The Mind of a Genius

The Mind of a Genius
David Snowdon
Pentergen Books
ISBN: 0-9552650-1-0
Fiction, Espionage, Crime Fiction
Reviewed by Shannon Frost

British scientist, Malcolm Prince, has finished a project where he claims the final product, a secret formula, is capable of changing the world. The only problem is no one knows what the formula is or what the project was about, and now Malcolm is dead. Several government intelligence organizations are after the formula, but it’s up to MI4 agent, Jason Clay, to recover the information first; the easiest route to the task being to seduce Malcolm Prince’s beautiful widow, Laura. As the hunt for the formula heats up, it’s a guessing game as to who will be victorious.
The Mind of a Genius is a book that has an interesting premise at heart, and the idea behind what the secret formula is actually capable of is an intriguing one. When it comes to the storytelling, the descriptive details tend to be simplistic at times and the characters all fall a bit flat. Jason Clay in particular could do with more depth. With his main concerns being money, women and a good time, and having zero work ethic when it comes to being successful as a spy, he comes across rather shallow, and his transformation in character at the end isn’t believable based on what’s seen of him throughout the entire story. The initial beginning of the novel leads readers to believe he’s to be the hero, but really, no hero emerges, and there’s no clear cut nemesis either. It’s mostly people in the organizations talking and trying to figure out who knows what, and while the book travels to some interesting locations, it’s mostly to show Clay trying to woo the secret formula out of Laura than having any real intrigue.
Despite its flaws, there are some good things at work in The Mind of a Genius. With a little more action, a stronger hero, and more character depth, it could’ve been that much better.