The Project [Mass Market Paperback]

Jan Coffey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2007

The nation is gripped by the shocking crimes: "good kids" who are suddenly, inexplicably lethal, shooting their classmates before fatally turning their guns on themselves. When Connecticut mom Dr. Lexi Bradley gets the call that her son Juan has become one of those shooters, her life is turned upside down.

Ten years ago, Secret Service agent Bryan Atwood became an expert on school violence. Now the nightmare is back. Just as he is assigned to this new rash of killings, an MRI of Juan's brain reveals what must be pure science fiction. With Lexi's help, Bryan is determined to unearth the truth before more children die, but investigating a cross-country trail of buried horrors casts them both into a dangerous world where corporate greed can lead to sudden death.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Mira (January 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778324060
• ISBN-13: 978-0778324065
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,405,183 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jan Coffey
(a.k.a. Nikoo & Jim McGoldrick)
Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick are storytellers with a checkered past.
From the submarine shipyards of Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut, and the clubs of Rodeo Drive, to the forges of Pennsylvania and the electronics manufacturers of Massachusetts, these two have spent their lives gathering material for their novels. Nikoo, a manufacturing engineer, and Jim, who has a Ph.D. in sixteenth-century British literature, wrote their first full-length novel in 1994. Since then, Jim and Nikoo have written twenty-seven novels and a work of nonfiction, and they are presently focusing their imaginations on producing romantic suspense thrillers with a decidedly technological slant.
The "Jan Coffey" pseudonym, one of several they have used, is actually a play on their own names: Jan is an acronym for "Jim and Nikoo," and Coffey is Nikoo's maiden name.
These prolific and popular authors have been the recipients of numerous awards for their work. They now reside in Watertown, Connecticut.

Visit us www.JanCoffey.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Far-fetched and unexplained plot, but good writing/interesting premise/characters, May 17, 2009

By 

Peabody823 (IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Project (Mass Market Paperback)

This was intense and interesting, but the authors never gave a reason why the teens all acted out the same way and why it all happened at the same time. Also, the only way the ending works is if Coffey plans on a sequel, otherwise it just doesn't leave the reader with closure. A fast-paced, exciting read with a touch of romance, albeit feeling incomplete and a bit far-fetched; I'll probably give Coffey another try.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent thriller, March 4, 2007

By 

mahikahn (Columbus, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Project (Mass Market Paperback)

Very good book. I read it in a day. There wasn't a lot of endless technical jargon, but just enough to understand what the project was about and how it went so wrong. Looking at the human scientific experiments performed in Nazi prison camps, in American insane asylums, and by intelligence agencies the "project" was horribly plausible. There are researchers, companies and agencies that consider some people to be "throwaways"; the homeless, mentally ill, abandoned children, etc. As lay people we would be naive to believe that there is a limit to what technology is possible.

One of the things I liked best in this book was that although the two leads were slowly building towards a relationship, the suspense was front and center. I've read most of Jan Coffey's books and have never been disappointed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars hold onto your seats, January 5, 2007

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Project (Mass Market Paperback)

A recent rash of mass killings at schools fails to fit the previous profile. Instead of bullied loners living in small towns, the murderers are intelligent, do well in school, are popular and participate in activities. The latest one is in Westfield, Connecticut where fifteen year old honor student Juan Bradley fired shots at a teacher and students, but miraculously no one died though seven injuries occurred. What makes this case unique is Juan is the first of the six shooters in the last month to survive; though he lies in a coma.

The FBI brings in Secret Service Agents Bryan Atwood and forensics psychologist Hank Gardner who worked together on the Secret Service Safe School Initiative project ten years ago. They are considered the experts though neither wants to return to this world. They head to Connecticut to learn why a good happy kid began shooting. There they meet Juan's adoptive parent Dr. Lexi Bradley, who insists her son is in danger from an unknown assailant. As they work the case, the two agents begin to agree with the beleaguered mother as evidence mounts that not only is Juan in danger so are they and that the teen is not responsible for the mass shooting; but whoever is has powerful connections.

THE PROJECT takes off at lightning speed and never slows down as Lexi and Bryan begin to uncover a horrific truth that makes the belief that Juan went over the edge seem minor in comparison. The story line is filled with action yet the key cast members seem genuine especially the lead duo. Most frightening is the scenario that they uncover seems plausible in today's secretive America. Though the romance between Lexi and Bryan appears a forced unnecessary subplot, readers will hold onto their seats as they learn just what THE PROJECT is.

Harriet Klausner