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The Colour of Death
The stunning new high-concept thriller from a master of the genre.
In a residential neighbourhood of Portland, Oregon, an unknown young woman uncovers a shocking crime scene by inexplicably sensing the evil within its walls. To the police, she herself is a mystery.She appears on no government records, has no past and can't even tell the police her own name.
Christened Jane Doe and suffering terrifying hallucinations, she is assigned to Nathan Fox, a forensic psychiatrist struggling with his own demons after witnessing his parents' murder as a child. Together they must piece together the jigsaw that is Jane's identity.
Then a sequence of brutal killings terrorizes the city and Fox learns that Jane is the only cryptic link between the unrelated victims. To solve the murders, discover who Jane is and diagnose her condition, Fox must discard his black and white preconceptions, look beyond the spectrum of normal human experience and confront the dark truth of her past... and his own.
In a residential neighbourhood of Portland, Oregon, an unknown young woman uncovers a shocking crime scene by inexplicably sensing the evil within its walls. To the police, she herself is a mystery.She appears on no government records, has no past and can't even tell the police her own name.
Christened Jane Doe and suffering terrifying hallucinations, she is assigned to Nathan Fox, a forensic psychiatrist struggling with his own demons after witnessing his parents' murder as a child. Together they must piece together the jigsaw that is Jane's identity.
Then a sequence of brutal killings terrorizes the city and Fox learns that Jane is the only cryptic link between the unrelated victims. To solve the murders, discover who Jane is and diagnose her condition, Fox must discard his black and white preconceptions, look beyond the spectrum of normal human experience and confront the dark truth of her past... and his own.
364 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 2011
19 people are currently reading
385 people want to read
About the author
Michael Cordy
30 books119 followersMichael Cordy's first novel, The Miracle Strain, about the search for the DNA of Christ, was published in over twenty five languages and forty countries. It reached the top five in the Sunday Times Bestseller List and became a bestseller around the world.
Disney bought the film rights for $1.6 million.
Another five novels followed: Crime Zero, Lucifer, True, The Source and the latest THE COLOUR OF DEATH. All have been published in the UK by Bantam Press and Corgi, and translated into several languages.
Warner Bros optioned the film rights to The Source and Michael recently optioned Crime Zero to the producers of Lord Of The Rings and The Golden Compass, agreeing to write the screenplay.
Due to the ‘high concept’ nature of Michael Cordy’s novels the Press have called him “Britain’s answer to Michael Crichton.” Some of his early books have also been compared to Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code - although they were bestsellers many years before that novel was written.
The Miracle Strain was republished as The Messiah Code in many countries and some of the other novels have since been republished with new titles too.
Michael Cordy is British but was born in Ghana and spent much of his childhood in West and East Africa, India and Cyprus. He was educated in England at Kings School Canterbury and the universities of Leicester and Durham.
After ten years in marketing and advertising, his wife, Jenny backed his decision to give up a lucrative career and follow his dream of becoming a writer - so long as he finished his first novel in one year. It took him two. (He claims to have written all the necessary words in the allotted twelve months - just not in the right order)
Disney bought the film rights for $1.6 million.
Another five novels followed: Crime Zero, Lucifer, True, The Source and the latest THE COLOUR OF DEATH. All have been published in the UK by Bantam Press and Corgi, and translated into several languages.
Warner Bros optioned the film rights to The Source and Michael recently optioned Crime Zero to the producers of Lord Of The Rings and The Golden Compass, agreeing to write the screenplay.
Due to the ‘high concept’ nature of Michael Cordy’s novels the Press have called him “Britain’s answer to Michael Crichton.” Some of his early books have also been compared to Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code - although they were bestsellers many years before that novel was written.
The Miracle Strain was republished as The Messiah Code in many countries and some of the other novels have since been republished with new titles too.
Michael Cordy is British but was born in Ghana and spent much of his childhood in West and East Africa, India and Cyprus. He was educated in England at Kings School Canterbury and the universities of Leicester and Durham.
After ten years in marketing and advertising, his wife, Jenny backed his decision to give up a lucrative career and follow his dream of becoming a writer - so long as he finished his first novel in one year. It took him two. (He claims to have written all the necessary words in the allotted twelve months - just not in the right order)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
January 26, 2014
Admittedly, I've never been much of a reader. In the past ten years I have probably read no more than 5 or 6 full length novels that I did so for leisure and not school or study. I suppose I never really had the patience or attention span to commit to fictional narratives. I am currently between jobs and constantly looking for new hobbies to enjoy in my spare time, so I decided that I wanted to give reading another go and find a new book to sink my teeth into.
A couple of weeks ago I was at the store, browsing the shelves waiting for something to jump out at me. One book in particular caught my eye, its ghostly blue and white cover adorned with the words "The Colour Of Death" instantly creeping under my skin. The title alone intrigued me, so naturally I flipped the book over and read the blurb on the back cover, as you do. This only strengthened my interest so I went ahead and bought it.
This book has single handedly rekindled my addiction to reading. The term 'page-turner' is thrown around a lot these days, but to me, never more so has it applied so literally to one novel. Perhaps it is because I am an inexperienced reader and I have little to compare it to, or I'm just not yet at the stage where my standard is at the level of say, A Song of Ice and Fire, but I truly adore this book. Only one page in and my commitment was already sealed, as I discovered that one of the characters in the story has the rare mental ability, or as those with it would say, gift, of synaesthesia. My mother proudly possesses this phenomenon and some of it has worn off on me, so establishing this connection, the deal was sealed.
The main character (not the one with synaesthesia), forensic psychiatrist Dr Nathan Fox, is given a tremendously intriguing backstory, emerging through a brilliantly provocative and tension-filled prologue describing a traumatic event from his childhood. Straight away I became emotionally invested in Nathan as a character and wanted to follow his journey. When he happens across a unique young lady with an extremely rare form of synaesthesia who is involved in the exposure of a terrible crime, it is determined that she has suffered amnesia and the story becomes instantly complex and holds your attention in a vice-like grip, not letting go for a second. I found myself becoming quite emotionally attached to these two characters and the tender yet difficult relationship between them. Having lost her identity and being nicknamed Jane Doe by the police department, the girl struggles with her unique gift of sensing and envisioning past moments of death within the walls of the rooms in which they occurred. When she becomes the only link between several strategically planned and carried out murders, Dr Fox must help her make sense of her ability and uncover her past, while also unravelling the mystery of his own.
Where the story goes from here is best left to be discovered. Suffice to say, there are thrills and spills a plenty, twists and turns that will give you goosebumps and moments where you either gasp in shock or cheer with delight. I was up until 3am one night because I simply could not put the book down. Author Michael Cordy's choice to write from the viewpoints of numerous characters, including the antagonists, is definitely polarising. I however believe this to be fascinating and perversely intriguing as these subtle, brief insights into the villains motives attempt to explain and justify their reprehensible actions. It provides a third dimension to the narrative, and reinforces your support of the two protagonists.
The Colour of Death is an absolute roller coaster ride of a read. It will make you think, it will make you learn, but most importantly it will make you feel. This is an exceptionally character-driven, high-concept novel, and one you simply must experience for yourself. A true gem.
A couple of weeks ago I was at the store, browsing the shelves waiting for something to jump out at me. One book in particular caught my eye, its ghostly blue and white cover adorned with the words "The Colour Of Death" instantly creeping under my skin. The title alone intrigued me, so naturally I flipped the book over and read the blurb on the back cover, as you do. This only strengthened my interest so I went ahead and bought it.
This book has single handedly rekindled my addiction to reading. The term 'page-turner' is thrown around a lot these days, but to me, never more so has it applied so literally to one novel. Perhaps it is because I am an inexperienced reader and I have little to compare it to, or I'm just not yet at the stage where my standard is at the level of say, A Song of Ice and Fire, but I truly adore this book. Only one page in and my commitment was already sealed, as I discovered that one of the characters in the story has the rare mental ability, or as those with it would say, gift, of synaesthesia. My mother proudly possesses this phenomenon and some of it has worn off on me, so establishing this connection, the deal was sealed.
The main character (not the one with synaesthesia), forensic psychiatrist Dr Nathan Fox, is given a tremendously intriguing backstory, emerging through a brilliantly provocative and tension-filled prologue describing a traumatic event from his childhood. Straight away I became emotionally invested in Nathan as a character and wanted to follow his journey. When he happens across a unique young lady with an extremely rare form of synaesthesia who is involved in the exposure of a terrible crime, it is determined that she has suffered amnesia and the story becomes instantly complex and holds your attention in a vice-like grip, not letting go for a second. I found myself becoming quite emotionally attached to these two characters and the tender yet difficult relationship between them. Having lost her identity and being nicknamed Jane Doe by the police department, the girl struggles with her unique gift of sensing and envisioning past moments of death within the walls of the rooms in which they occurred. When she becomes the only link between several strategically planned and carried out murders, Dr Fox must help her make sense of her ability and uncover her past, while also unravelling the mystery of his own.
Where the story goes from here is best left to be discovered. Suffice to say, there are thrills and spills a plenty, twists and turns that will give you goosebumps and moments where you either gasp in shock or cheer with delight. I was up until 3am one night because I simply could not put the book down. Author Michael Cordy's choice to write from the viewpoints of numerous characters, including the antagonists, is definitely polarising. I however believe this to be fascinating and perversely intriguing as these subtle, brief insights into the villains motives attempt to explain and justify their reprehensible actions. It provides a third dimension to the narrative, and reinforces your support of the two protagonists.
The Colour of Death is an absolute roller coaster ride of a read. It will make you think, it will make you learn, but most importantly it will make you feel. This is an exceptionally character-driven, high-concept novel, and one you simply must experience for yourself. A true gem.
April 20, 2021
An entertaining read. 'The Colour of Death' is an often gripping and event-filled tale of a family who, for generations, have been born with synethesia. The story is predominantly that of a young woman and her father, and a psychiatrist, Dr Nathan Fox, as they grapple within a horribly dark world that has claimed the lives of many individuals and could well add those of Dr Fox and the young woman, his patient, to the death toll as the nightmare in which they find themselves becomes increasingly twisted and sordid.
In 'The Colour of Death' Michael Cordy has deftly woven a tale of evil, and personal torment, that builds to a terrifying denouement. Well recommended.
In 'The Colour of Death' Michael Cordy has deftly woven a tale of evil, and personal torment, that builds to a terrifying denouement. Well recommended.
April 24, 2019
3.5 🤗 piacevole thriller da leggere con tutti gli elementi del genere 🥰
February 25, 2020
Nach 50 Seiten abgebrochen...
January 29, 2012
I was really engrossed in this book at the start as we first meet Nathan Fox as a young boy when his mother, father and young sister are brutally murdered during a gas station robbery ...... but Nathan can't remember anything about the traumatic incident or why his life was spared.
The story then moves 19 years to the present day as Nathan is now a psychiatrist helping people though he can't help himself with his loss of memory. He is detached and has learned to distance himself from pain and loss.
He is then entrusted to a young woman who has total memory loss and, because Nathan is the right colour of indigo, she trusts him and no-one else. I found this side of the story very intriguing as both the woman and Nathan shared a special kind of sense.....Nathan could feel someone else's pain and Jane Doe had other senses as well, which are slowly revealed and which could be the reason for her memory loss.
The story becomes even more intriguing when a series of murders occurs and Jane's picture is found with the victims and she is persuaded to use her other senses to help identify the killer .....the police are sceptical...... but Nathan believes in her.
I liked Nathan and so did Jane who thought he was a hard man to get to know well even if you were a friend, though she doesn't find him aloof or cold, he was too compassionate. I liked their developing relationship, it seemed real and natural.
Up to this point in the book I was getting involved with the characters and enjoying the storyline but when it moved on to a cult who lived deep in the woods and who's charismatic leader has three beautiful devoted wives I'm afraid my interest started to wane a little.
It was still quite gripping but it wasn't the same book for me and I found myself not rushing to finish it to find out what was going to happen.
From Carole's Book Corner
The story then moves 19 years to the present day as Nathan is now a psychiatrist helping people though he can't help himself with his loss of memory. He is detached and has learned to distance himself from pain and loss.
He is then entrusted to a young woman who has total memory loss and, because Nathan is the right colour of indigo, she trusts him and no-one else. I found this side of the story very intriguing as both the woman and Nathan shared a special kind of sense.....Nathan could feel someone else's pain and Jane Doe had other senses as well, which are slowly revealed and which could be the reason for her memory loss.
The story becomes even more intriguing when a series of murders occurs and Jane's picture is found with the victims and she is persuaded to use her other senses to help identify the killer .....the police are sceptical...... but Nathan believes in her.
I liked Nathan and so did Jane who thought he was a hard man to get to know well even if you were a friend, though she doesn't find him aloof or cold, he was too compassionate. I liked their developing relationship, it seemed real and natural.
Up to this point in the book I was getting involved with the characters and enjoying the storyline but when it moved on to a cult who lived deep in the woods and who's charismatic leader has three beautiful devoted wives I'm afraid my interest started to wane a little.
It was still quite gripping but it wasn't the same book for me and I found myself not rushing to finish it to find out what was going to happen.
From Carole's Book Corner
December 23, 2014
A woman with total amnesia and synaesthesia (The mixing of senses - colour as smell, touch as hearing, etc) falls into the care of a psychologist, Nathan Fox. Together, they unlock her amnesia and ease their own painful pasts.
For a book that started out with an interesting premise - synaesthesia - this fell apart very quickly. Cordy seems to have no idea what 'pacing' means, and the book is the same speed all the way through - generally, books accelerate as they reach the climax, but not this one. The pacing was constant, and at times it crawled.
The characters were two dimensional, and the villain a cardboard cut-out of a monster. Plot twists were easy to guess fifty pages before the reveal. Dialogue was clunky and clichéd. I mean who says to someone else in the last years of the 20th century (the setting), "Come." and not "Come on.". Who says, "Stop them, you fools!" and expects to be taken seriously?
Cordy's research into synaesthesia is solid enough (I asked my wife, who has it, and she agreed), but in other places it falls down. NO ONE puts tape around a body in a murder scene!
For a book that started out with an interesting premise - synaesthesia - this fell apart very quickly. Cordy seems to have no idea what 'pacing' means, and the book is the same speed all the way through - generally, books accelerate as they reach the climax, but not this one. The pacing was constant, and at times it crawled.
The characters were two dimensional, and the villain a cardboard cut-out of a monster. Plot twists were easy to guess fifty pages before the reveal. Dialogue was clunky and clichéd. I mean who says to someone else in the last years of the 20th century (the setting), "Come." and not "Come on.". Who says, "Stop them, you fools!" and expects to be taken seriously?
Cordy's research into synaesthesia is solid enough (I asked my wife, who has it, and she agreed), but in other places it falls down. NO ONE puts tape around a body in a murder scene!
Read
January 11, 2012Abandoned unfinished.
February 10, 2021
My daughter was so entranced reading this book that I was intrigued to read it after her. Usually it takes me a month to read a book due to time constraints but with this book other activities came to a severe slow down. When reviewing a book I tend not to recap the storyline but how it made me feel. I couldn’t put this book down, it takes theories that many people believe in, like auras being different colours and combines them into an exciting plausible novel. The characters were very relatable and although the book is fiction it has threads of non fiction running through it (the powerful incidences of cults) and it completely believable and realistic immersing you into the story. This is a new author to me and an exciting find as the novel flowed very well, and I will definitely be sourcing other works by him.
Whether you believe in spiritualism (it has defined principles and beliefs) or not will not affect your reading of a very good novel
Whether you believe in spiritualism (it has defined principles and beliefs) or not will not affect your reading of a very good novel
June 22, 2024
Acquistato senza indugio per l'amore che provo per l'autore, capace di ottimi lavori che fondono sapientemente scienza e thriller, sulla scorta dei migliori e più celebri Michael Chricton e Dan Brown. Qui la narrazione si sposta maggiormente sul versante del thriller psicologico, per via della "sinestesia" ed altre condizioni sensoriali che colpiscono alcuni dei protagonisti, non tralasciando anche deviazioni esoteriche. La memoria del peccato é sicuramente un'opera peculiare, forse più vicina ai tratti tipici presenti in alcuni lavori di Stephen King e Thomas Harris più che nei succitati autori, certamente ben scritta e scorrevole, di cui si apprezza particolarmente il lavoro svolto sulla caratterizzazione dei protagonisti. Tuttavia, personalmente, consiglierei la lettura, per chi non li conoscesse, dei due precedenti lavori dell'autore, ovvero "la stirpe del miracolo" e "il manoscritto di Dio". Entrambi romanzi godibilissimi e decisamente più originali ed ispirati di questo.
August 20, 2018
I started this book with a lot of excitement and momentum carried me through almost to the end. The start is interesting, it is a thriller with a twist and a lot of details about energy and Chakras thrown in.
Though I enjoyed the book, but towards the end, I found the book too predictable.Though the book started with a very interesting concept, But over the pages it became too predictable, almost like reading script of a mediocre reading a Bollywood thriller. The central characters could do no wrong and evil ones had no reason to do anything right.
I would recommend reading this book, though. The author apparently did good research to elaborate so well about ancient Indian healing, but still wish the end was different.
Though I enjoyed the book, but towards the end, I found the book too predictable.Though the book started with a very interesting concept, But over the pages it became too predictable, almost like reading script of a mediocre reading a Bollywood thriller. The central characters could do no wrong and evil ones had no reason to do anything right.
I would recommend reading this book, though. The author apparently did good research to elaborate so well about ancient Indian healing, but still wish the end was different.
January 25, 2025
Interesting book, I love how what felt supernatural was explained with physics and psychology. Made the story feel like it was based in truth.
However, I did find it hard to want to read it, once picked up I enjoyed it. Took a bit too long to get to the good part.
However, I did find it hard to want to read it, once picked up I enjoyed it. Took a bit too long to get to the good part.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2017
Un libro che mi ha lasciato poco per il tempo che mi ha preso. Scontato e privo di spessore. A tratti banale.
January 12, 2021
This book hooked me from start to finish! Incredible read and super interesting topic that i’ve never really seen before.
February 9, 2023
4.5/5
May 26, 2023
I found it hard to put this book down, it was so gripping and I couldn’t predict the ending.
January 17, 2025
Did not finish.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2011
From the back cover
In a residential neighbourhood of Portland, Oregon, an unknown young woman uncovers a shocking crime by inexplicably sensing the evil within its walls. To the police, she is a mystery. She can't even tell them her own name. They christen her Jane Doe.
Suffering terrifying hallucinations, Jane is assigned to Nathan Fox, a forensic psychiatrist struggling with his own demons. Together they must piece together the jigsaw that is Janes identity.
Then a sequence of brutal killings terrorizes the city and Fox learns that Jane is the only cryptic link bewteen the unrelated victims. To solve the murders, Fox must discard his black and white preconceptions, look beyond the spectrum of normal human experience and confront the dark truth of her past...and his own.
My review
This is my second read from the Transworld book group and what a brilliant choice. The action starts right away in the prologue and by the first chapter I was hooked. Nathan Fox(Dr) and Jane Doe are our main characters and we are introduced to them straight away. For Nathan a doctor who is committed to his patients but wont let anyone get close to him after the horror he experienced as a child and losing his family.
Jane Doe we have to find out about her as she does herself, having no memory of why she saved the girls or even who she is or anything about herself except for a special genetic condition she has that scares her and shows her so much horror.
Between the two of them they work together to discover what is going on with Jane and her extraordinary "hallucinations" and before long they are tangled up in a web of murder and horror. Can Dr Nathan Fox find the key to helping Jane Doe remember who she is and what is has to do with these killings.
I loved this story, for a short while I thought I was going to not understand the condition Jane has as it is a bit complex but Michael Cordy explained it so easily in the book I got to learn about a new condition and understand it with ease. The book goes at a great pace and there is plenty of questions raised throughout the book. I love this with novels however hate that not every question gets answered, not in this case, Right up to the end your kept in suspense and then everything is explained, with an opening for a follow up maybe. Some of the scenes (especially near the end) are quite horrifying and uncomfortable to read (Delaney and Jane Doe scene) but it does not take anything away from the story.
This was my first Michael Cordy book and it won't be my last, I hope they make this into a series! 5/5 for me, a fantastic read, fresh and different and I stayed up all night to get it finished as I couldn't put it down.
In a residential neighbourhood of Portland, Oregon, an unknown young woman uncovers a shocking crime by inexplicably sensing the evil within its walls. To the police, she is a mystery. She can't even tell them her own name. They christen her Jane Doe.
Suffering terrifying hallucinations, Jane is assigned to Nathan Fox, a forensic psychiatrist struggling with his own demons. Together they must piece together the jigsaw that is Janes identity.
Then a sequence of brutal killings terrorizes the city and Fox learns that Jane is the only cryptic link bewteen the unrelated victims. To solve the murders, Fox must discard his black and white preconceptions, look beyond the spectrum of normal human experience and confront the dark truth of her past...and his own.
My review
This is my second read from the Transworld book group and what a brilliant choice. The action starts right away in the prologue and by the first chapter I was hooked. Nathan Fox(Dr) and Jane Doe are our main characters and we are introduced to them straight away. For Nathan a doctor who is committed to his patients but wont let anyone get close to him after the horror he experienced as a child and losing his family.
Jane Doe we have to find out about her as she does herself, having no memory of why she saved the girls or even who she is or anything about herself except for a special genetic condition she has that scares her and shows her so much horror.
Between the two of them they work together to discover what is going on with Jane and her extraordinary "hallucinations" and before long they are tangled up in a web of murder and horror. Can Dr Nathan Fox find the key to helping Jane Doe remember who she is and what is has to do with these killings.
I loved this story, for a short while I thought I was going to not understand the condition Jane has as it is a bit complex but Michael Cordy explained it so easily in the book I got to learn about a new condition and understand it with ease. The book goes at a great pace and there is plenty of questions raised throughout the book. I love this with novels however hate that not every question gets answered, not in this case, Right up to the end your kept in suspense and then everything is explained, with an opening for a follow up maybe. Some of the scenes (especially near the end) are quite horrifying and uncomfortable to read (Delaney and Jane Doe scene) but it does not take anything away from the story.
This was my first Michael Cordy book and it won't be my last, I hope they make this into a series! 5/5 for me, a fantastic read, fresh and different and I stayed up all night to get it finished as I couldn't put it down.
September 16, 2011
Received from and reviewed for Transworld Books
In Portland a young woman is irresistibly drawn towards a house. She can sense the evil in the house, but can’t make herself turn away. Using an axe she breaks into the house and singlehandedly puts a stop to the evil lurking inside, injuring herself in the process.
When the police catch up with the young woman she turns out to be a mystery. Not only can she not explain how she knew what was going on in that house, she doesn’t know who she is, where she came from or anything else about herself.
Dr. Nathan Fox, a forensic psychiatrist with violence in his own past, is asked to talk to the girl and see if he can help her retrieve her memories and find explanations for what she did. As he works with the girl, Fox finds himself fascinated, both by the girl and the powers she has.
At the same time, downtown Portland is rocked by the violent murders of underworld figures. And somehow the murders appear to be linked to the young woman the police have christened Jane Doe.
Now Dr. Fox not only has to treat the young woman, but also finds himself trying to keep her safe.
When somebody turns up claiming to know the girl and eager to bring her back home that should mean the end of Nathan Fox’s involvement with her. However, it turns out that it is only the start. If past events were dark, what is yet to come is far darker still, and beyond anything those involved could have imagined.
This is a very interesting thriller. Since I don’t want to spoil the story for anyone, I won’t go into the concepts the author uses, but they are fascinating and original.
The book starts off as a very fast-paced thriller, and ends in the same fashion. I did find some of the parts in the middle a bit slow and drawn out.
Partly this is the result of the concepts the author uses, concepts which do require explanation and expanding upon, and as such to some extend necessary. However, it did mean that while I couldn’t stop myself from turning the pages at the start and finish of the book, I had no such difficulties mid-book.
That’s not to say that I would discourage anybody from reading this book. It is always good to come across a thriller with an original premise, and this book certainly has that. It also has nice characters and a mostly thrilling and gripping story.
The book ends in such a way that the author could easily revisit these characters again in the future. If he does, I will be among the first to read the sequel.
In Portland a young woman is irresistibly drawn towards a house. She can sense the evil in the house, but can’t make herself turn away. Using an axe she breaks into the house and singlehandedly puts a stop to the evil lurking inside, injuring herself in the process.
When the police catch up with the young woman she turns out to be a mystery. Not only can she not explain how she knew what was going on in that house, she doesn’t know who she is, where she came from or anything else about herself.
Dr. Nathan Fox, a forensic psychiatrist with violence in his own past, is asked to talk to the girl and see if he can help her retrieve her memories and find explanations for what she did. As he works with the girl, Fox finds himself fascinated, both by the girl and the powers she has.
At the same time, downtown Portland is rocked by the violent murders of underworld figures. And somehow the murders appear to be linked to the young woman the police have christened Jane Doe.
Now Dr. Fox not only has to treat the young woman, but also finds himself trying to keep her safe.
When somebody turns up claiming to know the girl and eager to bring her back home that should mean the end of Nathan Fox’s involvement with her. However, it turns out that it is only the start. If past events were dark, what is yet to come is far darker still, and beyond anything those involved could have imagined.
This is a very interesting thriller. Since I don’t want to spoil the story for anyone, I won’t go into the concepts the author uses, but they are fascinating and original.
The book starts off as a very fast-paced thriller, and ends in the same fashion. I did find some of the parts in the middle a bit slow and drawn out.
Partly this is the result of the concepts the author uses, concepts which do require explanation and expanding upon, and as such to some extend necessary. However, it did mean that while I couldn’t stop myself from turning the pages at the start and finish of the book, I had no such difficulties mid-book.
That’s not to say that I would discourage anybody from reading this book. It is always good to come across a thriller with an original premise, and this book certainly has that. It also has nice characters and a mostly thrilling and gripping story.
The book ends in such a way that the author could easily revisit these characters again in the future. If he does, I will be among the first to read the sequel.
September 5, 2011
Synopsis
In a quiet, residential neighbourhood of Portland, Oregon, an unknown young woman uncovers a shocking crime scene by inexplicably sensing the evil within its walls.To the police, she herself is a mystery.She appears on no government records, has no past and can’t even tell the police her own name.
Christened Jane Doe and suffering terrifying hallucinations, she is assigned to Nathan Fox, a forensic psychiatrist struggling with his own demons after witnessing his parents’ murder as a child.Together they must piece together the jigsaw that is Jane’s identity.
Then a sequence of brutal killings terrorise the city and Fox learns Jane is the only cryptic link between the unrelated victims.To solve the murders, discover who she is and diagnose her condition, Fox must discard his black and white preconceptions, look beyond the spectrum of normal human experience and confront the dark truth of her past…and his own.
My Review:
I received this book as I am participating in the Transworld Book Group Reading Challenge. This is the sort of book that I would normally read. This is a first a thriller yet has a supernatural twist that gives this book an edge on other books in a genre that of late has been rather stagnant.
The book starts off nineteen years earlier where a family get caught in a cross fire in a gas station and get killed apart from the little boy. Who we find out later is one of the main characters Nathan Fox. The book then then moves on to the present day to a woman who single handed brings down a Russian Slave Trade and saves the slave girls. But afterwards looses her memory. Why did she save the girls? What is her name? And who is the baby in the picture in the locket she is wearing? She hopes to find out these answers by talking to Nathan Fox, who uses different methods in trying to help her. You find out that she has a neurological condition called synathesia. Could this condition be the key in unlocking Jane Doe's past?...
The book really was a page turner. From ten pages in I was hooked and couldn't put it down. The characters were believeable and loveable, really three dimensional.
A book I really would recommend and an author I will most definately be looking in to invest in the rest of his works!
In a quiet, residential neighbourhood of Portland, Oregon, an unknown young woman uncovers a shocking crime scene by inexplicably sensing the evil within its walls.To the police, she herself is a mystery.She appears on no government records, has no past and can’t even tell the police her own name.
Christened Jane Doe and suffering terrifying hallucinations, she is assigned to Nathan Fox, a forensic psychiatrist struggling with his own demons after witnessing his parents’ murder as a child.Together they must piece together the jigsaw that is Jane’s identity.
Then a sequence of brutal killings terrorise the city and Fox learns Jane is the only cryptic link between the unrelated victims.To solve the murders, discover who she is and diagnose her condition, Fox must discard his black and white preconceptions, look beyond the spectrum of normal human experience and confront the dark truth of her past…and his own.
My Review:
I received this book as I am participating in the Transworld Book Group Reading Challenge. This is the sort of book that I would normally read. This is a first a thriller yet has a supernatural twist that gives this book an edge on other books in a genre that of late has been rather stagnant.
The book starts off nineteen years earlier where a family get caught in a cross fire in a gas station and get killed apart from the little boy. Who we find out later is one of the main characters Nathan Fox. The book then then moves on to the present day to a woman who single handed brings down a Russian Slave Trade and saves the slave girls. But afterwards looses her memory. Why did she save the girls? What is her name? And who is the baby in the picture in the locket she is wearing? She hopes to find out these answers by talking to Nathan Fox, who uses different methods in trying to help her. You find out that she has a neurological condition called synathesia. Could this condition be the key in unlocking Jane Doe's past?...
The book really was a page turner. From ten pages in I was hooked and couldn't put it down. The characters were believeable and loveable, really three dimensional.
A book I really would recommend and an author I will most definately be looking in to invest in the rest of his works!
September 4, 2011
Read as part of the Transworld Book Group:
A woman is found at the scene of a crime with no memory of who she is or how she came to save the lives of eleven girls sold into slavery. In order to help retrieve her identity, the police bring in psychiatrist Dr Nathan Fox who has no memories of his own childhood trauma. Fox has a form of synaesthesia in which he feels other people's pyshical contact and pain, and he soon realises Jane Doe has the same sensations and more. When the police connect her to a series of murders, Fox is more determined to find out who the mystery woman is.
The condition is synaesthesia is fascinating and probably more common than you may think. The best known form is that of perceiving colours for letters and numbers but the term covers a wide range of interconnected senses. The premise of The Colour of Death is that a person that shows all forms is hyper-sensitive to their surroundings and may come across as being pyschic. Sounds good? I found that in trying to explain Jane Doe's visions with quantum physics, Cordy made the whole thing a lot less believable to me than if it had just been something supernatural that we could choose to believe or not.
On the other hand, the idea of synaesthesia being something spiritual is also explored yet I found this got a bit repetitive and somewhere in the second half it just got a bit too weird. I wasn't sure if I was meant to be believing what was going on or if they were just delusions of a psychopath!
Ignoring my skepticism, it's a good pacy read and I liked the characters of Fox and Jane Doe (I won't spoil it by letting you know if we find out her real identity). I agree with other reviewers that Cordy has set it up nicely for a series, one that I would be interested in reading. I think the concept that is laid out in the final pages would be an intriguing one, if I can just get past the quasi-science.
A woman is found at the scene of a crime with no memory of who she is or how she came to save the lives of eleven girls sold into slavery. In order to help retrieve her identity, the police bring in psychiatrist Dr Nathan Fox who has no memories of his own childhood trauma. Fox has a form of synaesthesia in which he feels other people's pyshical contact and pain, and he soon realises Jane Doe has the same sensations and more. When the police connect her to a series of murders, Fox is more determined to find out who the mystery woman is.
The condition is synaesthesia is fascinating and probably more common than you may think. The best known form is that of perceiving colours for letters and numbers but the term covers a wide range of interconnected senses. The premise of The Colour of Death is that a person that shows all forms is hyper-sensitive to their surroundings and may come across as being pyschic. Sounds good? I found that in trying to explain Jane Doe's visions with quantum physics, Cordy made the whole thing a lot less believable to me than if it had just been something supernatural that we could choose to believe or not.
On the other hand, the idea of synaesthesia being something spiritual is also explored yet I found this got a bit repetitive and somewhere in the second half it just got a bit too weird. I wasn't sure if I was meant to be believing what was going on or if they were just delusions of a psychopath!
Ignoring my skepticism, it's a good pacy read and I liked the characters of Fox and Jane Doe (I won't spoil it by letting you know if we find out her real identity). I agree with other reviewers that Cordy has set it up nicely for a series, one that I would be interested in reading. I think the concept that is laid out in the final pages would be an intriguing one, if I can just get past the quasi-science.
August 19, 2011
I am part of the Transworld Book Group
Crime novels and thrillers are not my usual cup of tea but I will certainly look out for the other books by Michael Cordy as I absolutely loved The Colour of Death.
Starting with a mysterious girl sensing devil's work going on behind closed doors, breaking in and saving numerous girls from a Russian sex trafficking gang, the girl, named Jane Doe by the authorities, ends up in the care of a psychiatrist Nathan Fox.
Jane chooses Nathan to look after her as he is the right colour! Whilst finding out that Jane has a very rare form of synaesthesia and helping her to cope with it, things get out of hand in the Old Town part of Portland, Oregon. A killer is on the loose leaving a carnage behind him and somehow linking Jane to the crime scenes.
Jane's father than appears to claim her as his daughter Sorcha. He is a leader of a cult called the Indigo Family and Sorcha chooses to go back with him so she can find out about her past. Nathan though senses that some things don't add up and seeks more information about the cult and than believing that Sorcha is still in danger from the killer decides to find the cult and warn her.
Of course by than Sorcha realizes that not everything is so perfect in the big happy Indigo Family and things go from bad to worse.
This is a great story, full of twists and big characters. This would make a great movie!
Crime novels and thrillers are not my usual cup of tea but I will certainly look out for the other books by Michael Cordy as I absolutely loved The Colour of Death.
Starting with a mysterious girl sensing devil's work going on behind closed doors, breaking in and saving numerous girls from a Russian sex trafficking gang, the girl, named Jane Doe by the authorities, ends up in the care of a psychiatrist Nathan Fox.
Jane chooses Nathan to look after her as he is the right colour! Whilst finding out that Jane has a very rare form of synaesthesia and helping her to cope with it, things get out of hand in the Old Town part of Portland, Oregon. A killer is on the loose leaving a carnage behind him and somehow linking Jane to the crime scenes.
Jane's father than appears to claim her as his daughter Sorcha. He is a leader of a cult called the Indigo Family and Sorcha chooses to go back with him so she can find out about her past. Nathan though senses that some things don't add up and seeks more information about the cult and than believing that Sorcha is still in danger from the killer decides to find the cult and warn her.
Of course by than Sorcha realizes that not everything is so perfect in the big happy Indigo Family and things go from bad to worse.
This is a great story, full of twists and big characters. This would make a great movie!
October 11, 2011
When a young woman breaks into a house and releases several trapped girls being held as slaves, she is hailed a hero. Only one problem though, not only does she not remember how she knew the girls were there, but she doesn't even remember her own name. Christened Jane Doe, she is taken to hospital where she is terrified by vivid hallucinations. Moved swifly to a mental facility, she comes under the care of Nathan Fox, a man troubled himself by the murder of his family when he was a child. Together, Jane and Nathan start to unravel not only the mystery of her identity, but also the sudden spate of murders that seem to somehow link back to Jane.
Having heard of Michael Cordy before, but never having read any of his work, I was very interested to read The Colour Of Death. Not only because I love new authors, but because the synopsis sounded so intriguing! I can honestly say, I have never read anything like this story before, the content was completely new, to me anyway. I loved how you slowly found out about all of the fascinating details about Jane and Nathan, and the secrets they both held, and then how it all tied back to the murders that seem so random. I did figure out some of the ending pretty early on, but that didn't ruin any of the enjoyment or suspence for me. A throughly enjoyable read, and a must for fans of thrillers with a science-y twist! I'm not only looking forward to reading the sequel, but also more books by Michael Cordy in the future.
Having heard of Michael Cordy before, but never having read any of his work, I was very interested to read The Colour Of Death. Not only because I love new authors, but because the synopsis sounded so intriguing! I can honestly say, I have never read anything like this story before, the content was completely new, to me anyway. I loved how you slowly found out about all of the fascinating details about Jane and Nathan, and the secrets they both held, and then how it all tied back to the murders that seem so random. I did figure out some of the ending pretty early on, but that didn't ruin any of the enjoyment or suspence for me. A throughly enjoyable read, and a must for fans of thrillers with a science-y twist! I'm not only looking forward to reading the sequel, but also more books by Michael Cordy in the future.
October 11, 2011
"The line between life and death is never black or white ...". Jane Doe, so named as she suffers amnesia after her act of extreme bravery frees several people, has more than just `sixth sense'. She has what appear to be hallucinations, and is able to pick up on violent deaths in rooms at the psychiatric retreat to which she is taken.
She refuses help from those at the retreat who she feels are the wrong colour, but accepts that Nathan Fox has the right colour aura.
Nathan Fox, psychiatrist, himself a survivor of a violent attack on his immediate family, and also with some similar traits, recognizes her as a fellow synaesthete, with crossed senses, and is determined to find out who she is and what terrible trauma has caused her amnesia. His medical and police colleagues are less convinced.
Several murders occur which seem to have a link to Jane Doe. Nathan seeks Jane Doe's help in solving them, using her exceptional skills. Nathan is convinced that her life is in danger.
Because of his own past Nathan is very prejudiced against religious cults. When it appears that Jane Doe has links to a cult, he is even more concerned for her safety. Again, his colleagues are not convinced.
This was fast-paced, suitably scary, interesting and believable. I was unable to put it down. A good read.
She refuses help from those at the retreat who she feels are the wrong colour, but accepts that Nathan Fox has the right colour aura.
Nathan Fox, psychiatrist, himself a survivor of a violent attack on his immediate family, and also with some similar traits, recognizes her as a fellow synaesthete, with crossed senses, and is determined to find out who she is and what terrible trauma has caused her amnesia. His medical and police colleagues are less convinced.
Several murders occur which seem to have a link to Jane Doe. Nathan seeks Jane Doe's help in solving them, using her exceptional skills. Nathan is convinced that her life is in danger.
Because of his own past Nathan is very prejudiced against religious cults. When it appears that Jane Doe has links to a cult, he is even more concerned for her safety. Again, his colleagues are not convinced.
This was fast-paced, suitably scary, interesting and believable. I was unable to put it down. A good read.
February 27, 2012
Thrillers have to be up there are one of my favourite kinds of books and this book did not disappoint. From the very first page I found myself hooked.
I found the book to be fast paced however in the middle of the book I did find that the pace of the book did slow down but it soon picked back up again.
All the characters were brought to life through the authors vivid descriptions and all the characters had a purpose within the novel.
I was worried that I was not going to understand the medical condition that Jane had and then not be able to get into the book. However Michael Cordy described the condition so simply that I was able to fully understand the condition and learn something new as well.
I loved how the book ended it has left the characters open to returning in another book and if a sequel is down I will be one of the first in the queue to get my hands on a copy.
Overall a very well thought out and original novel, I highly recommend it to everyone.
A copy of this book was received from Transworld publishers and all opinions expressed are my own through reading it.
This review first appeared on http://everybookhasasoul.wordpress.com
I found the book to be fast paced however in the middle of the book I did find that the pace of the book did slow down but it soon picked back up again.
All the characters were brought to life through the authors vivid descriptions and all the characters had a purpose within the novel.
I was worried that I was not going to understand the medical condition that Jane had and then not be able to get into the book. However Michael Cordy described the condition so simply that I was able to fully understand the condition and learn something new as well.
I loved how the book ended it has left the characters open to returning in another book and if a sequel is down I will be one of the first in the queue to get my hands on a copy.
Overall a very well thought out and original novel, I highly recommend it to everyone.
A copy of this book was received from Transworld publishers and all opinions expressed are my own through reading it.
This review first appeared on http://everybookhasasoul.wordpress.com
April 3, 2016
Nathan Fox's parents and sister were part of a cult killing at a gas station when Nathan was just a young boy. Fast forward quite a few years and Nathan is now Dr. Nathan Fox a forensic psychiatrist, he still do not know the entire story surrounding his parents and sisters deaths.
Then Jane Doe is put in his care, she has total amnesia but it also seems Jane has some very unusual gifts. It seems she has total synesthesia with even something new that Fox dubs Death Echo Synesthesia.
What will it take for Jane to remember her past and furthermore will Nathan ever find out what happened when his family were murdered?
The Colour of Death was a great book. I enjoyed most of the story line, there were a few things that were a bit hard to picture in the end part of the book regarding the Indigo Children cult, but it was different than anything I have ever read which was a good thing.
Then Jane Doe is put in his care, she has total amnesia but it also seems Jane has some very unusual gifts. It seems she has total synesthesia with even something new that Fox dubs Death Echo Synesthesia.
What will it take for Jane to remember her past and furthermore will Nathan ever find out what happened when his family were murdered?
The Colour of Death was a great book. I enjoyed most of the story line, there were a few things that were a bit hard to picture in the end part of the book regarding the Indigo Children cult, but it was different than anything I have ever read which was a good thing.
August 30, 2011
I am part of the transworld book group and have been given a copy to review.
This was an outstanding book. Its the first book I have read by Michael Cordy and I hope it is to be the start of a new series. Dr Nathan Fox is a psychiatrist with his own share of emotional baggage as he still doesn't understand why he was the only person not killed in a petrol station hold up. He is assigned to treat a woman known only as Jane Doe as she has complete amnesia of anything which happened prior to her rescuing dozens of Russian women held captive.
The book tackles a complex medical condition "synaethesia" and interweaves it very well into the storyline. Early on in the book I was reading it slowly, trying to savour it as much as possible but as the story progressed I was desperate to find out how it was going to end. All in all very highly recommended!
This was an outstanding book. Its the first book I have read by Michael Cordy and I hope it is to be the start of a new series. Dr Nathan Fox is a psychiatrist with his own share of emotional baggage as he still doesn't understand why he was the only person not killed in a petrol station hold up. He is assigned to treat a woman known only as Jane Doe as she has complete amnesia of anything which happened prior to her rescuing dozens of Russian women held captive.
The book tackles a complex medical condition "synaethesia" and interweaves it very well into the storyline. Early on in the book I was reading it slowly, trying to savour it as much as possible but as the story progressed I was desperate to find out how it was going to end. All in all very highly recommended!
February 14, 2016
I started this book with a lot of excitement and momentum carried me through almost to the end. The start is interesting, it is a thriller with a twist and a lot of details about energy and Chakras thrown in.
Though I enjoyed the book, but towards the end, I found the book too predictable, it almost made me think I was a reading a Bollywood story. The central characters could do no wrong and evil ones had no reason to do anything right.
I would recommend reading this book, though. The author apparently did good research to elaborate so well about ancient Indian healing, but still wish the end was different.
Though I enjoyed the book, but towards the end, I found the book too predictable, it almost made me think I was a reading a Bollywood story. The central characters could do no wrong and evil ones had no reason to do anything right.
I would recommend reading this book, though. The author apparently did good research to elaborate so well about ancient Indian healing, but still wish the end was different.
July 20, 2016
I found this book gripping from the beginning. I am not a quick reader usually, but this book I flew through as I struggled to put it down (even waking up in the middle of the night occasionally so I could read more). I have enjoyed all of Michael Cordy's books so far but this one was by far my favourite. The characters were fascinating, and the story line was unique (to me at least). When I finished the book I felt as though I was almost grieving, and like no matter what book I read would just not compare. Very excited for the next book to come out!!
January 28, 2020
I’m normally a reader of historical events or autobiographies. So for me, this book was something different.
It took me a chapter of 5 to get into the story and by god by the time I did I was set. It’s a really interesting story and plot, one I had never personally heard or read before. It’s dark, interesting and wants you asking more and more questions.
I was worried that the ending wound ruin the book as I had different views kn how it would end. However, it’s a great ending, one that leaves you happy.
It took me a chapter of 5 to get into the story and by god by the time I did I was set. It’s a really interesting story and plot, one I had never personally heard or read before. It’s dark, interesting and wants you asking more and more questions.
I was worried that the ending wound ruin the book as I had different views kn how it would end. However, it’s a great ending, one that leaves you happy.
August 31, 2012
This is the first book of Michael Cordy's that I have read and really did enjoy it. Couldn't put it down. I loved the two main characters Nathan and Sorcha. The condition Synaesthesia that Sorcha has which means that she can taste words, letters have colours and numbers have sounds I have read before in another story called Ultraviolet. It's really interesting. I love how it's explained and worked into a lot of the story here.
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