The Hydra

Graham Stull has produced a polished ( first ? ) novel. Set in the near future, it covers the show trial of an eminent molecular biologist, Brian Matterosi, who stands accused of genocide for unleashing a series of viruses that cause sterility in most of the human population. The International Criminal Court ( ICC ) at the Hague is the setting for this subtle satire on our transnational institutions. The ICC is trying to engineer a guilty verdict to try to diffuse the global unrest that has broken following the public’s comprehension of what has happened. The accused has acquired a hard-bitten New York defence lawyer who specialises in complex cases. Opposing him is a young charismatic South African Zulu and of course the sparks fly !To say more would be to reveal too much but one further comment is relevant. Stull employs the well-established device of a “ story within a story “to explain Matterosi’s motives. For some reason it reminded this reviewer of Philip K. Dick’s “ The Man in the High Castle “ but Stull’s ending is muchmore satisfying !The reviewer is, I suspect, an EU insider which informs his writing on global organisations. Intriguingly, he does not give any indication of what he really thinks of them. He reminds me of the quote from the late Alistair Cooke : ‘ the mark of a great political columnist is - you never know which way they vote’!

As a fan of fictional thrillers I have read quite a few, but for a debut novel, The Hydra ranks up there with the best of them. The opening chapter sets the scene for a highly enjoyable read in which the short chapters draw the reader in and encourage you to read more in this morally sensitive political thriller. For me, the sign of a great book is that once you start reading it, you don’t want to put it down; I read this in a short space of time, as the story line gripped with me with such intensity that any free time I had, I used it to find out how the story unfolded. The plot and character development are superbly blended together and despite my knowledge of fictional thrillers, the brilliant ending still managed to catch me by surprise. If you want a great read that is relevant to our world today, don’t hesitate in getting this book…it’s fantastic!

The Hydra of this story is not a multi headed beast as in the Greek legend and does not have to be killed by Heracles, but it does pose a real threat to the world and it's future.This is a brilliantly original debut novel from a young up and coming writer, set in the near future with a realistic scenario of what could happen. Intelligent writing with a few twist and turns, make it a very compelling read.Highly recommended.

A fast paced, page turning political thriller. The story is based on the trial of a scientist who has released a virus on the world causing mass infertility, seemingly directed at developing nations. Graham has clearly put in a great deal of research into the science behind the virus as well as the machinations of those huge international bureaucracies such as the ICC. The novel also delves into the background of one of the key characters, with well crafted scenes depicting his youth in Boston and Ireland. This debut novel compares very favourably with the great political/thriller novelists such as Graham Green, Frederick Forsyth and Robert Harris. I highly recommend this novel and look forward to the future output of this author.

This was hands down the best book I've read all year. Intelligent, thoughtful and philosophical, it delved into some tough moral subjects with a plot that held its own the whole way through. I enjoyed it so much I may have had to drag out my last few reading sessions and only read a little at a time as I didn't want to end! :-) Would highly recommend to anyone who likes sci fi or philosophical thrillers. Five stars!

I was a little dubious; new author, 1st book, science (not my favourite subject), etc. After a few pages, I was drawn in, a few more, hooked. This book tasks your emotions in so many ways. You are enticed into joining Brian on his journey through life and pictures come easily to mind, due to the great writing. I sincerely hope this author has more books up his sleeve. A truly excellent read which you will not want to put down!

Fast paced thriller, covering topical issues such as over population in an intelligent thought provoking manner. It will have you suffering from "just-one-more-chapter-syndrome" into the wee hours. Really, I couldn't put it down!

Fascinating 'what if ' thriller which explores moral dilemmas facing humanity. The suspense is maintained across different threads in the story. Couldn't put it down.