The Eden Prophecy

Written by Graham Brown

Narrated by Jeffrey Kafer

From Graham Brown, coauthor of the New York Times bestselling thriller Devil's Gate with Clive Cussler, comes The Eden Prophecy . . .

The wisdom of faith. The power of science. The evil of man.

In the U.N. building in New York City, a U.S. Ambassador contracts an unknown virus after opening a threatening letter. In a slum near Paris, a rogue geneticist is found dead, tortured and defiled. His last message, a desperate plea for help, was sent to an old friend and fellow outcast, the ex-CIA agent and former mercenary named Hawker. His final legacy appears to be the fingerprints he left all over the letter to the Ambassador.

Consumed by thoughts of revenge but fighting to see the truth, Hawker teams up with NRI operative Danielle Laidlaw on a quest to find the killers and track down the secrets his dead friend may have lost or sold.

From the streets of Paris to an underground auction in the catacombs of Beirut to the merciless deserts of Iran, Hawker and Danielle find themselves hunting a murderous cult leader whose scientific arsenal could lead humanity to a new Eden-or unleash hell on the Earth itself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Dec 4, 2018
• ISBN: 9781541448940

Reviews for The Eden Prophecy

[sentinel83 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really enjoyed this book. Good adventure and a very good pace. I've read only a few other books by Graham Brown but will keep an eye out for more books by him. The only thing that I have to mention is that it is hard for me to get into a main character with the name 'Hawker.' Just seems a bit odd for me...Other than that, a good, fun book.

[aztwinmom · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received this as an Early Review.The Eden Prophecy is a well-written, exciting thriller. The action is fast-paced and the threat of a virus in the hands of terrorists is timely. The threat has a nice twist. I enjoyed this book very much.

[jarratt_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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."

[finsrandl · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

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.

[labdaddy4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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".

[susegordon · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"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.

[wscott2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a typical fast paced, farfetched, yet entertaining thriller novel will 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.

[nettie195 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoy an exciting thriller and “The Eden Prophecy” does not disappoint. This novel mixes Biblical mythology, dangerous science and espionage to create a fast paced and enjoyable read. The plot is unraveled in such a way as to keep the reader enthralled and engaged. The characters are believable, their conversations believable and the narrative is well structured. A fun read and a great book for the beach!

[mattdocmartin · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Pretty standard "popcorn" novel, but enjoyable for what it is. Your disbelief gets a workout, to be sure, but the basic concept is fairly sound. (Won't spoil it, but there is fruit in the Garden. I give it 3 stars.

[altarasabine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A hard to put down fast paced thriller. A mix of both science and religion that tackles a hotly debated topic of today, over population. A real page turner with non-stop action. A little disappointed with the ending, the motive behind what the "heroes" are trying to stop from happening.

[afishcalledamy · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The Eden Prophecy opens at an excavation in the desert of Iran in 1979 at the height of the Iranian revolution. Two archeologists have just unearthed a mysterious scroll which may hold the secret to immortality, but before the scroll can be studied the Iranian military storms the camp, and the scroll is lost in the desert.Fast forward to modern day New York city inside of the United Nations. Ambassador Claudia Gonzales has just opened a letter which contains a virus that promises to unleash hell onto all of man kind. Enter NRI Agents Hawker and Laidlaw who are given the assignment of hunting down those responsible for sending the virus to the UN and unraveling the mystery behind the lost scroll. After reading a summary of this book I was pretty excited when I won a copy through Library Thing's Early Reviewer program. The combination of science, religion, and the possibility of a plague of apocalyptic proportion are right all up my alley. I couldn't wait for the book to arrive so I could get started. I was quickly disappointed.I found the entire first half of the book incredibly boring. Hawker and Danielle Laidlaw are annoying and have zero chemistry, and the book skipped around from location to location so quickly that it was sometimes difficult to follow. I had to force myself through the first 200 or so pages. Finally around the half way point with the introduction of a few more palatable characters (Sonia and Keegan doe example) and with several of the main plot points coming together the book did become a little more enjoyable. I almost started to LIKE the book. That is until the very end. Talk about corny, predictable (but still unrealistic) endings! Reuniting the orphaned child with her long lost grandmother AND curing her terminal illness using a serum created by her dead sister (and Hawker's former lover) all while relaxing on a beautiful Greek island. Give me a break.Over all, I really can't recommend this book. Maybe it is because I hadn't read any of the previous books in the Hawker/Laidlaw saga (I was assured that this booked could stand on it's own) and I just didn't know enough of their back story. But what it came down to for me was that the book was just far too tiresome and predictable and the main characters were pretty irritating and unlikable. I'd skip this one if I were you.

[cmeilink_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A virus is at risk of being spread throughout the world by a fanatical group and Hawker and Danielle Laidlaw are called in to prevent it.With roots of this story stretching back to the Garden of Eden, at first it's difficult to recognize the threat of this virus. Thinking that this virus was developed to extend life, it's difficult to imagine that not everyone would welcome being infected. However, thinking beyond the present and projecting into the future, one begins to realize the implications of increasing the life span of billions of people. It's up to Hawker and Danielle to find the scientists involved, find the Garden of Eden, and stop the group. Not a bad day's work.A good storyline and fast read. Received this book as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer copy.

[suetu_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The brainy, brawny, byzantine world of Graham BrownGraham Brown’s latest thriller opens, as these things often do, with a prologue. Not set in antiquity, but dealing with antiquities—specifically on an archeological dig in Iran, circa 1979, just as the American hostages have been taken. All hell is breaking loose in the country, and what is briefly found is quickly lost again. Next at the United Nations in present day New York, an American delegate opens a letter containing a lot more than empty threats. The building is quarantined.Soon after that, readers are reunited with Hawker and Danielle Laidlaw, the NRI operatives who are the male and female protagonists of two prior novels. (Knowledge of their previous exploits is nice, but not necessary for the enjoyment of this latest.) These two and the agency get dragged into the drama above through an acquaintance of Hawker’s colorful past. And that’s really about all you need to know. The fun of these books is in the twists and turns and non-stop forward momentum. Mr. Brown has always excelled at acceleration. His books move at a lightning pace. My favorite aspect of these novels continues to be the smart integration of science within the plots. Whatever the discipline (and he’s tackled quite a few at this point), the author always appears to have done his homework. In addition to the science, Brown’s prior novel, Black Sun, dealt with a well-known Mayan prophecy. This book, as the title indicates, returns to Judeo-Christian territory most creatively.Black Rain, the novel in which Danielle and Hawker were introduced, was very much peopled by an ensemble cast. The two characters were at their best when surrounded by and interacting with others. Alas, a lot of their associates tend to die, and as this novel opens the two alone are at the center of the action. Fortunately, as the story moves forward, the cast expands. For some reason, I still find these appealing characters to be at their best when they have others to play off of. It makes me wonder if I really do want these two to get together, while at the same time feeling frustration for the things that keep them apart. This novel wraps up reasonably completely, so there’s no indication of what to expect next from Mr. Brown or his characters. Whatever it is, I’m counting on it being brainy, brawny, and byzantine.