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Crime Zero
The year is 2008, and there is an epidemic of violent crime in the United States. Project Conscience promises to bring a radical solution to the crime problem, treating criminals with gene therapy. But some involved have a sinister agenda.
476 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
10 people are currently reading
278 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 35 reviews
May 25, 2020
Crime Zero is one of those books that left me conflicted. On the one hand, it was insanely addictive, and I was happy to devour it. On the other hand, I was never quite as invested in it as I could have been, and I never quite felt the connection to the characters that I had hoped for.
Crime Zero is certainly an interesting story, one that will suck you in with the possibilities. There are plenty of elements that will have you powering through the pages, details that will have you desperate for more. As hooked on the story as I was, I wanted more from the characters. They felt a bit bland, and I expected more of an emotional connection to them than I was given.
All in all, an addictive read, but it didn’t quite have the punch it could have.
Crime Zero is certainly an interesting story, one that will suck you in with the possibilities. There are plenty of elements that will have you powering through the pages, details that will have you desperate for more. As hooked on the story as I was, I wanted more from the characters. They felt a bit bland, and I expected more of an emotional connection to them than I was given.
All in all, an addictive read, but it didn’t quite have the punch it could have.
May 29, 2009
Not as good plot-wise as his others, but still interesting. I found the characters a bit thin, and their motivations weak. However I did enjoy the story. A solid action thriller.
August 10, 2024
Another one off my TBR pile and one that I found surprisingly engaging - yes it read like a film script with the action and the events rushing one after another - the characters were in some cases rather predictable - relying on their histories to justify either their actions or the attitudes - ironically this was a book that was published long before the pandemic and yet had some interesting connections to it - not that I am encouraging a re-print of revision as I know that the books of Michael Cordy have gone through a number of these over the years (including entire title changes).
So yes a fun romp with a few pause for thought moments - I guess in the same sort of league as recent Clive Cusslers so good fun but one I am not sure I will be rushing back to read while I can still remember the plot
So yes a fun romp with a few pause for thought moments - I guess in the same sort of league as recent Clive Cusslers so good fun but one I am not sure I will be rushing back to read while I can still remember the plot
April 12, 2012
Imagine that there was a drug out there to alter your DNA that would make peace across the world. But do you really have any say in it at all? This book is a page turner!! Full of suspense and thrillers. And to think, that in reality, today the way things are we could be exposed to something airborne good or bad and have no say or knowledge of it. Or if there is a cure for it!!
October 3, 2009
American thriller involving high profile protagonists and secret agents. the plot involves killing off men or altering their DNA so they become docile pets.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2025
This taut scientific thriller poses the question: What if we could get rid of the tendency toward violence in men?
This scientific thriller poses hard questions, philosophical questions, about what makes a violent criminal—is it genes or upbringing? Is it something in the brain that can be cured or is it an incurable problem? Is incarceration (a solution that is seen as increasingly untenable) or medication the answer?
Setting a terrible solution in motion are four women, three scientists and one politician aiming at the presidency. They’re all very different people but they’re united in bringing their own solution to bear. With WWIII looming on the horizon, it seems that biochemical warfare is the only solution.
The scenes shift back and forth among the various characters, especially the women. Alice Prince and Madeline Naylor form a yin-yang duo that seems to work very well—until it doesn’t. Kathryn Kerr’s brilliance and confident belief in her scientific methods runs aground when it meets with the ruthless skullduggery the other two women have been practicing behind her back.
If there’s a weak link in this novel, it’s Madeline Naylor. She’s a cold-blooded, ruthless killer with the icy certainty that she’s doing the right thing. She can be charming and serene but also merciless. She’s a powerful character who looms large in every scene in which she appears. However, she has the utter callousness and conviction of a cartoon villain, albeit without the cackling and monologuing. This treatment flattens her character and makes her two dimensional, unlike the people around her. We get an inkling as to why she’s like this but it’s not enough to make her character and motivations believable.
Still, the novel hits hard and touches on some very important current political and social problems. What would it take to stop criminal brutality in men? And would that be enough to bring peace on earth?
This scientific thriller poses hard questions, philosophical questions, about what makes a violent criminal—is it genes or upbringing? Is it something in the brain that can be cured or is it an incurable problem? Is incarceration (a solution that is seen as increasingly untenable) or medication the answer?
Setting a terrible solution in motion are four women, three scientists and one politician aiming at the presidency. They’re all very different people but they’re united in bringing their own solution to bear. With WWIII looming on the horizon, it seems that biochemical warfare is the only solution.
The scenes shift back and forth among the various characters, especially the women. Alice Prince and Madeline Naylor form a yin-yang duo that seems to work very well—until it doesn’t. Kathryn Kerr’s brilliance and confident belief in her scientific methods runs aground when it meets with the ruthless skullduggery the other two women have been practicing behind her back.
If there’s a weak link in this novel, it’s Madeline Naylor. She’s a cold-blooded, ruthless killer with the icy certainty that she’s doing the right thing. She can be charming and serene but also merciless. She’s a powerful character who looms large in every scene in which she appears. However, she has the utter callousness and conviction of a cartoon villain, albeit without the cackling and monologuing. This treatment flattens her character and makes her two dimensional, unlike the people around her. We get an inkling as to why she’s like this but it’s not enough to make her character and motivations believable.
Still, the novel hits hard and touches on some very important current political and social problems. What would it take to stop criminal brutality in men? And would that be enough to bring peace on earth?
March 12, 2021
The only other book I've read by Cordy is The Miracle Strain which turned out to be one of the most memorable books I've read--amazing story, edge-of-your-seat suspenseful, a real page-turner. I always wanted to read his other books, but could never find them until now. And I definitely was not disappointed. First, he has a very forthright factual writing style which tells you exactly what's happening, more reporter-like. Next, the action is fast, the story comes at you like a speeding train & you find yourself reading faster like you're trying to keep up. With this story which was written in 1999, 20 years before Covid 19 was ever heard of, I felt like I was reading about our present times--first woman president elected, universal pandemic killing millions, racing to find a vaccine,--all in the name of making the world a kinder, gentler, more peaceful & co-operative place to live. Futuristic technology which isn't that futuristic today, cutting edge science, disease control & disease release, the war on high violent crime & the punishment/rehabilitation of criminals. This can be a scary book as it describes the actions of misguided do-gooders trying to change the world with scientific means because--in today's world--it would be very easy to imagine this happening . . . or has it already?
September 18, 2025
This was ok. The writing style took me a bit to get used to, 3rd person multiple POVs kind of lumped together throughout, but the idea was interesting enough. Parts dragged a bit, but overall I was engaged most of the book.
We never learned why the 'villain' was so intent on mass murdering men, we never got their backstory, so the 'why' was kind of iffy.
The idea of a planet no longer capable of defending itself, and the slowing of technology development due to the book's outcome is rather laughable, considering the changes only affected men, and women are more than capable of defending and creating. Some points I agreed with, others I did not, so it was a good book to hopefully get people thinking of morality and coming to terms with their own prejudices.
We never learned why the 'villain' was so intent on mass murdering men, we never got their backstory, so the 'why' was kind of iffy.
The idea of a planet no longer capable of defending itself, and the slowing of technology development due to the book's outcome is rather laughable, considering the changes only affected men, and women are more than capable of defending and creating. Some points I agreed with, others I did not, so it was a good book to hopefully get people thinking of morality and coming to terms with their own prejudices.
June 12, 2020
Found this book a little hard to get into initially, but then it had an eerie feel as it was talking about a virus spreading around the world, very similar to the Covid 19 pandemic in Jan - June 2020. I looked up the book as it was written around 2008. Some of the reviews from around 2015 I read, said that the plot line was unrealistic and that this could never happen. Reading it during an actual pandemic when people are dying all around the world due to a virus, makes the whole scenario seem plausible. It is a good read for the current times.
January 27, 2018
A mind-blowing read, with bonds broken, secrets unspoken, and an excellent idea that could lead to a crime-free future, being used for the needs of absolute evil.
Though the start of the book seemed quite frankly to me dull, the plot managed to pick up within the next few chapters, and I couldn't take my eyes off of it until the end of the climax.
I will certainly be looking forward to reading more books by Micheal Cordy in future time. :)
Though the start of the book seemed quite frankly to me dull, the plot managed to pick up within the next few chapters, and I couldn't take my eyes off of it until the end of the climax.
I will certainly be looking forward to reading more books by Micheal Cordy in future time. :)
August 8, 2021
Korralik fantaasia. Aga epiloogi viimane lause pani korraks pikemalt mõtlema.
July 15, 2023
Wow I totally enjoyed reading Crime Zero! This book is a page turner for sure, always some action going on, which I like a lot.
November 6, 2024
Really easy to read fast paced book. I especially loved the ending that just has left me thinking!
May 12, 2025
I’m really enamored with the idea this book is built on and I think there’s a lot of really good deliberation on the whole “nature vs nurture” debate and I was really engaged with the plot, but the ending felt a bit…underwhelming? Anticlimatic? I don’t know, even it just didn’t satisfy me as much as I had hoped
May 11, 2022
This is an incredible book and even more relevant nowadays in light of Covid. It is a fast-paced, easy read that covers a very interesting idea. Unlike many authors, Cordy actually does thorough research and what he writes about, though fictional, is at least remotely plausible. This is his second book and was published in 1999, yet he understood the idea of exponential spread of diseases that foreshadows the recent rapid spread of Covid around the globe. Characters are well developed and interesting. Of course some aspects of their personalities are not realistic but the few weaknesses did not detract from the story. The epilogue is interesting but would have liked to see the potential ramifications developed more thoroughly especially in relation to the actions of the main villain, which were against the main thesis of the story. But these are minor quibbles and easy to make with 20-20 hindsight. Overall an excellent, quick read that will get you thinking.
February 14, 2012
Even though this book is the third from Michael Cordy, I'm still very much intrigued by his works, previous 2 were "The Messiah Code" and "The Venus Conspiracy". As expected, this thriller's theme is based around on bio-chemistry, secret agents and about threats to the world with events happening in the storyline. However, it's well written and the plots are "fresh". It doesn't seem boring or bland at all, in fact it's dramatic.
The characters were created nicely and to my own opinion, reflecting personalities that we could have seen in our normal lives, although not as extreme as in the story. The background is nicely laid out and the story flows smoothly.
The ending is something unexpected from Michael, nevertheless, a good one.
The characters were created nicely and to my own opinion, reflecting personalities that we could have seen in our normal lives, although not as extreme as in the story. The background is nicely laid out and the story flows smoothly.
The ending is something unexpected from Michael, nevertheless, a good one.
February 7, 2013
I regret bashing the seemingly vague idea of genetic engineering to "heal" the world. This book made me believe that everything is possible with genetics. Hands down to Kathy Kerr for being amazing and boooo to Madeline Naylor. What a prick.
Fast-paced, idealistic within reason, brilliant. I hope that, someday, men will somehow reduce their violence tendencies, but I certainly do not despise men for being who they are right now. Oh wait that made me think that it's about feminism, too. Lol feminism + modernism = cool
Fast-paced, idealistic within reason, brilliant. I hope that, someday, men will somehow reduce their violence tendencies, but I certainly do not despise men for being who they are right now. Oh wait that made me think that it's about feminism, too. Lol feminism + modernism = cool
November 25, 2020
In the year 2008, violent crime has reached epidemic proportions. Scientists and politicians are working together to create a gene therapy that will cure criminals of their violent tendencies. However, amongst their ranks are individuals with alternative agendas. If they succeed, the future of males will be changed irrevocably.
I read this book when I was 19 and found it gripping. I still recommend it to people.
I read this book when I was 19 and found it gripping. I still recommend it to people.
January 8, 2015
A superb book! The story is fast and keeps the reader occupied all the time. The twists and turns are all worth the time dedicated to the story. The concept behind the story is also very strong and the story is very powerful with complete detailing of the all events and happenings in the right mix. A must-read for any thriller lover :)
June 26, 2013
On page zero, I am thinking of the film "Equilibrium."
On page 300, I realize this story is much more sinister.
Devious, good mystery, a bit of an extended ending which may or may not have been necessary. Overall, a great and terrifying mystery.
On page 300, I realize this story is much more sinister.
Devious, good mystery, a bit of an extended ending which may or may not have been necessary. Overall, a great and terrifying mystery.
November 21, 2015
It hasn't got the strongest writing, and I never quite grasped the motives behind one important character's actions. But the story was still enjoyable, I liked the premise, and despite its flaws the book still gave me a nice helping of food for thought.
January 19, 2009
Crime Zero: A Novel by Michael Cordy (2001)
March 13, 2012
Another exciting story from Michael Cordy - I really can hardly put his books down once I have started - I find them riveting. This was a thoroughly good read.
November 14, 2012
Fast paced and (quite) plausible. Good ending. First Cordy book I read and made me go looking for the next!
June 4, 2013
this is a good, light, fun read; very enjoyable.
August 2, 2013
Very interesting twist towards the end. Makes a good conversation starter for a dinner party.
June 30, 2014
didn't finish
November 9, 2014
The story line is too far fetched to be credible but it is an interesting subject matter.
May 31, 2015
Bio Tech - About Drug to make Males non-violent… and how it got out in socienty
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews