Across the seas arose a question of truth! A strange map, a buried mystery, questionable inheritance and a series of parallel events disentangle to reveal a dark secret, erasing an entire race.
David Martine is unaware that his grandfather has bequeathed him two million dollars. Guided by a distinctly old-fashioned map, Martinez reaches the Basque country in search of Jose Garovillo, but ends up bumping into Amy Myerson and Miguel Garovillo, an ETA Terrorist.
The game of 'hide-and-seek' ensues there, with Miguel and his men on one side and David and Amy on the other. In the meanwhile, somewhere in London, Simon Quinn, a freelance crime reporter, is researching a series of pointless and bizarre killings. The mysterious disappearance of a young scientist, Angus Nairn, who was researching on ‘genomic deformity', adds another angle to the story.
Age-old mystery
All the three events have one thing in common: the Basque country. The map that bore the truth; ‘ killings syndrome' common in the mountains of France, the Basque Pyrenees; and the blood tests conducted on the Basques.
The origin of the mystery dates back to 3000 A.D, when the Bible was being written in Babylon. It surfaces again during Hitler's reign and the experiments of Eugen Fischer. The happenings have more than just “the Basque quotient” in common. With strange events related to an ancient Biblical curse and scientific connection, churches of Pyrenees to the arid wastes of Namibia, the book has too many elements likely to confuse the reader.
Amy and David are always on the run, constantly being chased by omnipotent Miguel but manage to escape every time. The book is very controversial in its views. It is enveloped with lurid details of the murders, instances of violence and is suitable for adult readers. The plot is filled with too many characters. Overall, it is an okay read.
Title: The Marks of Cain
Author: Tom Knox
Publisher: Harper Collins
Price: £ 6.99
Prerna S. Khatri, II B.A. B.L (Hons.) at Saveetha University.
