Bloodsworth Island [Paperback]

Jeff Slate (Author), David Rearden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 13, 2001

Dr. Gallagher has established a bio-research facility on Bloodsworth Island, a remote island in the Chesapeake Bay, using money diverted funding from government medical research contracts. He has developed a technologically advanced approach to mass murder. His target is everyone he considers to be genetically inferior, and he is ready to exterminate the 300 million people who are carriers of a particular genetic disease.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Terrorism isn't limited to war. It can also be used to promote a social philosophy or a dictatorial pseudosavior like Dr. Marcus Gallagher, director of the Davenport Center on Bloodsworth Island in Chesapeake Bay. He believes that those who have hereditary diseases are the scum of the earth, if not downright evil--they are menaces to "pure people," you see--and his center's mission is to wipe them out. Gallagher has something sinful or illegal on each of the center's physicians, scientists, and assistants, whom he blackmails into absolute obedience. He plans to infect birds with a specially designed virus, release them worldwide, and thereby purify the earth. Dr. Gene Nolan, our hero, slowly realizes what is going on but endures psychological and physical torture before he destroys the plan. Those who remember Jack London and such promoters of eugenics as Hitler know that the narrow-minded and almost religious fervor Nolan is up against is all too real. Slate and Rearden's thought-provoking novel alerts those who don't remember that reality. William Beatty
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 313 pages
• Publisher: PublishAmerica (February 13, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1588513513
• ISBN-13: 978-1588513519
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,110,269 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, July 10, 2001

By 

Debbie Lee Wesselmann (the Lehigh Valley, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bloodsworth Island (Paperback)

I really wanted to be able to write a positive review for Rearden and Slate's Bloodsworth Island. I have a soft spot for new authors, and for that reason briefly considered whitewashing my evaluation. In the end, however, I felt compelled to be honest: this book lacks strength in almost every area.

That's not to say there aren't elements here to praise. These two new authors clearly love to tell a story and know something about creating suspense, essential in a thriller. So what failed? The prose is bland and often awkward, and the characters, despite the authors' attempts to lay details on top of them, are two-dimensional. The main character, supposedly a man bright enough to be a doctor, someone who has come created an ingenious marker to identify cystic fibrosis carriers (and "genetically perfect" to boot) demonstrates the wit of a flea. I don't care if he IS a member of a cult; a man of that intelligence should have sensibilities greater than those of a five year old child. The authors seem to have confused brainwashing with brain removal. As for the premise, that cult leader Dr. Gallagher, with his evil genetic purity plan, has positioned himself favorably largely by his government contracts and contacts, is preposterous. The security clearance process required of people working on top secret projects (even if they don't work directly for the government) would reveal at once a cult, something the US goverment would dump in an instant. The above are just a few of many holes in this book.

Rearden and Slate have accomplished what many aspiring writers never do: a finished book. Now they need to learn that a novel is more than an idea, a plot. Once they incorporate all the elements of fiction into their work, weaving each into the whole of the others, they will be well on their way to careers as fiction writers. I wish them the best of luck.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As frightening as tomorrows headlines...., July 9, 2001

By 

Beverly J. Rowe "MyShelf.com" (Kenai, Alaska USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bloodsworth Island (Paperback)

Dr Marcus Gallagher, the administrator for the closely controlled Bloodsworth Island facilty, wants to rid the planet of all genetically interited disease. His scientists live on an island in a cult-like atmosphere where their every move and thought is controlled so that they are able to concentrate on the jobs at hand and not be bothered by the day-to-day personal peressures that affect the rest of us.

Gene Nolan is the Bloodsworth Island research scientist that was instrumlental in developing a virus to attack the disease transmitting gene for Cystic Fibrosis and a test to pinpoint that gene. When the entire Orani Indian colony in Ecuador that the Bloodsworth Island scientific team is testing sicken and die, Gene begins to suspect that they have been deliberately murdered using his experimental virus. His suspicion begins to point to the idea that perhaps Dr. Gallagher and his administrative team want to rid the Earth of all genetically transmitted gene carriers.

In a suspensful, fast reading first novel, Slate and Rearden have come up with a truly frightening concept involving genetic research, and the strange gullibility of dedicated humanitarians. When Gene starts thinking in terms of the numbers of people this mass murder would involve, it becomes unthinkable; he must stop this insanity.

This Action packed suspense novel really gave me some things to think about...and maybe changed my mind on previous ideas about genetic research. I'm looking forward to more innovative ideas from this team...a bright star in the new author galaxy. Beverly Rowe, reviewer for myshelf.com.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Intrigue and terrorism -- biochemical warfare., July 15, 2001

By 

Victoria Tarrani "writer, editor, artist, des... (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bloodsworth Island (Paperback)

The premise for the book is chilling and realistic, particularly with the amazing developments in the science of DNA mapping, cloning, and stem cell creations. The cover art is masterful. The name of the island (which actually is in the Chesapeake Bay) seems to be a complex synopsis of the premise (as in worthy blood). Bloodsworth Island is owned by the federal government, which suits the intrigue and plausible terrorism in the scenario.

Dr. Marcus Gallagher could easily pass for the charismatic Jim Jones or the youthful Adolf Hitler. He has established a bio-research facility with the goal of eradicating those that he has judged to be genetically inferior humans. He exerts cult-like control and indoctrination over all of his employees, but the devotion of highly educated scientists is not realistic.

The hero is Gene Nolan, a research physician who lost his residency and could never get another job until this golden apple was offered to him. I immediately thought that Dr. Gallagher had arranged this before the story begins. Being jobless and unemployable is what Dr. Gallagher holds over him, but it is not a strong enough reason to support the loss of individuality that is required. There are no ex-employees, except in graves.

The writing is disjointed and hard to follow, almost as if too much information was edited out in trying to create a more mysterious environment. "...The clandestine practice of medicine..." is a clue to the intrigue with the overtones of "black arts" or witchcraft and wizards, which does fit the story.

These are good ideas that need further development. Future books by Slate and Rearden should be a real treat.

Victoria Tarrani