THE GENESIS PROTOCOL
Part 1
Certain laboratories and university research centers have recently discovered a way to make cells immortal. This breakthrough will enable numerous illnesses to be cured more easily, while prolonging life to a dramatic extent. One of man’s oldest dreams is just about to become reality.
And what would happen if everything changed faster than you could imagine?
Not only is research scientist Professor Victoria Steinberg a holder of many prestigious diplomas, but she also has a gift that sets her apart from her peers. If this gift is unique, it’s also problematic in the face of the traditional scientific establishment, because it’s destined to steer her work in an unusual direction that’s diametrically opposed to everything she’s worked on up to that moment.
She’s therefore forced to reconcile the paranormal with conventional research. But it’s thanks to this gift that alongside her team she discovers an unexpected method of slowing down the human biological clock by several decades… And yet a subject that should have stimulated an enthusiastic and passionate response by no means finds universal favor…
As with its predecessor, this next novel is based on fact, and the author leads us into a thrilling adventure where two philosophies come head to head: the old world versus the world of the future, destined to clash in a merciless battle…
“The latest thriller from our European Stephen King is perfect.”
The Point Magazine
In the secrecy of her laboratory, Professor Victoria Steinberg discovered the means to prolong the life in a spectacular way. What she is about to reveal during Leyla Brady’s show could therefore change the fate of humanity. But the “Genesis Protocol” would hinder far too many interests and the Masters of the Shadows are watching …
Subtle machinations are then deployed: Victoria doesn’t know it, but the doors of Hell are about to be opened…
PRESS REVIEWS
The Vanfanel Chronicle :
In the Antheor laboratory, Victoria Steinberg and her team have succeeded in unraveling the mystery of eternal youth. Well, not fully yet, because for the moment the process makes rejuvenation possible but it does not prevent cell degradation.
After unveiling her discoveries on a television show, her whole world changes rapidly. Indeed, some very influential people are not best pleased about the success of Dr. Steinberg’s experiments.
This is a book that I really enjoyed reading for several reasons.
I really liked the author’s style. The storytelling is fluid and events proceed in a very natural way. The dialogues are also very well written, devoid of anything that might feel superfluous, and it is easy to imagine each scene playing out.
The protagonists are fairly easy to focus on with the exception of secondary characters who, being of little plot importance, do not have elaborate dialogues. What I mean is that by their actions and the smallest remarks they make, it is clear who is worthy of trust and who might not be…
As for the story itself, I find it really interesting from the point of view of the reaction of the “bigwigs” if I may say so, because this type of scenario could in my opinion happen in other circles. People with power are present in all areas and do not welcome any potential weakening of that power, even if very small. The character of John-Patrick Sheppard is a glaring example. As soon as he thinks his wallet might shrink by even an inch, he moves heaven and earth to stop this from happening.
I’m now going to go into a little more detail about the characters that caught my attention. First of all there is Dr. Victoria Steinberg, a strong and intelligent woman who fights for an evolution of the scientific way of thinking with her experiments which defy conventional wisdom. I found this character to be really interesting, especially when it came to her ability to see the electromagnetic fields that surround people. This ability allows her, and by extension the reader, to know what type of person she is dealing with by looking at the energy surrounding them. I’m not necessarily talking about whether or not she can trust them, but she can at least tell if the person in front of her is happy with their life or not.
Next is Jenny, a female chimpanzee who receives treatment from Dr. Steinberg’s team. She is a character who does not add much to the plot itself and yet occupies a fairly important place. She brings a welcome dose of humor to each of her scenes.
Now it’s the turn of Michael Cogan, a former police officer who decided he would prefer to be a private detective. He is a very charismatic and endearing character. You can tell from his first appearance that he is someone you can trust. Although he does not appear until towards the end of the book, in my opinion he is of crucial importance to the plot.
Finally we have Allan Monsfeld, an executive of an insurance company called Copernicus. He is an intelligent and very powerful man who, along with the rest of his employees, supports Dr. Steinberg’s research. To tell you the truth, I have a little trouble understanding him, because during his discussions with Victoria he seems ready to do anything to help her while when he talks of her to with his staff we have the impression that she is only a cannonball.
I will close by telling you about one aspect that I really found the most fascinating throughout my reading, and that is the search for the “bad guy.” My suspicions fell on a lot of characters before I was really sure of their identity. The author cleverly manages to make us suspect even figures close to Dr. Steinberg.
Conclusion: a very good thriller to which I am already impatiently awaiting the sequel!
Chronicle of W. as for Women:
While young researcher Victoria Steinberg seems to have discovered a revolutionary process for rejuvenating human beings, economical and moral issues are generating envy and jealousy…
Some laboratories and university research centers have recently discovered a way to make cells immortal, acting as a real rejuvenator on the physiology of animals and it would seem humans. These discoveries will make it easier to cure a number of diseases and dramatically extend life. And what if everything is to change faster than we imagine … Victoria Steinberg is a star graduate and researcher, but she also has a gift that sets her apart from her colleagues. It is all thanks to the gift that she and her team of scientists have discovered – an unexpected way to delay the human biological clock by several decades. This process has been successfully tested on chimpanzees. But what should create a wave of enthusiasm is not to everyone’s taste… Victoria will very quickly be confronted with unforeseen difficulties, with a rapidly changing set of rules…
Once she succeeds in testing her seemingly successful protocol on human volunteers, the nightmare will truly begin for her. Victoria comes under regular and sneaky attack from high-ranking people and a powerful pharmaceutical group. Her work is sabotaged, her teams infiltrated …
Starting with a scientific basis close to current reality, the novel grows in strength, keeping the reader in suspense until the end, with many characters hovering in the shadows… The reader goes along, holding their breath all along, hoping against hope until the very end that things “will get better”, where they realise they won’t… Didier Latil
The ELLE magazine:
The novel is captivating, with a gripping scientific intrigue, a situation which gets worse and worse, revolving around a sensitive heroine endowed with a special power but who doesn’t dominate the work, if anything rendering it all the more credible. The end of this first volume is quite surprising, and it is difficult to know where the author wants to take us… an excellent thing to whet the reader’s interest. V.L.
Chronicle of The Mediateaser:
In the secret Antheor laboratory, Victoria Steinberg has developed a revolutionary protocol to delay the biological clock by several decades. Mankind’s oldest dream is therefore about to come true. However, the Genesis protocol has not gone unnoticed, and will quickly become the object of much envy …
This is the starting point of this captivating novel by David Hepburn. A subject that some could qualify as science fiction and yet research is currently being done in this area. All the more pleasurable to read because the story is very well written from start to finish. Endless twists and turns, endearing characters and a real crescendo in the plot.
Truly a novel that I devoured for you. The only small problem is perhaps the rather bloody and detailed prologue, which once read is quickly forgotten. However, do not expect to know at the end who is responsible for the whole thing, indeed a sequel is planned for 2010 and the least we can say is that the author knows how to make his readers want more. Mathieu M.