The Marks of Cain: A Novel by Tom Knox

The Marks of Cain: A Novel by Tom Knox. Viking Books: A Division of Penguin Books. May 2010. 384 pp. ISBN #: 9780670021918

It's everyone's dream - hear a mysteriously vague story and find out that you have inherited $2 million dollars. It doesn't change the young lawyer, David Martinez, but it does add an element of fascination to his life that has been sorely lacking. Before his death, his grandfather gives him a map, with several Spanish towns and churches clearly marked and tells David that the one condition of inheriting the money is that he must travel to see a man who will tell him the secrets behind the marked places on the map and more.

Arriving in Spain, having quit the lawyer job that he abhorred, David is quickly spun into a world of incomparable violence. An innocent request turns into a punishing blow on the head as well as one for the young woman who attempted to come to his rescue. This is the world of fiercely proud Basque people, a group who have never given up their dream of a separate independent country and who are willing to inflict all forms of terrorist acts on Spanish police and the Spanish government.

At the same time this hair-raising hunt begins, where David and Amy are the hunted as well as the hunters, some very strange and absolutely horrific murders have been discovered in England and a journalist is along for the investigative ride, intrigued as the clues get stronger while horrified by the style of the killings.

There's a most unexpected link to World War II and Germany that eventually comes into the mix, a discovery that increases the inhuman, horrific nature of murder and mayhem rampant through this novel!

If it's adventure, intrigue, a twister style plot and crime scenes not for the faint of heart that fascinate you, The Marks of Cain is definitely your next best read - and this novel would definitely make an action-packed box office successful movie as well!