Brains medical thriller book review

If you lost the use of your legs and had an opportunity to walk again, would you care what and who were used in the research to make your dream come true?

When CIA agent Cameron Hansen receives a call from his friend Mitzi Lenz, an FBI pathologist, regarding her missing father, they soon are embroiled in a desperate race to thwart Hansen’s old enemy, Juan Carlos Perez, a powerful tech magnate and international drug trafficker. Perez is doing secret experimental brain implant operations on victims kidnapped from Mexican farms. As Cameron and Mitzi struggle to understand the purpose of the hi-tech brain implants, Perez draws closer to his ambitious goal. He ensnares the brilliant and enigmatic Dr Overbridge, one of the world’s top neurosurgeons, to perform the complex surgery by promising redemption for a past mistake that led to a terrible tragedy.

Overbridge is haunted by the woman he killed and the son he maimed, but also by the dozens of men he killed as a sniper in Vietnam. He is determined to use the new technology to exorcise his demons. As the experiments continue, Perez’s men try to clean up all the loose ends, including Cameron, Mitzi, and anyone who has seen the surgery. If Perez can’t be located and stopped, the consequences for the entire world will be devastating.

Duffy’s Thoughts On Brains by Jaq Wright

I get a lot of self, or independently published books for review and most emails are poorly written, not personalised and quite frankly, terrible synopsis. However, Jaq’s email stood out. The premise of the story was of immediate interest to me and Jaq had pitched it to me perfectly, hitting all the things I enjoy in a thriller read.

The writing is strong and within a few minutes of reading there was a bombshell plot-twist and then again not long after. The plot continued in this vein, picking up the pace and introducing well-developed characters at just the right times. I really loved the character of Dr Overbridge and I agree with Jaq that Jeff Goldblum would play the part just perfectly.

As dark as the themes are, I can’t help but think how close to home they are. Humans are discarded and seen as disposable today in all manner of ways. We are not all equal, and technology is moving faster than our laws and ethical values can catch up.

Brains reminded me of Skin Job by Bruce McCabe, one of the first books I ever reviewed and all these years later it still stays with me. Brains will also stay around and stand out amongst many of the hundreds of books I have read and reviewed.

If you’re looking for a thrilling read that’ll have you thinking long after the last page, I strongly suggest downloading a copy of Brains!