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Harvey Bennett #9

The Mendel Paradox

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A small village in Switzerland is rocked by a gruesome death.

Nearby, a woman disappears, and locals wonder if the events are related.

And in the surrounding forests, accounts of a strange and shadowy murderer begin to appear.

From International and USA Today Bestselling Author Nick Thacker...

A company in Switzerland has been working on bringing the future of medicine and surgery into the present. Their successes have been stacking up for over a decade, and their next project promises great things.

...Until things start to go awry.

Genetic engineering meets conspiracy technothriller in this nonstop, fast-paced action-adventure novel. A perfect blend of suspense, mystery, and thriller adventure for the armchair traveler.

Enjoy the book as a standalone novel or as part of the Harvey Bennett Thrillers series.

Harvey Bennet and the CSO return in this nonstop story of intrigue, thrills, and nonstop action.

For fans of Clive Cussler, Matthew Reilly, Andy McDermott, Dan Brown, Kevin Tumlinson, and Ernest Dempsey.

Start reading The Mendel Paradox today!

319 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 3, 2020

461 people are currently reading
264 people want to read

About the author

Nick Thacker

109 books439 followers
Nick Thacker is a thriller author from Texas who lives in Hawaii. In his free time, he enjoys reading in a hammock on the beach, skiing, drinking whiskey, and hanging out with his beautiful wife, two dogs, and two daughters. 
For more information, visit Nick online at www.nickthacker.com

In addition to his fiction work, Nick is the founder and lead of Sonata & Scribe, the only music studio focused on producing “soundtracks” for books and series. Find out more at www.SonataAndScribe.com.

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5 stars
340 (44%)
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268 (35%)
3 stars
105 (13%)
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33 (4%)
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12 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
Profile Image for PJ.
292 reviews15 followers
July 29, 2020
I've read this series out of order. They can easily be read as standalone books. I can't wait to have time to go back and read the books I missed. So far I've enjoyed them all.

I did miss Ben's wife in this one. You'll have to read the book to see where she was.
67 reviews
May 5, 2020
Back To Basics.....Sort Of

The 9th book in the Harvey Bennett series brings more of the action and adventure we’ve come to expect from Harvey, but with some changes. There’s still plenty of nefarious people doing nefarious things and Ben is still in a fight to survive, but this time Ben’s mostly on his own as far as the CSO is concerned. It’s a refreshing twist to force Ben to rely on other people and take on this mission without his usual companions, though I do miss seeing them in the adventure.

When the CSO is asked to investigate a company in Switzerland, Ben takes it upon himself to check it out, since some of his companions are on a much-needed break and the mission doesn’t sound like it will require the whole team. Upon landing in Switzerland, though, he’s quickly caught up in a missing person case, the hunt for some unknown creature and some seriously twisted science experiments.

This was a great addition to the Harvey Bennett series. It has the usual things, like Ben and the CSO trying to expose and stop a company or person who’s so interested in results that they no longer care about morals or human decency, but this story is mostly about Ben. It’s the first book in a while where the rest of the CSO team hasn’t followed Ben (or that he’s not chasing after them). It was a nice change of pace for the series. As much as I like reading about Ben with the rest of the team, it would make the series start to feel a bit too familiar if each book follows the same patterns and character placements. It was great to have Ben taking this mission solo and having new side characters come in to help him along the way.

This story was more Harvey Bennett goodness. I liked the fresh feel to the book (though I do miss the rest of the CSO team) and the ending has me especially looking forward to what comes next.

*I received a free copy of this book and am leaving a voluntary review. My thoughts and my opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Sandy Grant.
106 reviews2 followers
May 4, 2020
Harvey, Harvey, Harvey! What have you gotten yourself into this time? One of the most action packed books of the series, Harvey is on his own with no backup from the gang, not even cellphone service. He's taking on a bizarre corporation that not only tests on animals but also on humans without, of course, government knowledge.

Harvey has been hired to help bring this corporations actions to light after a devastated wife loses her beloved husband, a former employee. With the help of a nearby small town straight out of a Swiss alps snow globe, Harvey takes them on. And so it begins!

Even if you've never read any of this series you will thoroughly enjoy this book as a stand alone. The author does a magnificent job of bringing just what you need to know about Harvey's past into the story so that no one feels confused or left behind.

I received a free advanced copy but the review and opinions are all my own.
Profile Image for Gin Hunt.
203 reviews11 followers
September 11, 2020
Great story again.

The degree of a books success with me is largely based on whether the book keeps me reading thru thick & thin or I just read it when I have nothing else to do. This book was again the former. Just as every book in this series I couldn't turn the pages fast enough and the book transported me into the story so it's as if I'm there watching it unfold. It was not a cliff hanger in that the story had a beginning, middle and most importantly, a complete ending. It also made me want there to be another story about this group of people and luckily the 10th one comes out September 30th. I can't wait to read it and Highly Recommend this whole series including this 9th book. It's an entertaining read that can be completed in a few days if you end up missing meals, chores and basically any life outside the book. I even missed 2 of my favorite TV shows. Read this. Read them all. You'll be captured and joyfully entertained. :D

HIGHLY RECOMMEND! :D
Profile Image for Rosemary.
3,866 reviews69 followers
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May 2, 2022
The Mendel Paradox - a review by Rosemary Kenny

The Mendel Paradox - a review by Rosemary Kenny.


A horrible sight confronts young Alina in a Swiss forest...what kind of monster is it? Where does she awaken next?

Meanwhile whistleblower Eliza Earnhardt contacts Harvey 'Ben' Bennett's team at the CSO, with photographic evidence of illegal experiments being carried out by scientists at Lars Tennyson's EKG company, despite the danger to herself.

What happens when they go to investigate may cost them their lives - or their sanity - but is the nightmare truly over for Ben, Eliza and Julia?


The events in Nick Thacker's The Mendel Paradox could be straight out of a Frankenstein film and our hero has his neck literally on the line by the time we reach the shocking conclusion at the evil scientist's laboratory...which only makes it all the more riveting. Grab a copy today!
460 reviews2 followers
September 8, 2022
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

This book is truly a tangible demonstration of that concept. "Ben" Bennett and his accomplice in this "adventure ", Eliza, are literally tossed through hell and back as they strive to determine what evil goings-on at EKG international offices have been designed to do and what their results might be. They've seen eviscerated bodies of workers from EKG that are the result of the company's actions and research. They have viewed videos of some of that research. And they were shot at to stop them from getting any more information. The really sad thing is that there are probably real laboratories and medical facilities that are actually into these kinds of experimentation. I hope not. Fast paced action, complex subplots and some unpleasant thrills keep the reader glued until the very end.
1,732 reviews13 followers
April 13, 2020
This story was outside the norm for the COS team. Ben was the only one that was involved with this mission.

The story has Ben going to Switzerland to meet with and individual and in the end, he winds up looking into a company called EKG. This company has a facility in the country and he along with the individual that hired the team, are looking into what activities were occurring there.

The action that he runs into in his mission was quite intense. Unfortunately, one of the members that went with him is killed, and the rest of his team is also attacked as well.

What he locates at the facility and what happens there , you will need to read for yourself since it quite intense. You won't be disappointed.


Profile Image for Andrea.
1,788 reviews24 followers
April 21, 2020
I love the title. It is more appropriate than I thought at first. I like the ending. It was fitting karma. It also seemed to grow Ben in a new direction. The whole book was a little lower key than we are used to. It left me missing Julie and Reggie in this one. Sometimes the dialogue was stilted or unrealistic. But only in a few places. The new helpers were fine, but not great. The bad guys were really bad and rather crazy. Being in Switzerland was a nice location. I like the town and the setting in general. It left me wanting more work this company. I think that is a successful book.

I received a copy of this book and this is my review.
70 reviews
May 8, 2020
Great book. I really enjoyed Ben’s foray into this adventure without the rest of the CSO team. He meets up with some interesting people as he And his client set off to investigate and explore a company with dangerous and questionable ethics including the EKG people as well. In this story Ben gets threatened, beaten up, shot at, and fights for the rights of people and animals. The ending felt abrupt to me and I wanted one more question answered but I loved the book. I did miss the rest of the team... Waiting eagerly for book 10!
348 reviews4 followers
January 26, 2021
Harvey Bennett goes solo!

While the Harvey Bennett thrillers are named after Harvey, the previous stories have featured other members of the CSO. This tale really features just Harvey from the CSO. There is the usual ignoring of scientific ethics with animal and human experimentation, gun battles, hide and seek and a potential threat of continuation. However, I'm not sure I agree with the title... though it is still a great, relatively action-packed novel, well worth reading.
Profile Image for Readsall.
433 reviews5 followers
April 25, 2020
I've been a fan of Nick Thacker since I read the first Harvey Bennett book, the Enigma Strain. There's fast action, mystery and suspense. In this story, Harvey (Ben) Bennett goes to Switzerland to investigate a company that may be involved in questionable medical research. The woman that Ben is meeting also believes that the company was involved in her husband's death which was ruled an accident. You won't want to put this book down once you start reading.
Profile Image for Jean Barrett.
6 reviews
December 1, 2020
Knowledge Is Ever Increasing

I normally enjoy reading Nick Thacker's books. But this one like others that have recently begun to appear in print by other authors are disturbing to me. There is so much talk of science transferring our consciences into computers and other peoples bodies. I read Nick's books because the archeological back grounds that are usually a part of his stories. But he changed directions with this one. This may cause to have nightmares.
732 reviews5 followers
April 25, 2022
Never a letdown

This time Ben is on his own in small town in Switzerland. A town where everyone knows everyone and everyone's business. His mission is to find out what CSO and do to help Eliza an animal activist. This is take a turn when breaking into EKG, a building off in the middle of nowhere, in a town where in this case no-one knows anything about it. You need to read this book in order to find out the corrupt minds of some people. Thank you. Great job.
227 reviews3 followers
June 3, 2022
Full of action

Nick Thacker has written another actions packed thriller with hero Harvey Bennett. He has set the story in Switzerland's idyllic countryside and one can almost see the sites as Harvey travels through them. The other characters in this novel are well-drawn and easy to visualize in one's mind's eye...the way good writing ought to draw the reader into the story. I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion of this novel.
591 reviews6 followers
May 30, 2023
Researchers without boundaries

You won't be disappointed with this book! This is an exciting read that takes you into this moral dilemma of research without boundaries. This book is believable and the characters are interesting and well developed. There is a basic need for research, but there are areas of research that take on the role of playing God. You don't play God! This book shares that scenario with us.
272 reviews3 followers
August 8, 2025
Determined to get answers was the drive!

Good read. Ben is primary in this story with help front 2 others. They run into some really weird stuff trying to get answers. I really enjoyed the story line and how they went about solving some of the problems. Finding some bodies mutilated sure took some time to rationalize what was going on. Ben was warned to stay away from the situation only to get in deeper.
Profile Image for lovestoread.
963 reviews12 followers
April 14, 2020
Another foray into Ben's exciting life. This time he's off to talk to a woman in a little town whose husband died...he meets a great number of people before heading out to actually meeting Eliza.

Clive, Eliza and Ben are in search of a company - hopefully to bring them to justice. What they meet on route is incredible, inhumane and horrifying.

Intense, descriptive and enthralling.
2,511 reviews6 followers
April 23, 2020
This is a great story! Ben is without the CSO team as he travels to an idyllic Swiss village to investigate a mysterious company hidden deep in the Alps. As he, the client, and a local hunter sneak through forested, snow covered hills and valleys to get to the secret facility, they discover they are being hunted by someone or something much more deadly than anyone could have ever anticipated!
160 reviews
May 9, 2020
Another Ben thriller

I’ve read them all. This has me a little disappointed. I love the whole team together and this is a solo by Ben and he’s not enough to carry the book. Not great supporting cast either. Plus seems like a lot of the story was continuous explaining of the same stuff previously in the book. I prefer the fast paced previous books.
777 reviews3 followers
June 10, 2020
Harvey Bennett Solo

This would be a good back story for planet of the apes series. The people in town warn you about the weird experiments going on at the compound on the top of the hill. Chimps and gorillas on steroids running around the woods. It is Ok we were invited. So you find out the hard way. Run...
Profile Image for Sandra.
19 reviews
June 12, 2020
Good, but too much violence and gore for me.

Nick went a little too overboard on the blood and gore for me on this one. There's always been some, but not to this extent. The story was good, but it was also frightening in its possibilities. A lot of people will like it, but I'm not one of them. Sorry, Nick!
1,832 reviews12 followers
May 8, 2022
This is a story that is best found in a book. I would not like to live it like the characters in the book. Very imaginary & scary. It is a page-turner, full of mystery. It is too bad the author finds it necessary to use swearing. I don't think that contributes to the enjoyment of the book. At least it cost me nothing to buy & read.
130 reviews1 follower
June 13, 2022
review of the Mendel Paradox

A very interesting thriller that could give you nightmares. The action is nonstop and the cast of characters is incredibly diverse. There are way more questions then answers and some of the questions are beyond human logic. What is real and what is fantasy. Read it and see
Profile Image for Carol L. Caldwell.
Author 9 books8 followers
December 17, 2022
Lots of action

Once again Ben Bennett is in the middle of a mess. He should have taken Julie with him. When will he learn she's his better half? Switzerland sounds wonderful, but Ben learns that there are evil things going on from outsiders.
Good plot, good characters, and lots of action.
Profile Image for Marianne Reese.
Author 16 books12 followers
January 9, 2023
I liked the story line, and the characters were okay, but the action scenes seemed too unrealistic to me, especially then shootout at the end in the lab. I had a hard time visualizing the last shootout scene. I’m a fan of gorillas and was hoping for more story line involving the gorilla — in a good way, of course.
33 reviews
April 14, 2020
Wow!
Another exciting chapter in the saga of Harvey Bennett. This story contains all of the excitement and intrigue that you would expect from this series. It builds to a steady and rather satisfying conclusion.

I can't wait for the next one...
Profile Image for Karen Kepner.
363 reviews3 followers
May 30, 2020
Human transference?

Interesting read. Harvey (Ben) Bennett works alone in this story which takes place in Switzerland. Mad scientists, human gorillas and murder make for a quick paced, fun read.
708 reviews
June 22, 2020
Always a Fun Read

These books are light reading and follow several likable characters through their adventures somewhere around the world. This book only has Harvey in it, as he and his client attempt to unravel the mysteries of a secret laboratory in Switzerland.
796 reviews5 followers
October 6, 2021
Another good one, but needed the rest of the crew for support…

This time Ben is without the help of his team. A young woman Eliza wants help in finding out who was responsible for her husbands death.
Profile Image for Mary Bowers.
271 reviews1 follower
May 12, 2022
Outstanding

Mr. Thacker makes you wonder and scares the daylights out you all at the same time! This back grabbed my attention from start to finish, just could not stop reading it. Now I need to go back an read Book 1!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews

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