Book Review: Elixir

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Elixir     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Gary Braver
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Scientific based   Thriller
Forge, Apr 2000, $25.95, 352 pp.

Darby Pharms medicinal research chemist Christopher Bacon returns from a field trip to New Guinea with a flower has never been seen in the West before. The natives believe the flower is a miniature fountain of youth. In their Boston lab, scientists test the extract on animals with startling results. The aging process was not just stopped but its physical impact reversed.

Darby Pharms CEO Quentin Cross tenders the elixir to reduce mob pressure to pay back a debt. However, the mob demands full control of the sales of the drug, seeing it as a better seller than cocaine and its derivatives. Chris uses the drug on himself. Accompanied by his family he flees for safety as the government, the mob, and Darby Pharms pursues.

Fans of biotech thrillers will find this novel to be the right ELIXIR for their needs. The story line is fasts-paced, filled with action, and numerous twists and turns. The characters seem genuine and, in turn, make the plot believable including the fountain of youth drug. Gary Braver provides a terrifying novel that will grip the audience with its insightful look at the aftermath of discovering the magical ELIXIR that reverses aging.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner