This is my first Graham Brown book and it will not be my last. If his others are as good as this one, I'm hooked!

"The Eden Prophecy" tells of a cult that wants to use a biological weapon to destroy humans. It sounds like it's not a very original idea, but once you get into some of the religious aspects of it, as well as how it's to destroy humans, it's quite original.

In the story, we follow Hawker, a former CIA agent who's trying to get back into the good graces of the US intelligence world, as well as Danielle Laidlaw, an NRI (National Research Institute) operative, as they track those who have abducted and killed a former friend of Hawker's. This friend, Ranga Milan, was a geneticist with some unseemly views. Unfortunately, it appears as though a few recent biological attacks have Ranga's fingerprints all over them. Hawker and Danielle must try to find out the truth as well as hunt down those who wish to take Ranga's discoveries worldwide. Mixed into all of this is a subplot where seeds from the Garden of Eden must be found to complete the biological weapon.

SORT OF SPOILER ALERT: My only real disappointment in the book is that much of the end is based on events of previous a book(s). You certainly get hints of earlier adventures and that's OK. It really made me want to check those out. But once we got near the end, much of the motivation of some of the characters is based on prior events. This didn't really take away from the end, but I feel like had I read the earlier books, the end of "The Eden Prophecy" might have had a bigger impact on me. But this is by no means a reason not to read the book. If anything, start with "Black Rain" (like I wish I had). It would be nice if the book indicated that it included recurring characters and/or was a part of a "series." ( )

I received this book via Early Reviewers and it is the first Graham Brown I've read. As a prolific reader of thrillers, I was excited to delve into a new author. Unfortunately, the novel did little to make me want to explore Brown's works further. In many ways, including character development, plot devices, and pacing, I found "Prophecy" to be a bit cliche and uninspired. Hawker, Brown's ex-CIA protagonist, is the prototype dour, surly, loner chasing his own demons as well as the evil industrialist. Several other reviewers have commented on the "unbelievable" nature of the story. That - in and of itself - is not all that uncommon to the genre and does not seriously detract from the story. Conversely, the predictable nature of the plot and the dark nature of the majority of the characters does tend to make "Prophecy" a bit more of a chore to read than other novels of the genre. All-in-all, what I would consider a 'second-tier' of the thriller genre and a passable work for filling in between works of your more favorite authors. 2 stars out of five. ( )

I read a lot of this type of book. Some are witty, fast paced, intriguing, and often scientifically based. This book is a shallow attempt to break into the genre. Not too impressive. Nothing terrible but just a "poser". ( )

"The Eden Prophecy" is a thriller with a genetic/virus twist and the inclusion of a biblical historical background. The ex-CIA agent, Hawker teams up with an NRI operative to chase down a terrorist group who may have a world ending virus in their hands that they are prepared to set loose into the population.
A good read, but lacking in some areas, while over-detailed in others. ( )

This is a typical fast paced, farfetched, yet entertaining thriller novel with many twists and turns. This is a pretty good read as long as you pick it up with the right expectations. Many reviewers have mentioned that the book is very unbelievable, but the title should tell you that right away. The book was good enough that I will probably read more books from Graham Brown, but not so great that I will rush out and buy all of his earlier works immediately. ( )