The Syndrome

by John Case

Book Overview

"A glass-shattering, diesel-fueled, hard-charging thrill ride of a read.... John Case is] a confident master working at peak performance." --Lorenzo Carcaterra, author of Street Boys and SleepersDr.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345433084
• ISBN13: 9780345433084
• Release Date: May 2001
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 455 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.6" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

WOW!!! John Case does it again. Best of their first 3

John Case, now revealed to be the pseudonym for a husband and wife (Jim & Carolyn Hougan) writing team, can really knock you off your seat. If you are looking for thriller's that come at you from a completely different angle (let's call it the educated angle for both the Hougan's are writer's, having released solo works, but Jim is an investigative reporter for the Washington Post which definitely gives him an inside look at many oddities that most people don't see), look no further. I have been reading the John Case books in order of release and have yet to be dissapointed. Both of the first 2 books (The First Horseman, The Genesis Code) were great, and Case has raised the bar once again. This story about a psychologist that (hint # 1, suffers from agoraphobia and is acutely attuned with electronic devices) discovers that his life is not what it seems after one of his clients commits suicide. He is suddenly thrust in to a race for his life and that of his not-so-happy-to-be-included companion (the sister of the suicide victim) who is holding him personally responsible for her sister's death. Both quickly realize that they are involved in a hidden plot to cover up something. They can't trust anyone, they can't trust each other, and worst of all, they learn that they can't trust themselves; but they are forced to work together to come to an amazing discovery about a conspiracy that is far-reaching and controlled by global powers. The book is a taut thriller. It will have you hooked by the end of the epilogue. From Chapter 1 on, it is a spiraling death ride in which you, the reader, can see the future (knowing slightly more than the characters), but still can't figure out how the people all tie together. By far the best John Case book yet which leaves me very excited, and a little nervous because I have several more books by Case to read, but I have not been disappointed since the first book. John Case, or Jim & Carolyn Hougan, have a special gift for taking very real, very scary, very possible situations and making them in to scary books that make you think twice about who you can trust. As I have found with the other 2 Case novels that I have read, the scariest thing about this book is that it is possible, most likely probable, and if you are a conspiracy theorist, definitely happening even as I type this review. I will read all books by John Case and then I will move on to the works by the individuals, the husband and wife known as John Case. They have earned my lifelong dedication as a reader. WELL DONE, ONCE AGAIN!

Incredible!!! I'd give it 6 stars if that was an option.

The night I bought the book I immediately went home and began to read it. And could not put it down. I finally finished it at 4 in the morning, and immediately wanted to read it again. BTW go to the website and, if you can figure it out it will be well worth your while.Q

A SPELLBINDING PAGE-TURNER

A young man doing research in Zurich walks into his supervisor's office and gives a detailed report of the project he has been working on, minutes later he is drugged, on an operating table, and had the skin removed from his face so the doctors can work on his brain.Years later in Florida, a young woman, Nico, enters her hotel room, and from the balcony she shoots, and kills an elderly man on the ground below.Returning home, Nico goes to see her psychologist, Dr Jeff Duran, a cutting edge psychologist who uses hypnosis to have patients re-live disturbing traumas from their past.After her session, Nico goes home, watches television, takes a bath, and kills herself!Adrienne Cope, Nico's half sister, blames Dr. Duran for her sister's suicide, claiming the Doctor put twisted thoughts of sexual abuse into her head. Nico remembers, as a child, her step father sexualy abusing her, and her two sisters, resulting in the one sister's death. Adrienne has no memory of this, and swears it did not happen.Explaining to Adrienne his work technics, Duran, is in for a tough time, but none so tough as what he is about to be thrust into...as an unknown assailant enters his office and tries to kill both Andrienne, and himself.Not knowing who was the target, Duran, and Adrienne will have to rely on each other, and work together to find out who wants them dead, and why? Also, the pair must find out why Nico killed the man in Florida, and what is the link to the researcher from Zurich. To find these answers, the pair will have to uncover secrets from Duran's own past, secrets he himself is NOT aware of!Duran, and Adrienne discover this conspiracy reaches around the world, and underneath it all is a sinister plot that could change the course of history.'The Syndrome' is a heart stopping thriller, that grabs hold on page one, and doesn't let go until the explosive climax. With well drawn characters, carefully constructed plot, and one shock after another 'The Syndrome' succeeds on every level of being an entertaining read.John case is the bestselling author of 'The Genesis Code', and no doubt this new novel will sky rocket up the bestseller lists as well.Put this book on your must read list, it is an absolute page-turning beach read!Nick Gonnella

The Syndrome by John Case

Over the years, I have read so many books that as time passes, plots, characters, and even authors begin to blend together into a pool of anonymous fiction. "The Syndrome" by John Case, however is not one of those works. From the moment that I picked it up until the final page I amazed at the author's ability to create characters so realistic that I felt as though I were a part of the story, as a sideline observer. In the past, I had always thought that the ideas of "mind control" and "false memories" were preposterous and out of the question, but now, I'm not so sure....This, I believe, is the true test of a great author. Bravo, Mr. Case, for making my "Best of the Best" List!!!