This isn't a comfortable book to read, however it is very well written, and compelling. It challenges attitudes in society. The plot is involved, and perhaps overly complex in places, but it had me gripped, not wanting to put it down until I'd got to the end. Definitely a good read, and has certainly made me question my view on myself, and the rest of the world. ( )

http://blog.tharos-online.de/archives/414-Michael-Cordy-Mutation.html ( )

Crime Zero poses some questions around the uses and abuses of bioengineering in the near future (or perhaps even today). The plot is centred around the 'need' to finally end crime and war by negating male-based violence through globally eliminating an entire generation of males to be replaced by a male population that will become genetically pacified. Of course, bioethics don't really enter the equation as the world will be a much better place once the program is complete. Thus, billions of innocents who will probably never commit a crime or violent act are therefore in imminent danger of extinction as the program quickly progresses, and human males will have been artificially 'evolved'.

It is written as a thriller wrapped around this pseudo-scientific background. There are way too many coincidneces to be believable and, form what little I know in this area, the science looks pretty dodgy too. The execution of the plot is ocassionally plodding and the characterisation is somewhat limited. Furthermore, the finale looks rushed and could have been a little more thought-out.

Nevertheless, this is a certainly a good book for taking on vacation and is still well worth a read, if you take it as light relief rather than a meaningful discussion of what are clearly quite fraught ethical and scientific questions. ( )

I have never heard of Michael Cordy before stumbling across this copy at a FOL sale. It never attracted any interest within my EBay store so I decided to read it before donating it to another library. It took me about a week to finish but I don't have much more than an hour or two to read per day. I was always glad to resume its reading and I never thought of leaving it unfinished. I'll start looking for Cordy's first novel "The Miracle Strain" (only criticism - main character names like "Luke Decker" and "Kathy Kerr"). ( )