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The Hammer of Eden


 
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4 cassettes / 4 hours
Read by Anthony Heald

Also available on CD and Unabridged on cassette

Ken Follett hits the top of his form with The Hammer of Eden, a state-of-the-art suspense thriller to rival his best.
        
When controversial radio talk host John Truth broadcasts a terrorist threat of a man-made earthquake, few people take it seriously. Crackerjack young FBI agent Judy Maddox is assigned to track down the elusive, sinister group called the Hammer of Eden.

Judy's boss, who has a grudge against her, thinks he has given her a waste-of-time assignment. But Judy's research leads her to maverick seismologist Michael Quercus, who gives her the shocking news that it might just be possible for an earthquake to be deliberately triggered. And when a tremor in a remote California desert shows evidence of being machine-generated, Judy knows the threat is terrifyingly real.

Suddenly in charge of a life-or-death investigation, Judy must pinpoint the terrorists' next target, with the help of the erratic but attractive Michael. Their compelling romantic drama is played out as they race to beat the terrorist deadline and prevent an unthinkable disaster.
        
Unknown to them, Michael's estranged wife, gorgeous but angry, has fallen under the spell of a clever, sexy cult leader called Priest--and they have stolen from Michael's computer the key data that enables the Hammer of Eden to carry out their cataclysmic threat. Worse still, Michael's son is with his wife--and under the control of Priest. All of them are in mortal jeopardy as Judy and Michael fight to save San Francisco from being brought down in ruins. Ken Follett became a best-selling author in 1978 with the publication of Eye of the Needle, which won the Edgar award and became a major motion picture.  He has since written numerous other best-selling thrillers and historical novels, including The Third Twin, and A Place Called Freedom.
Spotlight Customer Reviews

Good Read

Customer Rating: Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5
This book might have plot holes but it is page turning and really gets you into the lives of the characters. I have fun reading this story. It is not Follett's best novel but it is good.

Epic waste of time

Customer Rating: Average rating of 1/5Average rating of 1/5Average rating of 1/5Average rating of 1/5Average rating of 1/5
When a writer is out of ideas, he writes about characters. And when he has no characters, he writes the Hammer of Eden. A briefly intriguing idea is lost through lackluster plotting, flat characters and painfully inadequate dialogue. The idea of a terror group actually causing an earthquake with a seismic measuring truck is just so preposterous that no suspension of belief is possible. Throw in a hippie commune, a female FBI agent and a bunch of forgettable characters, and you actually feel sorry for the trees that were sacrificed for this production. I don't mean to be cruel to KF, but it's very frustrating reading page after page expecting something different to happen, only to be disappointed.

Ken Follett - hammer of Eden

Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
A very interesting, and quite novel, approach to mystery writing. Ken Follet is one of my favorite authors who never fails to create interesting characters, establish great tension and suspense, and leave you with a few surprises. This was a very interesting read.

Very Interesting Characters

Customer Rating: Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5
This book was a bit of a page turner. The most interesting thing about it other than it was a good read like all Follett's books are is that the villain has so many likable qualities that you get suckered at first just like his victims.

Not classic Follett, but still a good book

Customer Rating: Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5
Hammer of Eden is one of only a few contemporary novels written by Ken Follett. He is more well known for his historical/World War 2 novels. The Hammer of Eden has a different feel to it but still maintains some of the classic Follett elements such as strong characterization and quick prose.

Priest, an aging leader of a cult, has to do something to save their commune from being flooded by a dam that is to soon be built. Priest threatens the governor with an earthquake if he doesn't put a stop to the building of all future power plants. Priest can do this because of Melanie, a recent arrival at the commune that hates the world and her ex-husband and was a siesmologist in college. She knows a lot about earthquakes, and so does her ex-husband. She steals some data from him and Priest steals a truck called a seismic vibrator and now they are ready to cause earthquakes if they don't get their way.

Priest is the strongest character in the book. He can be sensitive and sweet then downright ruthless. Trying to stop Priest is Judy Maddox, an FBI agent given the case as a demotion. Furious at the lack of respect she is shown, she throws her all into the case and discovers the earthquake threat is real. She joins forces with Michael Quercus, a seismologist, and Melanie's ex-husband.

While fun to read, the plot twists were handled poorly. We find out early that Melanie and Michael are related and much could be solved if Judy knew more about Melanie and Michael. When she does finally find out, it is kind of anti-climactic.

Still, if you are all Follett fan, then definitely read this book. If you are considering Follett, I suggest you check out some of his other books like Hornet Flight or Dangerous Fortune first.
Product Details Binding: Audio Cassette
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9780375404405
Format: Audiobook
ISBN: 0375404406
Label: Random House Audio
Manufacturer: Random House Audio
Number Of Items: 3
Publication Date: 1998-10-14
Publisher: Random House Audio
Release Date: 1998-10-14
Studio: Random House Audio

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