REVIEW: The Orlando File : A Genetic Conspiracy Thriller, by Ian C.P. Irvine

Rating: ★★★★☆

(spoiler free review)

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense

Summary: Kerrin, the heroin, is a retired cop and now a journalist. He gets a call from his sister to tell him his brother-in-law is in trouble and trying to get out of America to save his life. Why?

He is part of a team of six scientists, all of whom are believed to have committed suicide within the space of a week of each other. But Kerrin is convinced these suicides are far from that, and now he has made himself a target.

These scientists all worked for a research company and were leading geneticists who were working on a project of creating a drug/programme that could prove to be an anti-dote for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, called The Orlando File.

Kerrin soon embarks on a journey, to both save his life, and avenge those of the six scientists whilst trying to find The Orlando File, which if he proves he has, could save his life, and those he loves. But he finds out the clock is ticking as his wife is taken and the race continues in a tense and shocking conclusion.

Pros:

1. Characters were well developed and interesting
2. Numerous plot twists, both for the reader and the main character, Kerrin
3. The story often changed perspective from character to character, without giving too much of the story away to the reader
4. Once I got past the brief lulls in the first half, I found the second half a lot faster paced and gripping

Cons:

1. The pace of the book was a bit slow in places, and personally I found it hard to remain concentrated and engaged but this was just the author building suspense but for me it was a bit too drawn out
2. Was left a little confused with the epilogue.. not sure if I actually assumed the correct conclusion or what
3. The business conversations etc were a bit too long for my interest and I found I was skipping bits to just get more of the overall story read

Overall:

This was a gripping suspense-filled thriller and I read the remaining 92% of the novel in 2 days. It was an original concept and an enjoyable read!

Despite the personal drawbacks of the book, overall for what it suggested it was, it delivered. It's a captivating (for the most part) page-turner and a drama-filled thriller, that doesn't disappoint.