Customer Reviews

The Messiah Code

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I thought the plot for this book was fantastic. The writing just didn't quite flesh out the characters enough to make the book impossible to put down. That is a serious shame, because it would have been fascinating to get to know some of the characters a little bit better. With that said, this is still a good weekend or plane ride book.

Alternate author considerations would be John Case or Dan Brown. Alternate title would definitely be "Footsteps of God".

Important Note: This title is a reprint of "The Miracle Strain", published in 1997.

Be aware -- this is actually Cordy's "The Miracle Strain" published under a new title (with a slightly updated author's note at the end). It is not a new book. The original was an excellent book, but if you already read/own it, don't buy this one.

It's probably not fair to review a book about genetics and religious mega-conspiracy so long after its original publication date -- too much water under the bridge with this genre. Even if the reader makes a firm commitment to avoid comparing it to "The Da Vinci Code," what about Lewis Perdue's "The Daughter of God" or James Rollins' "Map of Bones"? The list is huge.

This book was first published in 1997 as "The Miracle Strain," before many of the better-known religious conspiracy books.

Michael Cordy may have offered us an embarrassment of riches in combining the two main plot elements, religion and genetics. Neither element feels completely original, and there's a slight awkwardness in the way they fit together. To paraphrase Lewis Carroll, it's a bit like trying to believe six impossible things before breakfast. The travel's too easy, the geneticist's genius sidekick too naive, the science a little too shallowly portrayed, the ethical decision-making too facile. Oh, and the characters could have done with much more development

All that said, the book is an absorbing thriller and still a very good read. The plot manages to throw a few surprises at the reader, and even the predictable developments are reasonably well presented. I recommend this book for traveling or any time when your attention is partially committed elsewhere: you may not lose yourself entirely in it but you'll be able to pick it up and dive right back into it.

I too was disappointed that it was "The Miracle Strain" with a different name. If you like adventure mysteries with biblical history overtones I recommend "Dark Passage" by Junius Podrug. It will give you incite on the past and a rude awakening on the present. "The more things change, the more they stay the same"!!

For all you fans of The DA Vinci Code looking for another fix look no further: this is even better. Forget searching for Christ's burial place- and instead start searching for a sample of his DNA. What would you find there? The Genes of God? And what would you do with these genes? Great characters, thought provoking ideas, fantastic twists and an incredible ending. What more could you ask for?

I was very disappointed in the book. I'm not sure how to explain this without giving away too much of the book. So, if plan on reading the book and you want to be surprised read no further.....
The book is about the search for the "messiah" by matching his DNA. In chapter 19 they search their own database. In chapter 21 they are surprised when they find the messiah's DNA in someone else's database. The problem is the DNA was entered into their own database in chater 10. So, why didn't they find it when they searched their own database?

There's nothing better than books with wonderful plots, and this book's plot is exceptionally well formulated. The characters, however, were just a little bit more than pasteboard, but the story works. Highly recommended.

Other books I highly recommend is The Vatican Knights by Richard L. Jones and anything from Steve Berry and Vince Flynn.

I admit, I was suckered in by the title, after having read Angels and Demons, and I wasn't disappointed.

The plot revolves around a rather fascinating plot that works as being rather believable as well as entertaining.

If you enjoyed Angels and Demons/The Da Vinci Code, you will enjoy this book as much as I did.

I have to agree with other reviewers that the plot was really interesting and the book very good. I thought the characters were developed well, and the scientific information necessary to further the story was presented clearly at the right level. I did not figure this one out until right before the major twist was revealed, and really enjoyed the ending. I will definitely read more of Cordy's books in the future.

I thought this book was fantastic. Absolutly wonderful. I couldn't put it down. The characters are well stated and real to read. I'd suggest it to anyone who likes a good thriller...especially one that would tear the bounds of religious norms.