The Kindling

I read this book about a year ago, and I since then I have been searching the shelves for another Peter Hernon book! The story takes place in St. Louis (which was one of the reasons I bought it) and is a medical/psychological thriller (the main reason I bought it). Never having read Hernon, I didn't know what to expect. The plot is intriguing and immediately reels you in to the complex world of brain research. How far will we go to learn the reasons behind behaviors? The book was horrific at times and flowed well. The ending was a little long, I admit, but by that point the reader is already immersed in a wild world. Hernon does use a lot of medical and technical jargon, which may be difficult for non-trained people to understand. But an understanding of the brain or science is not a prerequisite for enjoying this book! A great find!

NOT AT ALL. I found this book to stimulate my brain waves as it proceeded to enlighten me to the possiblity of "brain-tampering" to alter criminal behaviour. Though (I hope) this book is border-line science fiction , I fear that its future possibilty might in fact exist. It is both fast-paced and suspenseful. It is also somehat graphic..if you are "squeamish", I would suggest you forget the book, get a plate of cookies, a glass of milk and retire to bed early. But, as for me, I found it to be time well spent.

I found this book very intersting as well as informative. It reveals a good knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the brain and its chemistry. The details used to describe all the diagnostic instrumenst is very impresive (PET, CAT Scan, and MRI)it makes you feel in a research institution.The use of medical terminology and all the medication prescribed for brain chemistry imbalance makes this story very realistic. Unfortunately, I think this is not a novel for the general public. I think that someone that doesn't have any kind of medical background may find this story very confusing. One thing I found a little upsetting is that for such a fast paced story, it slows down towards the end. The chase of Lind(the patient), Dr Brooks and Dr Malone should not have lasted about 70 pages. Considering that the book is 370 long, it makes that chase about 20% of the story. To be honest, I did't bother much to read the elaborate chase through the mountains. I enjoyed more beguining and the developement of the brain research conducted by Dr Hartigan. One thing I found silly is the reason why Dr Serra was "forced" or "coerced" to subject himself in an experiment of uncertain results. (supposedly he was drunk). Once this elements are removed from the story I think it wupld be a great story to be read again and again