Review: The Footprints of God

It has been a long time indeed since I last remained awake late into the night to finish a book, since the need for sleep paled in the face of desire to read. Normally, I don';t have the time or urgent inclination. But, with The Footprints of God I found myself welcoming in the small hours and them quickly falling past. This is another terrific thriller from Iles, who has quickly stationed himself as the most versatile thriller writer around.

For years, the Holy Grail of Artificial Intelligence has been to devise a computer with the capability to think like a human. And it seems as if that day might finally have arrived.

David Tennant is a frightened man indeed. He is the Doctor assigned by the President to be in charge of ethical considerations surrounding Project Trinity, a top secret research programme which, if it sucees in its aims, will quickly revolutionise the world. However, there are worrying things going on in the depths of Trinity, things that have implications far beyond David and his colleagues' increasing string of health problems. Then, the leading scientist is found dead in his office, but though David is certain it is murder, the authorities in charge designate a death of natural causes. Soon, the secuirity agents and heads of Project Trinity turn on David. He knows too much, is threatening to go public, tell the President all, and they want him dead. So he goes on the run.

Project Trinity, though, remains on course, but with the men in charge slowly turning on each other, when it reaches completion it could mean a greater danger than any of them have ever known before.

Along with Mortal Fear, The Footprints of God is sure to become Iles' crowning achievement. It is a brilliant and compelling marriage of technology, philosophy, humanity and thrills. Each aspect is balanced so well with every other, and as a result the novel feels rounded and satisfying. Iles has a style of writing that, while not really occupying the highest plateaus of beauty, is easy to read, keeps you turning those pages and wanting just that little bit more. It is nothing if not a "pageturner".

There is science here, but Iles does an excellent job of putting things in easy enough to understand terms and not bogging the story down with detail. Certainly, Michael Crichton fans in particular will find a great great deal to admire here.

A few may find some of the concepts a little hard to swallow, but when all is said and done, what do we really know about real scientific progress in such areas as this? The notion of Trinity could be all-too near and plausible, for all that we know. Come to this book with an open mind, even only slightly, and you are sure to be entertained very highly by this intelligent, interesting and very thrilling thriller.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Fiona Walker

Book Review: The Footprints of God