The God Gene

November 27, 2017
Dr. Laura Fanning, a New York City medical examiner, and her sidekick, Rick Hayden, go in search of Rick’s brother, Keith Somers, in Wilson’s exciting sequel to 2016’s Panacea. An NYU zoologist, Keith vanished after mapping the genome of an exotic monkey, a creature he killed before destroying all evidence from his research center. As Laura and Rick begin to piece together the fragments of Keith’s life, they realize that he may have contrived his own disappearance. Their quest takes them to Mozambique, where the strange monkeys known as dapis may hold the key to a revelation more stunning than the missing link. Standing in their way are the poacher Amaury Laffite and entrepreneur Marten Jeukens, an Afrikaner who wishes to unleash a dark plan for the dapis to save humankind. Looming over the twisting plot is the enigma of ICE, the “intrusive cosmic entities” that may connect this series with Wilson’s Repairman Jack books. Tight writing keeps this science adventure tale churning with the pace of James Rollins toward a conclusion worthy of Michael Crichton. Agent: Al Zuckerman, Writers House.

January 1, 2018
Set about two months after Panacea (2016), Wilson's new novel begins with a puzzle: Why did former CIA agent Rick Hayden's brother, Keith, liquidate all his assets, leave his passport behind, and disappear? Hayden and Laura Fanning, a former medical examiner, soon discover that Keith's disappearance has something to do with a monkey that Keith, a biologist, brought to the U.S., and with something many people believe doesn't exist: the elusive God gene, which, some researchers claim, has had a major impact on evolution. This medical thriller expands on the ideas introduced in Panaceaespecially the notion that there could be a substance that can act as a universal cure for diseasesbut it also introduces some new and equally bold wrinkles. In addition to building on a great premise, Wilson also digs into the lives of his two protagonists, Rick and Laura, adding depth and substance to their characters. Overall it's a better novel than Panacea because it has greater dramatic weight and an even more compelling story line.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)