When biologist Chris Bacon headed for the unspoiled rainforests of Papua New Guinea in search of medicinal plants, he had no idea that he would bring home a rare flower rumored by a tribal shaman to prevent human aging. Driven by fountain-of-youth dreams, he plans to turn the flower into an elixir of youth and health.
But as Chris begins tampering with the ultimate secret of nature, he unleashes forces that not only threaten his own family, but expose the world to unimaginably horrific consequences.
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"Elixir has something smart to say, and combines the best of the thriller genre to say it: engrossing story, hot science, interesting characters, stylish prose, and runaway pacing."
– Robert B. Parker, New York Times
bestselling author of the Spenser novels
"Elixir is stylish, finely tuned and terrifying-the best thriller I've curled up with in a long while. If you need a good night's sleep, wait until morning to start this one."
– Michael Palmer, New York Times
bestselling author of Miracle Cure
"Exceeds in the art of storytelling… Taut, fast, bullet-sleek, with that hauntingly persistent question: How far would you be willing to go to obtain immortality, and what price are you willing to pay for it?"
– The Charleston Post Courier
"Fast paced and well-plotted… Braver's larger purpose is to explore the moral and ethical dilemmas proposed by anti-aging technologies. He does so with compelling plot twists, as well as down-to-earth writing that brings his characters to life as ordinary yet complex people. The drug itself may produce a fatal addiction, but the story behind its development makes for an intoxicating read."
– Publishers Weekly
"A roller-coaster ride… a fascinating story that leads to philosophical pondering as well."
– The Port St. Lucie News
"A fast-paced gem of a thriller."
– The Capital Times, Madison Wisconsin
"Gary Braver has produced a stimulating mixture of villainy, science and the philosophical and practical issues that underlie the new found ability to create 'immortality' or, at least, a major deferment of the aging process. Along the way, Mr. Braver introduces us to some of the scientific issues underlying the aging process, the role of telomerase and whether aging is in fact inevitable… Enough science to make the narrative plausible, but not too much to paralyze the narrative development… Once started, Elixir could not be easily put down. Elixir should be a deservedly popular read by scientists and non-scientists alike."
– Pharmaceutical News, Vol. 7, No. 4
"Elixir delivers all the suspense and excitement you could ask for, and asks a hard question, too: What would you do if you found that you could live forever? Read Elixir and find out."
– William Martin, New York Times
bestselling author of Cap Cod and Annapolis
"Among the best of recent contributions to its genre because of its engaging plot and the issues it addresses, this is an outstanding addition to all fiction collections."
– Library Journal
"A terrifying novel… fast-paced, filled with action, twists and turns."
– Midwest Book Review
"Engaging prose and plausible character development… Braver's background in physics and his extensive knowledge of the mechanisms of aging, make much of the technical aspects of Elixir ring true."
– The Arlington Advocate
"A first-rate biotech thriller that explores the ethical and moral dilemma projected by anti-aging technologies… This is an excellent [book] with a lot of important ideas about the real-life rush to strip the rainforest to find botanical cures, and the agonizing decisions we face as to who should control the finds."
– Sullivan County Democrat
"Elixir [is the] new, heady literary thriller by Arlington author Gary Braver… Braver has taped into an American obsession and come up with a relentless page-turner that manages to deal with technical, scientific and medical material while still being entertaining, witty and very unnevering."
– Watertown Tab Press
"In Gary Braver's page-turning thriller Elixir, a biologist stumbles across an anti-aging drug that works. Once the secret is out in the open, everyone gets into the act, from the drug lords to corporate management to the FBI… Can biologist Christopher Bacon resist the drug, even if it means that he'll stay young and vibrant while his family ages? Wouldn't want to spoil the fun."
– The Herald (WA)
"This novel has some winning twists and even a nostalgic visit with Ronald Reagan… Elixir is really bad science but awfully good fiction."
– Tampa Tribune Times
"If you're tired of the Grisham legal drama and the Clancy spy novel, and if you're looking for an exciting, fun, read, pick up Elixir. It is wonderfully written… The characters are beautifully realized… Lots of drama; lots of suspense. This is a great thriller!"
– Entertainment Tomorrow
"A fantastic thriller and an intriguing ethical study… A thrilling cascade of drama and paranoia."
– The Northeastern News
"A novel of commendable skill and literary craftsmanship."
– The Armenian Mirror Spectator
"Braver makes sure that every twist and turn makes sense… He is a master craftsman when it comes to creating characters. There is not a single character major or minor, that feels as if they are two-dimensional, put on the pages as if to serve a purpose… Elixir has all the makings of a great movie… I expect to see it on the silver screen."
– Shelflife
"I found myself thinking about this book every time I put it down. And it was very hard to put down. It races to a heart-stopping conclusion but lingers with you long after the last page. This is a great book for that long plane ride or a day at the beach."
– Kate's Mystery Books Newsletter
"[Braver] has tapped into an American obsession and come up with a relentless page-turner that manages to deal with technical, scientific, and medical material while still being entertaining, witty, and very unnerving."
– Metrowest and Community Newspapers
"Gary Braver's plot is informed by a real-world sensibility in which the heroes may be smart, but are given to blindness and ambition-and the bad guys, while evil, are far from stupid. A breathtaking series of moves and countermoves propels the story toward unforeseeable, tragic consequences, but at its heart the book remains a meditation on the nature of life and its need for family. This is one terrific thriller."
– Wigglefish.com
"A fasten-your-seatbelt thriller… with never an obvious or cliched moment… Elixir not only gives us a complex story but also features characters who are complex and richly textured, and who act in ways that surprise but make perfect sense given what we come to know about their personalities… While he has produced an unabashedly commercial page-turner, Braver has also probed, in a profound and often disturbing fashion, some fundamental questions about the ever-expanding role of biotechnology in modern life… Perhaps Elixir is not only entertaining and provocative, but prophetic as well."
– Northeastern University Magazine