The Hammer of Eden

by Ken Follett

Book Overview

Ken Follett hits the top of his form withThe 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 ofEye 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, includingThe Third Twin,andA Place Called Freedom.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0609603086
• ISBN13: 9780609603086
• Release Date: October 1998
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 404 Pages
• Weight: 1.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

I was expecting so little and I was pleasantly proven wrong.

My previous experience with Ken Follett was "The Third Twin", I book I was not too pleased with. So, when I pulled out this book on tape and saw, to my dismay, that it was by the same author I was expecting garbage. Boy, was I wrong. This is a fast-paced thriller with loads of office politics and just a touch of romance to keep the pot stirring. There were laugh out load moments, such as when Agent Maddox busts through her potential boyfriend's door. Was the plot feasible? Doubtful. But, it was still interesting and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The tape was very well-performed by Anthony Heald (perhaps best known as the Assistant Principal on Boston Public). five stars for him.

An engrossing read and highly recommended.

Take a group of communal hippies, held together by a slightly likeable, but desperate, determined and deranged leader, called Priest, then add one smart, relentless female FBI agent. Add a slice of an environmentally insensitive California governor, sprinkle lightly with multiple-partner sex, add good California pot, a vicious back-stabbing at the local FBI office, then throw in a killing or two; shake well with earthquake force, then you will have a gripping Ken Follett novel.Follett is a master of creating conflicts within conflicts, a crisis within a crisis. In "Hammer of Eden" he draws you into the contrasting worlds of a free-love hippy commune and the regimented FBI. Follett enlightens you with some interesting and informative insights on how the FBI uses linguistic analysis to profile suspects. However, I did have difficultly accepting Follett's portrait of the FBI. After the gross intelligence failure of September 11th I believe it will be a long time before any author will, as Follett did, portray the FBI as being a technologically omniscient, an agency that is able to out think the common terrorist. That said, this is a engrossing read and highly recommended

I loved it!

This is the first book I've read by Ken Follett, and I absolutely loved it. I thought it was an easy and very interesting read. I was always wondering what Priest, Melanie, and Star would be up to next. Is it humanly possible to cause an earthquake?

Hard To Put Down...Very Entertaining!!

My first read of Ken Follett, and I was not disappointed. The storyline here is great and very plausible in today's world. The novel will and should make a great movie. The main characters are well-developed and easy to both love & hate.

Thrilling, Shocking, Dazzling, Pure Genius!!!

The impact of this book lasted far after I finished reading. In one of Ken Follett's best works, he portrays the well-roundedness of his writings while still focusing on one clear motive: to thrill the reader!