Targeting the Telomeres: A Thriller

Amanda Michaels returns home for a peaceful summer break from college, but several new crises make clear she and her family members remain targets of espionage designed to gain economic control over her father’s cell telomere discoveries, which may extend human lifespan.

Events conspire to cause Amanda and an unlikely ally to attempt a dramatic do-or-die rescue mission inside communist China.

With billions at stake, foreign agents believe they have the leverage they need. 
Will Amanda Michaels find a way to beat them at their own game?

Another telomere series thriller from Readers’ Favorite Gold award winning author R.N. Shapiro, whose first novel, Taming the Telomeres was a #1 e-book bestseller.

Review

In Targeting the Telomeres by Richard Shapiro, there has been a plane crash and the only apparent survivor is Amanda Michaels. However, her father, Ron, a research scientist, has also survived and is now in protective custody. His breakthrough studies into telomeres, which can prolong life, have attracted the attention of the Chinese and his life is in mortal danger. Was the plane deliberately tampered with? A series of events throw Amanda and her Uncle Andy's lives into turmoil. A huge cover-up of the reasons for the plane crash is about to go public, unveiling political corruption, unscrupulous attorneys, and child kidnapping. Amanda must travel into Communist China with an unlikely ally to execute a rescue attempt of the missing child. If they succeed, her family will no longer have to live in hiding. If she fails, she will be dead. 

There are not many novels where the subplots are as strong and detailed as the main plot. The way the author has woven so much detail into this story is outstanding. Each character has been given a strong role in the story, their dialogue and actions are believable and gripping. The plot is fast moving and the conflict kept me totally engaged. There are no dull moments at all throughout the plot and the tension is superb, especially when Amanda and her ally enter China. I literally have no fingernails left. The ending was explosive and definitely not what I was expecting. The author is a true master of weaving elements of a suspense novel together and has provided a truly unforgettable story. I hope there is a sequel!