Book Review: Origin by J.T. Brannan

Origin
J.T. Brannan
Headline Publishing Group, October 2012
ISBN 978-0-7553-9684-9
Trade Paperback

{Note: this is not available from a US publisher at the present time.}

From the publisher—

The secret of humanity’s origin has lain buried for millennia. And now it threatens to destroy us all.

Scientist Evelyn Edwards and her team are researching ice caps in the Antarctic when they discover a body that must have been buried 40,000 years ago. But it looks like nothing they’ve ever seen before, it’s not a primal man but something else. While transporting the body back to America the entire team are killed but Evelyn manages to escape.

On the run and alone she turns to her ex-husband Matt  Adams, a former member of an elite government unit, and together they find themselves caught up in a race against time that takes them from Area 51 to the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva where they uncover the biggest conspiracy of all time.

As the saying goes, “Whoa, doggies!” If you’re looking for a nice, gentle read that leaves you with a feeling of comfort and peace, Origin by J.T. Brannan is not the book you want. If, on the other hand, you have a yen for a thriller that leaves you pretty nearly breathless on every page, then grab this and go curl up in a comfy chair.

There are thrillers and then there are thrillers. This is the kind that takes you on a wild action adventure ride of improbabilities and I loved every minute of it (well, maybe not so much the scene with the teeth). Lynn Edwards and Matt Adams, two characters I have to say have been added to my list of favorites, are perfectly suited to each other and kudos to the author for making them true equals in intelligence and abilities even though their strengths are different. They complement each other .

They also have luck, a lot of it, and it’s both kinds. Just when you think the bad guys are going to get the best of them, they manage to pull the fat out of the fire but the truth is the bad guys are insanely capable of winning the day. Conspiracy, mad scientists, corrupt government and incredible chase scenes abound but how can you have a good thriller without them? Throw in a bit of science fiction and international intrigue and a dash of pre-history and you’ve got a wild few hours of pure entertainment ahead of you.

And, my goodness, what a heck of a twist at the end.

I quite simply love this book. There’s no question you have to suspend your disbelief but, hey, that’s what a great action adventure thriller is all about, isn’t it? I do have one grumble—I would really like to see Lynn and Adam again but Mr. Brannan says he doesn’t intend to have a sequel, at least, not anytime in the near future. Oh well, I’ll just have to look forward to his next book even if they won’t be there. I think the wait will be well worth it.

One last note—if you’re one of those readers who just has to peek at the end to see what’s going to happen, DON’T DO IT! I promise you’ll regret it because the last few pages will ruin the book for you. I’m not kidding.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, October 2012.