The Devil's Landscape

Dr Steven Dunbar #11

by Ken McClure

Dr Steven Dunbar, ex Special Forces medic and chief investigator with the Sci-Med Inspectorate, comes across apparent interference with front-line medical research in the UK. Funding for Professor Dorothy Lindstrom, a leading neuroscientist who has recently returned home to the UK after a tragic fire took the lives of two of her young colleagues at Yale University, has been completely blocked. Professor Lindstrom, a feisty character who has made more than a few enemies over the years, and her research group, who have been making dramatic progress in the new field of epigenetics which deals with genetic influences on human behaviour are upset and angry but feel helpless.
One of the group, Dr Owen Barrowman who has been looking for genetic and biochemical differences in convicted psychopathic killers held in secure establishments across the UK is particularly upset as he believes he is on the brink of a major discovery. He is determined to complete his research before the money runs out despite Steven’s warning about the dangers of being continually exposed to evil. His warnings go unheeded with tragic consequences.

Genres: Thriller, Crime

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 12, 2017

About the author

Ken McClure is the internationally bestselling author of over twenty medical thrillers such as The Lazarus Strain, The Gulf Conspiracy, White Death and Dust to Dust. His books have been translated into twenty-five languages and he has earned a reputation for the accuracy of his predicitions. McClure's work is informed by his background as an award-winning research scientist with the UK's Medical Research Council. He lives in a small village in the Lammermuir Hills of Scotland.

Reviews

[repton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ken McClure’s books seem to alternate between well published works properly edited and professionally presented and self-published with terrible editing and sloppy grammar and punctuation (I’d go as far as to suggest the cover is a dead give away, flying in the face of the books and covers idiom). This novel falls into the latter category. If I was a betting man, I’d say this story had been written well before at least the 4-5 previous books in the series, just updated for the timeline. The story itself did not hold much interest for me. I will look at the cover of #12 before deciding to read or not. Oh, that has a crappy cover too ...

[Jacob Peled · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the 11th Ken McClure novel I’ve picked up, or more accurately, tried to pick up, and simply couldn’t get through. I’ve rated 7 of his previous books with five stars, and another 2 received solid 4-star ratings. But this one? I couldn’t connect with it at all.
It’s an odd book, weighed down (at least throughout its first 30 percent), by an overwhelming amount of politics. Entire chapters read like verbatim protocols of committee discussions about research grants.
McClure attempts to spark our curiosity with the mystery of a secret donor funding continued research into the “correction” of the brains and behavior of psychopathic killers. At the same time, he paints the portrait of a supposedly terrified researcher interviewing one such psychopath, clearly intended to instill fear in the reader. Not only does it fail, it borders on the unintentionally comical.
There is virtually no action, just endless, tedious monologues. The distinctly British tendency toward excessive chatter (so familiar from certain films as well) rises here with full force.
This doesn’t mean I’m giving up on Ken McClure; I’ll certainly read his next book. But with this one, after struggling through 30%, I put it down.

[Ross Houghton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner

This is the 11th in the Stephen Dunbar series another great read if you have never read a Ken McClure book give one a go as won't disappoint.