From Publishers WeeklyTwo strangers, American David Martinez and Englishman Simon Quinn, become involved in two apparently unconnected strands of what's revealed as one unified conspiracy in Knox's problematic second thriller, which like his first, Genesis, casts recent human evolution in an unorthodox light. At the urging of his late grandfather, Martinez sets out to learn his family's true history, while Quinn looks into a series of brutal murders involving victims connected to the Basque regions of Spain and France. Both men find answers in the tumultuous history of the Pyrenees and Namibia, answers with implications so terrible that the Catholic Church is willing to conspire with a murderous Basque terrorist to conceal them. Repeated violent confrontations with supposedly deadly assassins somehow never quite result in the protagonists' deaths. That Knox, the pseudonym of British journalist Sean Thomas, supplies a rational basis for the Nazi genocide may offend some readers. (May) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Praise for The Babylon Rite:Knoxs greatest strength is coming up with original anthropological mysteries. Knox provides a surfeit of gruesome detail, but readers with strong stomachs... will be satisfied. Publishers WeeklyKnox weaves a compelling, violent tale, peppered with plenty of sex, that will appeal to ancient conspiracy fans comfortable with the graphic content. BooklistHistorical, adventure, and suspense fans unite! Any Da Vinci Code fan will also love the fact that the Knights Templar are once again being revisited, and their reputation is darker than ever before. And although there are horror scenes galore, the research is extremely invigorating and the mystery is beyond cool. Amy Lignor, Suspense MagazineTom Knox returns with an electrifying new novel. A rapid fire pace, absorbing storyline and plenty of action propels this well researched if grisly tale to a chilling conclusion. The finely nuanced characters and excellent setting development coupled with ancient cultures practicing shocking rites grabs readers attention like a vise and doesnt let go until the final page. The Moche and Templars definitely existed and Knoxs version of how they were possibly connected is an interesting idea to contemplate. This is an outstanding if gory mystery that while predictable in places, delivers a fine tale. Monstersandcritics.com Mystery Book sPraise for The Lost Goddess:Mr. Knox's speculations are good ones, making you wonder what might really have been going on in dictators' secret laboratories. The Wall Street Journal"How terrific to find a new thriller in which the dramatic action emerges from an exemplary mix of first-rate research, interesting politics and credible characters! The Dallas Morning NewsA globetrotting adventure with shades of Dan Brown and Indiana Jones....A page-turner." -- Suspense MagazineCombines elements of the best of several genres, shakes them up, then lays them out in surprisingly original patterns.... Knox doles out enough tantalizing scientific, social, and spiritual lore to sate even the hungriest anthropological thriller reader." -- Publishers WeeklyPraise for The Marks of Cain:"Tom Knox knows the DNA of an astonishing thriller." -- Jeff Abbott, bestselling author of Adrenaline and The Last Minute"An intriguing, well-told story." BooklistPraise for The Genesis Secret:[The Genesis Secret] makes one want to tear through the pages to find out what happens next. The Dallas Morning News"Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code brought on a flood of tomb-raiding thrillers. I enjoyed Tom Knox's The Genesis Secret best." The Minnnesota Star-Tribune"Sinister, macabre, relentless and rich...The ideal blend of both The Da Vinci Code and Raiders of the Lost Ark." Bill Loehfelm, author of The Devil in Her Own Way"Everything one could want in a thriller: a plot that keeps you hooked, heroes worth cheering for, and a brilliantly maintained air of menace." Jon Fasman, author of The Geographer's Library and The Unpossessed CityAbout the AuthorTom Knox is the pseudonym for the journalist and writer Sean Thomas. He lives in London. what goes into making a website The Marks of Cain: A Novel
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Keep the Wheels TurningBy Karilynn WilliamsonI first found Tom Knox in an airport in the form of "The Genesis Secret". Since finishing that book, I had been eagerly awaiting Knox's second novel. I was no disappointed.Having taken a Creative Writing since reading "The Genesis Secret", I can say for sure that Knox has found the formula for a truly suspenseful, yet thoughtful thriller. Knox seems to thrive off several themes in his novels: hideous, gory, torturous murders; questioning the religious authority and the validity of their statements; mental insanity as the true villain; and the interweaving of storylines and information. "The Marks of Cain" contains all these elements and then some.As a narrator, Knox has the uncanny ability to move the plot forward. Furthermore, he manages to keep us tuned into his main character's thoughts and emotions without putting on the brakes to do so. The revelation of information is executed in a manner that kept me from sleep in the night between the middle and the end of the book. Rather than tell us everything at once, he has us become a character in his story by giving us the bits and pieces the two main characters have. The audience must attempt to construct the solution until the very end, so much so that the need to know the answer becomes the kind of hunger eats away at you until you can stand it know more.Knox develops his characters appropriately, introducing us to a character's past in a manner that is meaningful to the story but also natural. Flashbacks, revelations of past events and relationships fit within the realm of Knox's book flawlessly, as reactions to emotional triggers or probing questions relevant to furthering the plot. But most of all, "The Marks of Cain" provides deeper motivations for the characters than "The Genesis Secret" did. In his second novel, Knox managed to clean up one of the few weak spots in his writing.Knox knocks it out of the park again. But buyer beware. This book is not for the faint of heart.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Bit of a DisappointmentBy Yolanda S. BeanLike in The Genesis Secret: A Novel, "Knox" (pseudonym for British journalist Sean Thomas) weaves together an exciting plot with sympathetic characters and adds in some history and a beautiful setting to create a very entertaining and readable novel. It starts off a bit slowly, but once the action begins, it hardly takes a break as the characters are flung into one dangerous situation after another. Still, it is a less impressive sophomore novel than I had hoped for. The "revelation" at the end of the book hardly took me by surprise and at least in the hard cover edition, there is not an "acknowledgements" page with sources used or anything to support any of the "research" done. Which is fine - this is a fiction novel after all, but it would have been nice to see something either giving credit where due, or making a note to those interested in the Basque people and region what resources to begin reading on their own for more (factual) information. I know I would have enjoyed a "Suggested Reading List" or something along those lines, because as soon as I finished the novel, I started looking into the history of the Basque people and region on my own. And while this was not his most impressive work, it wasn't so terrible that I won't continue to watch out for his new books. He certainly has a flair for coming up with unique ideas!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Nice early effort, not as tight or polished as later books.By E. TalericoThis is one of Mr. Knox's earlier outings - all the elements are in place, but "The Marks of Cain" isn't as tight or polished as the later books. Still a good read though!