Review by Miercoles -- The Prize by Geoffrey M Cooper

[Miercoles]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Prize" by Geoffrey M Cooper.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Jealousy, intrigue and death taint the world of science in this thriller novel The Prize by Geoffrey M. Cooper. Scientist Pam Wellers startles the world with the discovery of a new drug to cure Alzheimer’s disease. However, efforts to replicate her research lead to the conclusion that fraud has been committed. As she seeks to clear her name and discover the truth behind the attempt to damage her reputation, she finds a trail of betrayal and deceit which leads to the death of a colleague and places her own life at risk.

This novel is a tightly woven tale of the race for the Nobel Prize which captures the reader’s attention from the first page and keeps him enthralled until the end. The unlikely heroine of the story, Pam Wellers, is a humble individual, seeking to succeed in a tough scientific field by working closely with and showing respect to the members of her team and to her employers. She evolves into a strong personality who, despite her shock and disappointment at having her work annihilated by what seems to be unassailable evidence of fraud, continues to search for answers to demonstrate her innocence. She is a perfect foil for the villains of the piece, whose arrogance and self-importance lead to their destruction.

Pam is ably assisted and supported by her partner and lover, Jake, who does not give up, and uses all of his contacts and skills as a former FBI agent to assist her. Their unwinding of the intrigue behind her predicament becomes a veritable whodunit as they seek to identify the real culprit in the case. The inclusion by the author of dates at the beginning of each chapter gives the reader a sense of perspective on the movement of the action, and adds a dose of realism to the story. It was quite fitting that science was used to absolve Pam from guilt as well as to clarify who had done wrong.

Despite the fact that the action in this story takes place in the scientific world, the author succeeds in ensuring that the reader is not overwhelmed by jargon which would make him feel uncomfortable, but includes enough to lend authenticity to the work. He captures our emotions as we root for Pam to be exonerated, as we become anxious that those against her will not win, and that those who do not help her will be sorry in the end. We see the humanity in the characters as they are vividly brought to life, manifesting both their flaws and their strengths. And while we will not agree with all of their decisions, we do understand how they are made, since the author has encapsulated a true sense of real life experience in this work.

The Prize is a cautionary tale that the end does not justify the means. Too often in life people are willing to take short cuts and to destroy others in order to reach their goals, as some characters did. The author ensures that the reader finishes the novel with a sense of satisfaction that all issues have been tidily taken care of, and we are in agreement with the outcome. Notably, the person who eventually captures the Nobel Prize never set out specifically to obtain it, unlike others in the story, and is not overwhelmed or overjoyed by the win. Their focus was on helping others; the Nobel Prize was an extra reward. I give this novel 4 out of 4 stars.

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The Prize
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