Cain's Blood

July 29, 2013
Like the best SF thrillers, Girard’s promising debut is plausibly grounded in reality. Rather than clone the most gifted members of humanity, the U.S. military has chosen to fund a scientific program to create replicas of notorious serial killers of the last century, such as Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy, because that’s where the money is. Such rampant cynicism doesn’t sit well with Shawn Castillo, a former commander of U.S. Special Operations, who has been brought in to track down six teenage boys, all clones, who have escaped their birthplace, an institute in Pennsylvania, and taken three staff members hostage. Readers will hope that Girard, who gets the most out of his frightening idea, will continue this Michael Crichton vein in a sequel. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers will be publishing a YA version, Project Cain, simultaneously, told from the viewpoint of one of the teenage clones (see review, p. 71). Author tour. Agent: Peter H. McGuigan, Foundry Literary + Media.

September 15, 2013

Girard's debut novel revolves around a covert research group working with the military to see if DNA clones of serial killers can become perfect soldiers with no compunction to kill. Researchers also want to explore the nature vs. nurture theory by comparing clones raised in abusive situations identical to the original killers' childhoods with those who have had a caring upbringing. Is the urge to kill solely genetic, or does environment play a part? But when the now-teenage clones escape and leave bloody destruction in their wake, former military operative Shawn Castillo is charged with finding the clones before they cause more devastation. Assisting Castillo is a Jeffrey Dahmer clone who may be as dangerous as the teens they're tracking. Issued simultaneously with this title is a young adult version, Project Cain, narrated from young Jeff's perspective as a boy appalled by his genetic heritage, betrayed by those he trusted, and afraid of what he might become. VERDICT Girard's thrillers leap into action and sustain the suspense from beginning to end with thought-provoking speculation. Some scenes are graphic and violent; nonetheless, the titles will appeal to fans of science thrillers, both young and old. [Library marketing.]--Deb West, Gannon Univ. Lib., Erie, PA

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2013
A former Black Ops soldier with a troubled history is called in after a deranged geneticist creates multiple clones of famous serial killers and then releases them into the world. When a group of six teens commit several ghastly murders while escaping from a facility for troubled boys attached to DSTI, a biotech company with ties to the military, Shawn Castillo is called in. It's his first assignment after entering the civilian world following a long career of nasty covert work in the Middle East. Castillo soon learns that the kids are more than just troubled: They're all perfect genetic clones of notorious serial killers. Sensing that the staff at the facility isn't telling him the whole story, Castillo enters the home of Dr. Gregory Jacobson, the founder of DSTI who is also missing, where he discovers evidence of sadistic experiments being performed on the boys, and other boys, by foster parents selected and paid by DSTI, seemingly to help turn the boys into killers, just like their genetic predecessors. In the house, he also finds Jeffrey, Jacobson's adopted son, a bright, quiet young man who happens to be a clone of Jeffrey Dahmer. Knowing that Jeffery will likely be "neutralized" if DSTI finds him, Castillo reluctantly brings the boy with him as he sets out to find the escaped clones and bring their inevitable murder spree to an end. But Castillo soon realizes that his boss may have ulterior motives, most likely trying to keep a secret involving a place called SharDhara, where apparently something unspeakably terrible happened, so Castillo has to set everything right before he himself becomes a liability. With a majority of the horrific acts depicted in gory detail, including thrill murder, rape, torture, necrophilia, etc., committed by and upon teens and young children, this book isn't for every horror fan. The prose is clean and competent, but the dialogue is awkward. The characters, especially Castillo, are paper thin, but readers looking for a sadistic thrill will hardly notice. Mostly suited for horror fans with an interest in real-life serial killers and with exceptionally strong stomachs.

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August 1, 2013
This must be the highest-concept, most movie-ready idea of the year. In order to create the perfect aggression toxin, a biotechnology company working with the U.S. Department of Defense has been raising scores of children created from DNA of famous serial killers. Then ex-CIA assassin Shawn Castillo is called in to fix a little snag. Seems a few of the teen psychos slaughtered the staff and took off on a mission to liberate various oblivious killer clones from their adopted families. What follows is a tale of two road trips: one car jammed with the bloodthirsty teen clones of Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, etc., and another with Castillo and 16-year-old Jeff (a sympathetic Jeffrey Dahmer clone), who are following the trail of gory mayhem. Though Girard never fully gives in to the wildness of the premise (there is no psycho-on-psycho battle royale), this is nevertheless great fun to read, an updated The Boys from Brazil that ably mixes nature-versus-nature dilemmas with horrifying scenes of slasherdom. Girard's tie-in YA novel, Project Cain (2013), tells the same story from Jeff's perspective.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)