Hector Macdonald

A real page-turner about an Oxford student interested in game theory who takes part in medical research in Kenya. It soon becomes clear that the whole story is a psychological 'game', but which parts are real, and which are not? There are lots of ups and downs that sometimes stretch believability, but it was such a compulsive thriller that I was quite willing to forgive the author for that. I'd definitely read more by Hector MacDonald. I'd recommend it if you liked The Beach and I'd also say there were shades of Michael Crichton.… (meer)

What a disappointment this book turned out to be, after a very promising start.

Ben, a promising Oxford student is asked by a lecturer who he admires, if he will go to Kenya and participate in a psychological experiment. Ben jumps at the chance, especially as it involves spending time with the gorgeous and mysterious Cara. However, the research is not what he believes it to be. He soon realises that he can't believe anything he is told and cannot trust anybody.

The first half of this book is great, but in the second half, it all goes pear-shaped! It was far-fetched beyond belief, and although I expect to have to suspend belief sometimes, I felt that this was expecting the reader to suspend their belief much too far. The ending was confusing, but by the time I got to it, I couldn't be bothered to try and work out what was going on.… (meer)