The Marks of Cain

The Marks of Cain is a thriller by Tom Knox, a pseudonym for journalist Sean Thomas.

According to the publisher, Viking, The Marks of Cain is a parallel mystery that takes two men from the jagged cliffs of north Atlantic islands to the heart of the Arizona desert, from the cursed graveyards of the Basque countryside to a horrendous and earth-shattering secret that lies in wait in the heart of old Colonial Africa.

My review: The story centers around a young lawyer, David Martinez, who receives an ancient map from his dying grandfather. At the behest of his grandfather, David travels to the Basque mountains and runs into danger immediately.

Meanwhile London journalist, Simon Quinn, stumbles into several murder mysteries where rich elderly people are being murdered in horrific ways.

The novel is told from the points of view of both men and is based around a mystical race of Cagots, who are thought to be humans but not from Adam and Eve.

The Marks of Cain is a fast-paced thriller that centers on Nazi eugenics, which will offend a great deal of people. It also ties in a religious slant that will again offend some people.

For me, it didn't have shock value, even though I think that was the intent. It has been touted as the next DaVinci Code. It was a fast read, but it didn't "wow" me. It was only okay for me. Based on a five star rating, I'd give The Marks of Cain a 2 out of 5 stars.

To find out more about Tom Knox and his books, go here: http://www.tomknoxbooks.com/

Disclaimer: As per FTC guidelines, I received a review copy of The Marks of Cain from Viking. I did not receive any endorsements of any kind, whether that be monetary, gifts, etc.

And the Winner of HUNTED BY THE OTHERS Is...

There were 23 official entries. I used random.org to choose a winner. And the winner is Marianna, who was commenter #12. Marianna, send me an e-mail that includes your mailing address and Jess will send you a signed copy of HBTO.

Thanks to all who entered. There will be more reviews, interviews, and giveaways. :-D

Guest Blog: Jess Haines and A Contest!

Howdy, folks! My name is Jess Haines, and I’m the author of HUNTED BY THE OTHERS, hailed as “a delightful romp of a book” (Angela Knight, NYT Bestselling Author). I’m here today to let a few of my characters tell you about their adventures and what makes them tick.

Take the floor, guys!

______________


Shiarra: Um, hi? Wow, this is different. Uh…

Royce: Haven’t you done this before? Say your name. Introduce yourself.

Arnold: Find your cue cards. Did we get cue cards?

Sara: Hush! Let her do it. This is her interview.

Shiarra: Right, sorry. My name is Shiarra Waynest. I’m a private investigator, co-owner of H&W Investigations. I’m also the main character in a book. How weird is that?

Sara: Hi, I’m Sara Halloway, the “H” in H&W, and Shiarra’s best friend.

Chaz: Is it my turn? Oh, hi. Call me Chaz. I’m Shiarra’s boyfriend, leader of the werewolf pack, the Sunstrikers. Go Yankees!

Royce: Was that really appropriate? Well. My name is Alec Royce, owner of A.D. Royce Industries. You may have visited one of my clubs or restaurants if you’ve—

Shiarra: This isn’t a commercial.

Royce: *offended look* May I finish?

Shiarra: Yeah, sure.

Royce: As I was saying. I run a number of fine dining establishments, as well as nightclubs and other local entertainment. I’m also the leader over the vampires in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Arnold: Show-off… Hey, I’m Arnold. I’m a mage and head of security for The Circle, a corporation devoted to making the benefits of the arcane available to one and all. I also helped save Shia and Sara—

Shiarra: Hey, hey! No spoiling things for the readers.

Arnold: Oh, yeah. Well, I’m still awesome.

Sara: Now who’s the show-off?

Chaz: Hey, do we get any pizza for doing this interview?

Shiarra: Ohh, pizza! I want pepperoni.

Royce: This is the silliest interview I’ve ever seen. Why isn’t anyone running some kind of control on this? The PR people should’ve briefed—

Sara: I’ll get the crushed pepper and garlic salt.

Arnold: The vampire may not like that.

Sara: Ohh. Made a Very Bad Call there, didn’t I?

Royce: …

Shiarra: Hey, so, while we wait for the pizza, I’ll tell you a little about the story.

Royce: Finally.

Chaz: Nobody asked you, fang-boy.

Royce: That’s it. I’m done.

Shiarra: Sit your ass down! Jesus, you’re such a whiner… Now, as I was saying, this is a story about me and a few of my friends. Acquaintances, in some cases. *eyes Royce*

Chaz: Don’t forget the friends with benefits.

Shiarra: C’mon, I’m blushing over here.

Sara: What she’s trying to say is we’re a bunch of regular folks—err, in some cases, supernaturals, aka, Others—who got caught up in a big mess started by The Circle—

Arnold: Not all of us are assholes, by the way.

Sara: No one said you were!

Royce: Most of them are. Executives at The Circle did attempt to steal my property. Which, last time I checked, is illegal whether you’re human or Other.

Arnold: Not the point!

Shiarra: Anyway! I ended up doing some stuff I never thought I’d agree to—ever. Unfortunately, it involves Mr. Sensitive over there—

Royce: I don’t have to take this abuse, you know. I managed to get injunctions against the White Hats, I’m sure I can do the same—

Shiarra: Oh, whatever! Look, we have a bunch of adventures, things get wacky, and just read the darn book.

Arnold: *in Summer Blockbuster Guy Voice* It’s bold! It’s new! It’s—

Chaz: Really annoying?

Sara: You guys are such children.

Royce: I’m calling my lawyer.

Shiarra: Are we done yet?

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Um, sorry about that. Sometimes my characters have a mind of their own. *sheepish grin*

While I’m here, I’d like to invite you to join me in my celebratory shenanigans over on my blog (http://jesshaines.com/blog/2010/05/04/release-day-is-here/)! Through June 30th, I’m running a contest-slash-experiment. Stick around for a while! There shall be pictures. There shall be swag. There shall be much rejoicing.

Hope you all enjoy my book!

—Jess




Also, for a chance to win a copy of HUNTED BY THE OTHERS by Jess Haines, all you have to do is leave a comment. If you do not have a blog with your e-mail address listed, please list your e-mail address as follows: your e-mail (AT) wherever (DOT) com, so the spam bots won't send you junk mail. The contest is open to everyone in the world. The contest will end on May 18, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Good luck.

The Best Show on TV

Supernatural, a series on the CW, has been my favorite show for the past five years. When I first saw the preview for it in 2005, I knew that I had found the next best thing since Buffy. If you have never seen demon-hunting brothers, Dean and Sam Winchester in action, you need to see this show. Fans of horror, fantasy, or just about any genre will love this series. Oh, and the show airs on Thursdays at 9 p.m.

Supernatural is nearing the end of its fifth season. Series creator Eric Kripke only planned for five seasons. But, with the show's popularity, the CW will continue it for another season. Eric will step down as the day-to-day showrunner, but will still play a major role in the show.

TNT is now airing reruns of the show (10 and 11 a.m. Mon-Fri.) and they are currently into season 2. If you still need convincing on the awesomeness of this show, check out this very short preview. It gives me the chills. Oh, and that song--love it. I love this show! :-D