google search is a good place to start (which will also reveal that the Americans seem to call it Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) but if you want to meet an endearing, funny, imaginative character whose take on life would have you laughing and 'on her side' regardless of her state of health, then read this book.

I have learned that one of the effects of M E is that it makes people very tired but this book is full of wit, energy, humour (not to mention insight into the human condition) and will have you rooting for Verity from the first few pages. I am sure we will see more from Maria Mann.

Buy It!!, 06 Dec 2007
I have reprimanded myself for not writing this review sooner.......but then at the time I was suffering from M.E. I am lucky enough to have recovered but I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone willing to take the time to read it. I bought the book on its release when I was ill and plan on going back to re-read it but each attempt has had me in tears to be reminded of how I felt and how so many are still in fact feeling.

If you have M.E. then buy it - it will have you laughing and crying but you will know your emotional rollercoaster is valid.

If you know anyone with M.E. then you should buy it as however much you think you understand.......this will enlighten you.



Dr's should be handing this out!, 15 Jul 2006
I can't recommend this book enough! It came into my life at a time when I had had ME for 4 years and was feeling totally isolated and misunderstood.

It's so funny and witty that you can't help but laugh out loud! More importantly it accurately portrays the feelings and frustrations of ME sufferers. I'd be reading parts and look around to tell everyone "That's me, that's me!!!" - of course everyone else was at work, but it made me feel better anyway!

I'd also suggest that friends and family of ME sufferers read this - it'll help explain what happened to that healthy, sane person you used to know!

As one previous reviewer wrote, the book is heavy, but you won't notice once you get past page one! I just felt like I got great value for money! It became like my new friend; whenever someone annoyed me with his or her ignorance, I'd just grab the book and stomp off - well as much as one can whilst limping with a walking stick!

Even if you're lucky enough to live a life untouched by ME, you'll still laugh, cry and enjoy the illustrations! Afterall, there's a little bit of Verity Red in all of us!


ME - A Personal Perspective, 02 Nov 2005
Never having come close to M E before this book was a revelation. I could feel the frustration as the author dissected her days into hours... minutes... trapped inside a house from which it was simply too exhausting to emerge.

Reading it from cover to cover in one sitting I was struck by how very much the author was on the outside looking in on all the usual day to day activities which she was unable to take part in. Anyone lucky enough to escape M E should stop themselves before they complain about the daily round of mundane tasks to be grateful that a trip to the dry cleaners doesn't take them a full day to recover from. They should also read this book to give them a real understanding of what it means day to day. It is rare to read a book that details the minutiae of living with an illness - most books are about the crises and dramas but this one gives you a real feeling of the unrelenting nature of coping with M E.

I should perhaps explain I have a personal interest in this book - the author is my sister-in-law who I have yet to meet - she is just not well enough to come along to family gatherings etc. I am now married to the "brother from Devon" described in the book who visits with his then wife and young son bringing the gift of kittens. I hope when we do eventually meet that it will be a less frenetic visit than the one described there. What I do know is that I will be meeting someone with a gentle but wicked sense of humour able to see the funny side in many of the grim aspects of her illness. I look forward to that day.

A REAL CRACKER!!!!, 01 Dec 2007
I have just read this and two other Ken McClure books and can't believe that this guy isn't more famous.

This is a real murder mystery in the old fashioned sense with a 'supernatural' twist - though perhaps even that choice of word can be debated!!! Are the patients suffering from some wierd brain tumour remembering past lives lived or are they suffering from a disease induced schizophrenia and how come they seem to know about things and places that occurred 1000's of years ago?

As the previous poster says, rogue priests chasing around in the hunt for some old christian artefacts leads the hero to discover some shocking goings on with fatal results!!!

This book is not only a fast paced page turner (you won't be able to put it down), but it has some unusual twists coupled with some intelligent information and scientific data that will stimulate as well as interest any reader who likes a bit thought to go with his book.


Fantastic Read, 29 Nov 2007
This is the thinking man's da vinci code. The book is full to the brim with rogue priests and ancient Nazarene artifacts, murder, mystery, a hint of conspiracy and a touch of the unusual (as usual).

A real page turner, I started it about 11pm before bed one night and was just putting it down about 6 hours later!!


A GRIPPING THRILLER................, 10 Oct 2007
This is another blockbuster from the pen of Ken McClure. The books main character is a neurosurgeon called Andrew Macandrew and is not a Steven Dunbar story. The story takes our hero from America to Scotland and on to Europe. Hypnotic regression is a fasinating subject and this is certainly a page turner. I beleive this book was written some years ago and is another example of Ken McClure's forward thinking. Dan Brown should be enternally grateful that it was not published earlier as this beats the DiVinci Code hands down.

Captivating thriller, 29 Jun 2007
A tense, fast-paced thriller with lives being ruined along the way. This novel is a brilliant read with interesting characters and a thrilling plot that races you through a world of revenge, lies and a battle for power.

ANOTHER FINE THRILLER FROM KEN MCCLURE !!!!, 01 Dec 2007
This is the second Ken McClure book I have read in as many weeks and like Past Lives is fast paced and a real page turner.

It begins like the previous reviewer has said with a confession of the real killer of a young girl and the hero of the book Dr Steven Dunbar has to work out why he has confessed and how the convicted killer came to be so convicted and why he had so much overwhelming evidence against him.

Working out who is responsible is difficult and there are a lot of complicated clues, which for the more intelligent discerning reader, are pure joy. This book, more than any other I have read in some time (and believe me I have read quite a number) is a real informative clueful joy, I would go as far as to say it is like verbal sedoku if there was such a thing.

I highly recommend it, but warn you, you won't be able to put it down so don't start reading it at midnight!!!

I loved this book!!, 29 Nov 2007
Yet another cracker from Ken McClure. Fast paced thriller that starts unusually with a confession from the real killer. So, how is it that someone else was convicted of a murder on crucial and indisputable evidence? Well that is for the author to know and you to find out, but you will thoroughly enjoy doing so. Fascinating reading.



Another Excellent Read From Ken McClure, 04 Dec 2005
Another highly enjoyable medical mystery featuring Dr Steven Dunbar. A death bed confession from a dangerous serial killer, leads Dunbar to suspect a grave miscarriage of justice has been done. Despite hostility to his investigation, he is determined to get to the truth.

McClure`s highly readable style of writing makes this another compelling entry in this series of books. Definitly recommended.

Dr Dunbar IS Dr Blockbuster, 28 Sep 2005
Following on from The Gulf Conspiracy (no Roslin here!), The Eye of the Raven is Ken McClure's new book with Dr Steven Dunbar as the hero. How good was it ??? ... well I read it in 1.5 days on the beach, and I don't think I've read any book faster!!!

Dr Dunbar is an agent for Sci-Med, an elite government agency set up to deal with high tech crime in medicine and science. Hector Coombe, the baddie, confesses on his death bed to the rape and murder of a young girl. How can that be?? - an eminent scientist is already serving a life sentence and has been in jail for 9 years! There was a DNA match!!

Without giving away the story, this book is page turning stuff and at the end, Dunbar's special forces training comes to the fore!!!

What's in your garden shed?

Rivetting Page Turner, 14 Mar 2008
If you want to take an easy read for the beach/train/plane/ferry this is the book for you. You will be hard pressed to find a more eloquent and tailored prose making the book really easy to read and couple it with the thrilling plot, the pages almost turn themselves. It is a cracking thriller, the style reminds me of Alistair McLean and Freddy Forsyth. McClures plots are complicated and hinged on science and more often than not these events prove in reality to be quite credible. There is also an element of science based education carpeting the pages to keep you stimulated and plenty of clues and twists to feed the amateur detectives out there. Highly recommended.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, 01 Dec 2007
This is the third of the Ken McClure books that I have read in as many weeks and like the others I highly recommend it.

Unlike the others, it is quite confusing to start with and as usual there are a large number of misleading as well as helpful clues. I was completely led down the wrong track I am ashamed to say but thoroughly enjoyed being so misled!!

The basic plot is related to a break in at a bio research institue (which is fascinating in itself as there was a breach at one of the UK ones just a couple of months ago as the previous reviewer has said), and whereby one of the leading scientists there gets murdered. From there on in, all hell breaks loose and the clues go off on all kinds of wild threads but the two or three twists near the end will totally shock you you will not foresee them no matter how hard you try to work it out. The plot in places stands on its head, what you think is obvious at first appears to be a red herring, then you realise it isn't then it becomes the obvious again and then the final twist.......... ( I won't spoil it for you)!

Like the others, you won't be able to put it down.


Cracking Page Turner, 29 Nov 2007
I highly recommend it. A real thriller about a breach of a bio security lab thus resulting in the theft of the deadly Bird Flu Virus. But who has it and why?

Al Quaeda, terrorism, murder, and enough twists to keep you guessing till the end.

Light but fast reading, it is a real page turner.



ANOTHER WINNER......................, 10 Oct 2007
This is a great read and it makes the reader REALLY think about terrorism, 'shutting the stable door ....' as John Macmillan head of Sci-Med says. This is another in the Steven Dunbar series and I was unable to put it down. I am always amazed by Ken McClures foresight only weeks after this was published we had the incident at Pirbright. The prologue is enough to make your hair stand on end.!

Ken's done it again !!!!!!, 28 Jul 2007
Ken's done it again, he has written another BLOCKBUSTER of a book, that is very topical and very believable. Again Ken has mixed some current scientific facts with a pinch of imagination and come up with a great story that is gripping and fast moving. I highly recommend this book, and had recommended it to a good friend who works in the business of manufacturing bird flu vaccines, and he is now backtracking on Dr Dunbar's career so far.

Please do not be put off by the cover, 04 Sep 2008
I bought this book after reading a wonderful review in a book shop, but I have to say the cover was a turn off. I bought it anyway and so enjoyed the book that I read it in a matter of days. The writing is wonderful and the characters appear unconnected but slowly draw you in with their stories - so much so, that they become part of your own thoughts when you put the book down.
An absolute gem!


Peripheral Vision, 25 Jan 2008
This is definitely one of those books that makes you miss your bus stop, the end of your lunch break, the reasonable time to go to bed... The plot is very cleverly constructed, flitting between the 1950s and 1990s, with short and tantalising snippets of each strand of the novel. All the characters are connected, and the intrigue of how they are connected is one of the things that keep you reading avidly. The other thing is the amazing characterisation. There is a fair amount of medical detail, and even that is interesting - it doesn't just feel like research plonked down into a novel to be showy (Ian McEwan anyone?). This is a very talented writer and I absolutely loved this book.

Love this book!, 20 Apr 2007
As a longtime admirer of Patricia Ferguson's writing, it is a pleasure to discover that Peripheral Vision shows her outstanding talent at its very best. Stucturally clever and unusual it loosely interweaves three stories set between the post-war period and the present day, their subtle relationship to each other emerging only gradually. The effect of this is a sort of elegant counterpoint that gives a satisfying shape to the book as well as an element of mystery. Tantalizing episodic intercutting sets up a pleasuable anticipation that keeps you urgently turning the pages. Pay attention, this is not a novel for lazy reading. This time Ferguson's medical expertise turns to opthalmology, the wonder of the "eye that worked both ways. it expressed, it shiningly conveyed emotion, understanding humanity itself." And understanding humanity is what this writer is about, its hard to know who is doing it better. Witty and incisive, she views her characters with compassion as they shape to the forces of history. And love and kindness and lovelessness, misunderstanding, snobbery and social status. Peripheral Vision is memorable for its wryness and humour, truth and sadness. And kindness, it showed me the importance of clarity and kindness.

outstanding vision, 13 Apr 2007
Peripheral Vision is Patricia Ferguson's second novel - she also has a collection of short stories out - and, like her first novel, is shortlisted for The Orange prize, which is some achievement. And it soon becomes evident why. Ferguson is definitely a real talent.
Peripheral Vision centres around the stories of several different characters, who ostensibly have only tenuous links to each other. Sylvia is a successful consultant ophthalmologist with a small baby. She has always succeeded at everything she has turned her mind to and is perenially prepared for every possibility, so why was she not prepared - and why does she sometimes fail to cope with - the demands of motherhood?

Ruby is a '50s housewife. Having struggled through a hard childhood, she has finally come good, with professional achievement, a loving husband and a beautiful son. So when a small accident leads to devastating sequelae, she takes it personally and never stops blaming herself.

Iris is a student nurse who falls in love with a dshing young medical student. Their romance seems set for an idyllic future. Or is it? Past events and future circumstances interplay to touch their lives forever.

Ferguson is one of the rare novelists who can write absolutely convincingly about medical matters with no cringeable faux pas, so I'm assuming she is medical herself. Yet here she combines that technical knowledge with a dazzling grasp of deeper themes - parent-child relationships, love, personal battles against past ghosts. Not only is she startlingly perceptive about matters of the heart but, like true masters of the genre of quality fiction dealing predominantly with people, such as Sue Miller and Anne Tyler, her deceptively simple writing masks a markedly assured and elegant style - her prose is crisp and clean but also marvellously insightful about personal lives. This is such a beautifully written and compelling novel that one devours it hungrily and is left immediately craving a follow up. My only two quibbles are these. Firstly, the twist that links all the characters together at the end is unnecessary and far-fetched - the looser, already established ties between them would have been perfectly sufficient and the extra link adds an unfeasible element which only detratcts from the previous plausibility of the stories. And secondly, although this is no reflection at all on Ferguson, I counted at least 13 petty but glaring mistakes that shuld have been easily detected at the proof-reading/subbing stage - I'll list them below in the hope that the publishers amend them for the next pressing. But apart from these minor cavals, this is a fine and engrossing novel from a talent I'm sure we'll be hearing more from in the future. 1/2

Subbing errors:

p7 - 'her mother' listed twice
p7 - one doesn't - and never could - do gynaecology as a junior house officer - it's a senior house officer job
p50 - If Iris is 19 years old in 1953, how can she be 6 in 1938?
p76 - the chapter title is wrong surely - shouldn't it be IRIS meets May Wilding?
p113 - 'anything I should to know' ?
p (not noted) - Sylvia has been a consultant for 5 years but is only 33 years old, implying she became a consultant at 28 years of age. But medical school and JHO jobs together take 6 years, while SHO jobs take a minimum of 1 - 2 years and registrar and senior reg years together take a minimum of 5 - 6 yrs - so unless Sylvia went to medical school several years earlier than the usual age of 18, this isn't plausible. If went to med school at 18, implies went from SHO to consultant in 4 years - impossible.
p 130 - should be seemed TO leap out
p159 - a few more months more?
p284 - the there was a raid?
p290 - should be sniffS not sniff
p290 - But she supposedly got on the train one stop BEFORE Will!
p312 - Who does she say 'you're wrong' as if he's referred to Adam as her husband? He didn't use the term husband at all.
p314 - just in just the wrong place?

(I've kept names out of above to not give away story as much as possible)
__________________

A hugely insightful novel, with keenly observed characters, 07 Apr 2007
The reader is drawn into an intriguing, contrasting mix of time, place and person with very human and multifaceted characters, seemingly unconnected,but with growing links as each chapter passes. Personalities show themselves at turns generous, kind and even heroic, and then weak, petty or vengeful. None are truly good or bad, but their interactions drive the narrative into thought provoking scenes, and none of them escape their formative influences of class or upbringing.
This book provoked much thoughtful and enjoyable discussion at the all male Redland Reading Group.

Awesome tale!, 08 Aug 2007
George Galen is a brilliant (but insane) geneticist, black-listed for unethical and illegal genetic tampering. He has created a method to alter human DNA to heal diseases, but uses it to also "improve" those who receives his treatment. Galen makes his patients stronger, faster, able to heal quickly, and compliant to his will.

Dr. Monica Owens is one of the best thoracic surgeons in her field. Needing Monica to make his plans work, Galen has Wyatt, her six-year-old son, kidnapped. To keep Wyatt from harm, Monica must accompany Galen and his goons to an abandoned and forgotten nursing home. It is there that Galen has set up an impressive genetic lab, along with some unwilling test patients. Hating herself for what she is forced to do, Monica begins altering the DNA of the prisoners.

Lieutenant Colonel Frank Hartman is a brilliant (and sane) virologist. Working for the government's biohazard agency (BHA), he has discovered how to neutralize Galen's DNA-changing virus, V16. Needless-to-say, Galen is not happy.

***** This began as a short story titled MALPRACTICE which was published in a sci-fi magazine around 1977. After years of emails to each other, Card and Johnston expanded the tale to novel size.

Although this is a combination of sci-fi and medical thriller, with a little government military thrown in, it is labeled as simply fiction. If you expect to find a fantasy or sci-fi story in the lines of ENDER'S GAME, then you are going to be disappointed. This book proves that author Orson Scott Card has the rare ability to cross genres with his writing. So begin reading with an open mind and be prepared to be blown away! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

It's brilliant!!, 16 Feb 2008
A superb book!! Magical illustrations!! And should be available on the nhs!!. I have M.E. and this book has been a valued `Companion' in every sense of the word, in the loneliness, confusion and isolation that is such a major part of M.E.

Verity Red has been like a dear friend, we have laughed and cried `together', experienced similar symptoms and oh the number of times I've opened it and pointed parts out to my partner saying, "Look, it's not just me, it's part of the illness".

It's not just a book to be read and then left gathering dust, it can be read and re-read, and is extremely useful to refer to when trying to explain the effects and symptoms of M.E. to other people. I often used to think that the only way to explain the wild variation and also intensity of symptoms to someone unaffected by the illness would be for them to spend at least a week with me for 24 hours per day whilst I gave them a running commentary from minute to minute. Verity Red has lifted that energy draining burden from my shoulders for which I'm extremely grateful.

It's a wonderful book that I highly recommend.


An excellent read, 08 Feb 2008
Maria Mann has created in Verity Red a character who comes to life through the pages of this book. You will come to know Verity very well as you travel with her on a journey through a year in her life from a "Big long yawn... mouth open really wide" at 9.26 a.m. on Saturday 1st January to the last entry in her diary made twelve months later at 6.46 p.m. on Saturday 31st December (you'll have to read the book to find out what it is).

For the more pedantic reader, these dates set the 'action' in either 1994 or 2005 - but this is not a book about historical accuracy. This is a book about the human spirit and how it copes with adversity. Not, though, the thrilling sort of adversity faced by exciting, slightly larger-than-life characters, heroically overcoming impending disasters and thereby saving the planet from destruction. No, this is about the kind of adversity many of us face during some period in our lives: hard times from which there seems no escape.

In Verity Red's case, those 'hard times' take the form of M E. A quick Google search reveals M E stands for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (I'm not surprised people - particularly those who have it - shorten it to M E!) and this book recounts how she deals with the symptoms and the extra stresses and strains it places on her, including her relationship with her partner Ben, on a daily basis.

If you want to know more about the medical side of M E then I'd suggest a Google search is a good place to start (which will also reveal that the Americans seem to call it Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) but if you want to meet an endearing, funny, imaginative character whose take on life would have you laughing and 'on her side' regardless of her state of health, then read this book.

I have learned that one of the effects of M E is that it makes people very tired but this book is full of wit, energy, humour (not to mention insight into the human condition) and will have you rooting for Verity from the first few pages. I am sure we will see more from Maria Mann.

Buy It!!, 06 Dec 2007
I have reprimanded myself for not writing this review sooner.......but then at the time I was suffering from M.E. I am lucky enough to have recovered but I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone willing to take the time to read it. I bought the book on its release when I was ill and plan on going back to re-read it but each attempt has had me in tears to be reminded of how I felt and how so many are still in fact feeling.

If you have M.E. then buy it - it will have you laughing and crying but you will know your emotional rollercoaster is valid.

If you know anyone with M.E. then you should buy it as however much you think you understand.......this will enlighten you.



Dr's should be handing this out!, 15 Jul 2006
I can't recommend this book enough! It came into my life at a time when I had had ME for 4 years and was feeling totally isolated and misunderstood.

It's so funny and witty that you can't help but laugh out loud! More importantly it accurately portrays the feelings and frustrations of ME sufferers. I'd be reading parts and look around to tell everyone "That's me, that's me!!!" - of course everyone else was at work, but it made me feel better anyway!

I'd also suggest that friends and family of ME sufferers read this - it'll help explain what happened to that healthy, sane person you used to know!

As one previous reviewer wrote, the book is heavy, but you won't notice once you get past page one! I just felt like I got great value for money! It became like my new friend; whenever someone annoyed me with his or her ignorance, I'd just grab the book and stomp off - well as much as one can whilst limping with a walking stick!

Even if you're lucky enough to live a life untouched by ME, you'll still laugh, cry and enjoy the illustrations! Afterall, there's a little bit of Verity Red in all of us!


ME - A Personal Perspective, 02 Nov 2005
Never having come close to M E before this book was a revelation. I could feel the frustration as the author dissected her days into hours... minutes... trapped inside a house from which it was simply too exhausting to emerge.

Reading it from cover to cover in one sitting I was struck by how very much the author was on the outside looking in on all the usual day to day activities which she was unable to take part in. Anyone lucky enough to escape M E should stop themselves before they complain about the daily round of mundane tasks to be grateful that a trip to the dry cleaners doesn't take them a full day to recover from. They should also read this book to give them a real understanding of what it means day to day. It is rare to read a book that details the minutiae of living with an illness - most books are about the crises and dramas but this one gives you a real feeling of the unrelenting nature of coping with M E.

I should perhaps explain I have a personal interest in this book - the author is my sister-in-law who I have yet to meet - she is just not well enough to come along to family gatherings etc. I am now married to the "brother from Devon" described in the book who visits with his then wife and young son bringing the gift of kittens. I hope when we do eventually meet that it will be a less frenetic visit than the one described there. What I do know is that I will be meeting someone with a gentle but wicked sense of humour able to see the funny side in many of the grim aspects of her illness. I look forward to that day.

A REAL CRACKER!!!!, 01 Dec 2007
I have just read this and two other Ken McClure books and can't believe that this guy isn't more famous.

This is a real murder mystery in the old fashioned sense with a 'supernatural' twist - though perhaps even that choice of word can be debated!!! Are the patients suffering from some wierd brain tumour remembering past lives lived or are they suffering from a disease induced schizophrenia and how come they seem to know about things and places that occurred 1000's of years ago?

As the previous poster says, rogue priests chasing around in the hunt for some old christian artefacts leads the hero to discover some shocking goings on with fatal results!!!

This book is not only a fast paced page turner (you won't be able to put it down), but it has some unusual twists coupled with some intelligent information and scientific data that will stimulate as well as interest any reader who likes a bit thought to go with his book.


Fantastic Read, 29 Nov 2007
This is the thinking man's da vinci code. The book is full to the brim with rogue priests and ancient Nazarene artifacts, murder, mystery, a hint of conspiracy and a touch of the unusual (as usual).

A real page turner, I started it about 11pm before bed one night and was just putting it down about 6 hours later!!


A GRIPPING THRILLER................, 10 Oct 2007
This is another blockbuster from the pen of Ken McClure. The books main character is a neurosurgeon called Andrew Macandrew and is not a Steven Dunbar story. The story takes our hero from America to Scotland and on to Europe. Hypnotic regression is a fasinating subject and this is certainly a page turner. I beleive this book was written some years ago and is another example of Ken McClure's forward thinking. Dan Brown should be enternally grateful that it was not published earlier as this beats the DiVinci Code hands down.

Captivating thriller, 29 Jun 2007
A tense, fast-paced thriller with lives being ruined along the way. This novel is a brilliant read with interesting characters and a thrilling plot that races you through a world of revenge, lies and a battle for power.

ANOTHER FINE THRILLER FROM KEN MCCLURE !!!!, 01 Dec 2007
This is the second Ken McClure book I have read in as many weeks and like Past Lives is fast paced and a real page turner.

It begins like the previous reviewer has said with a confession of the real killer of a young girl and the hero of the book Dr Steven Dunbar has to work out why he has confessed and how the convicted killer came to be so convicted and why he had so much overwhelming evidence against him.

Working out who is responsible is difficult and there are a lot of complicated clues, which for the more intelligent discerning reader, are pure joy. This book, more than any other I have read in some time (and believe me I have read quite a number) is a real informative clueful joy, I would go as far as to say it is like verbal sedoku if there was such a thing.

I highly recommend it, but warn you, you won't be able to put it down so don't start reading it at midnight!!!

I loved this book!!, 29 Nov 2007
Yet another cracker from Ken McClure. Fast paced thriller that starts unusually with a confession from the real killer. So, how is it that someone else was convicted of a murder on crucial and indisputable evidence? Well that is for the author to know and you to find out, but you will thoroughly enjoy doing so. Fascinating reading.



Another Excellent Read From Ken McClure, 04 Dec 2005
Another highly enjoyable medical mystery featuring Dr Steven Dunbar. A death bed confession from a dangerous serial killer, leads Dunbar to suspect a grave miscarriage of justice has been done. Despite hostility to his investigation, he is determined to get to the truth.

McClure`s highly readable style of writing makes this another compelling entry in this series of books. Definitly recommended.

Dr Dunbar IS Dr Blockbuster, 28 Sep 2005
Following on from The Gulf Conspiracy (no Roslin here!), The Eye of the Raven is Ken McClure's new book with Dr Steven Dunbar as the hero. How good was it ??? ... well I read it in 1.5 days on the beach, and I don't think I've read any book faster!!!

Dr Dunbar is an agent for Sci-Med, an elite government agency set up to deal with high tech crime in medicine and science. Hector Coombe, the baddie, confesses on his death bed to the rape and murder of a young girl. How can that be?? - an eminent scientist is already serving a life sentence and has been in jail for 9 years! There was a DNA match!!

Without giving away the story, this book is page turning stuff and at the end, Dunbar's special forces training comes to the fore!!!

What's in your garden shed?

Rivetting Page Turner, 14 Mar 2008
If you want to take an easy read for the beach/train/plane/ferry this is the book for you. You will be hard pressed to find a more eloquent and tailored prose making the book really easy to read and couple it with the thrilling plot, the pages almost turn themselves. It is a cracking thriller, the style reminds me of Alistair McLean and Freddy Forsyth. McClures plots are complicated and hinged on science and more often than not these events prove in reality to be quite credible. There is also an element of science based education carpeting the pages to keep you stimulated and plenty of clues and twists to feed the amateur detectives out there. Highly recommended.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, 01 Dec 2007
This is the third of the Ken McClure books that I have read in as many weeks and like the others I highly recommend it.

Unlike the others, it is quite confusing to start with and as usual there are a large number of misleading as well as helpful clues. I was completely led down the wrong track I am ashamed to say but thoroughly enjoyed being so misled!!

The basic plot is related to a break in at a bio research institue (which is fascinating in itself as there was a breach at one of the UK ones just a couple of months ago as the previous reviewer has said), and whereby one of the leading scientists there gets murdered. From there on in, all hell breaks loose and the clues go off on all kinds of wild threads but the two or three twists near the end will totally shock you you will not foresee them no matter how hard you try to work it out. The plot in places stands on its head, what you think is obvious at first appears to be a red herring, then you realise it isn't then it becomes the obvious again and then the final twist.......... ( I won't spoil it for you)!

Like the others, you won't be able to put it down.


Cracking Page Turner, 29 Nov 2007
I highly recommend it. A real thriller about a breach of a bio security lab thus resulting in the theft of the deadly Bird Flu Virus. But who has it and why?

Al Quaeda, terrorism, murder, and enough twists to keep you guessing till the end.

Light but fast reading, it is a real page turner.



ANOTHER WINNER......................, 10 Oct 2007
This is a great read and it makes the reader REALLY think about terrorism, 'shutting the stable door ....' as John Macmillan head of Sci-Med says. This is another in the Steven Dunbar series and I was unable to put it down. I am always amazed by Ken McClures foresight only weeks after this was published we had the inciden