A headless body on a boat. An international conspiracy. Can he survive a controversial scientific discovery?Esteemed Australian journalist Jack Rogan is on a mission to solve the disappearance of his mother in the 70s. But when a friend needs help rescuing a kidnapped world-renowned astrophysicist, he doesn’t hesitate. Struggling with more questions than answers, his investigation leads them … investigation leads them aboard a hellish hospital ship, where instead of finding the kidnap victim, he’s confronted with a decapitated corpse.
As the search intensifies, Jack bumps up against diabolical cartels with hidden agendas. And when his research reveals dubious experiments, a criminal on death row, and a shocking revelation about his mother’s fate, he must uncover how it’s all linked.
Can Jack unravel the twisted connections and catch the scientist’s killer, or will the next obituary published be his own?
The Curious Case of the Missing Head is the fifth standalone novel in the page-turning Jack Rogan Mysteries series. If you like meticulous theoretical science, exponentially increasing intensity, and astonishing surprises, then you’ll love Gabriel Farago’s hair-raising medical thriller.
Buy The Curious Case of the Missing Head to blow the lid off an electrifying adventure today!
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Move over Wilbur Smith!
This latest book from Farago is a beautiful blend of page turning suspense interwoven with journeys into the world of science, medical research and international intrigue. It is set in locations that become vividly real thanks to Farago’s detailed research and pinpoint accurate descriptions. Facts and fiction are merged to set the stage for a truly addictive read.
The story line which unfolds from different directions keeps the reader engaged throughout the book. With unexpected twists and a masterfully delivered rhythm of action climaxes, the need to read just one more page is ever present.
A diverse cast of characters rounds out the mix and lets Farago use his skills to capture a range of human behaviour in disparate situations – from a casual meeting, through tense negotiations to life and death critical moments.
If you haven’t read the previous books in this series, I am envious of the entertainment that awaits you.
Absolutely a great read and not to be missed!
Wow! Just Wow! This book was amazing and blew me away! Jacks publisher and friend needs his help to find her brother who is a genius scientist and was kidnapped in London. This book took us from London to Italy to Columbia to rural Pennsylvania! There was a lot of advance mathematics, quantum physics, in this book! Thankfully it was dumbed down so people like me could understand it! There is plenty of action and drama between the Italian mafia, a Columbian drug cartel, Dr.Death from Kosovo and a top notch Ukrainian terrorist/ assassination group! We also get to see the usual characters, Jack, Isis, Lola, the countess, Tristan and his wife! There are several storylines playing out throughout the book! Most surprising is the weird science stuff that borders on sci fi and finding out it is based in reality. Jack always finds himself in the most amazing and dangerous situations. This book was extremely well written and researched! If you like complex and amazing books this one is for you! I love all of Gabriel’s book. I feel so much smarter and more aware of the world around me and all the latest advances in medicine and science after reading one! I can’t recommend this book more highly! It was truly fantastic!
All of Gabriel Farago’s books are wonderful, and The Curious Case of the Missing Head is no exception. Farago is a master storyteller who weaves history, medical science, geography, and adventure into marvelous tales. Jack Rogan, the incorrigible rascal, is always at the center of the action. A journalist and writer, Jack believes in destiny, and he and his supporting cast of complex characters weave brilliant threads through the tapestries of all the stories. The Curious Case of the Missing Head, the fifth in the series, is the story of Professor Zachariah Stolzfus, a world-famous astrophysicist and devotee of Stephen Hawking, who is kidnapped by a Columbian drug cartel with the help of a Florentine Mafia family. The non-stop excitement spans the globe, from Sudan in Africa to Italy, France, England, Australia, and South America. Jack brings all the threads together while trying to save Stolzfus’s life and his own, in the process finding an important piece of his own destiny. If you have never read Farago’s books, buy the whole series. You will never be disappointed.
Book #5.
An ingenious and carefully crafted plot, this story is full of mystery and intrigue, indeed! People who have seemingly nothing in common-drug cartels, scientists, governments, ex militia-, all come together in an unsuspecting and spinning plot. Greed, ego and ambition rule the world. A smart and devious complot, Gabriel Farago has developed the storyline ingeniously, taking us to different parts of the world, with an impressive and imaginative precision that kept me engrossed throughout the book. The lecture given by Professor Stolzfus had me enthralled! It’s so realistic and emotive, I even felt empathy with some of the villains. Atrocities, cruelty comitted in present day are reflected with precise definition. A thrilling, exciting and edge of seat premise. I highly recommend this series!
A page-turner!
The Curious Case of the Missing Head: A Medical Thriller is the fifth book in the exciting Jack Rogan Mysteries series.
This addition to the series is a real page-turner that captured my interest from the first page and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. The plot is fascinating and complex, with multi-faceted, realistic characters that take you on a fantastic journey around the globe in search of answers. This is a fast-paced, action-packed thriller that will keep you riveted from start to finish. I highly recommend this book and all others in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
I received this book through ARC in exchange of an honest review. If you love medical thrillers, non-stop action, twisty, and great characters, you’re in for a treat! Crisp writing, believable medical science, a fast paced, stay up all night, that leaves you wanting more. Highly recommend you read this awesome book!
Another outstanding chapter in the Jack Rogan saga! Masterful blend of fact and fiction that has enough twists and turns to keep anyone interested.
Gabriel Farago delivers an incredible & fascinating story in this extraordinary book. I couldn’t stop reading it. Excellent writing, page turner, great characters (the good & bad ones). Unbelievable medical research in which your jaw just dropped. This writer is very gifted & talented. Extraordinary job. I received a copy and voluntary leaving a review.
5 stars
Fantastic! Simply fantastic!!
The gang is back in this latest addition to the extremely great Jack Rogan series. Jack, Tristan, Isis, Lola and all their friends and relatives have returned to entertain the reader. And the reader gets to meet new people too: brilliant physicist Zachariah, a very dedicated and likable African doctor and a whole host of bad guy drug dealers/killers, mafioso creepazoids, kidnappers, a famous quasi charity on a hospital ship and a crooked lawyer.
This is a fast paced thriller of a book filled with exciting characters some of whom are well liked and some the readers love to hate. The book is extremely well written and plotted. It is written in a linear fashion so one event follows another in a logical progression. It is easy to read and follow and a joy in which to get lost. The descriptions of the scenery and people are colorful and well thought out. The dialog is clear and so real to life it is as thought this reader was in the room with the speakers as I was reading along.
The race around the globe is nail-biting and very moving. Mr. Farago writes his characters so very well and I want to thank him for forwarding to me a copy of this absolutely wonderful book for me to read, enjoy and review.
What happens when a national treasure is kidnapped to trade for a prisoner. Sounds like a normal start to the story, but what about when he is shot and dying, but you cannot afford to lose his scientifically famous brain. You perform a transplant of course. It sounds far fetched but reads like it could really happen. This story is fabulous from start to finish. Jack Rogan finds himself in so many adventures and I enjoy reading each and every one of them.
The title is an indication that this will be a different story. This is so well crafted that it’s not as far fetched a story as the title may lead you to believe. I have read all of Mr. Farago’s books. They are all “intelligent” mysteries/thrillers. Not romantic or “cozy” mysteries. You need to concentrate when reading his books……….but you may learn something along the way. They are full of history, interesting facts, and very interesting characters.
When I started reading Mr. Farago’s works, I did not start at the beginning. But I enjoyed the story so much, that I immediately went to the first book and then read them all. There are multiple continuing characters, and while you get a little background in each book, I feel it is much better to start at the beginning……don’t spoil the enjoyment of reading one of his books because you are puzzling about a particular character.
I came upon Mr. Farago quite by accident…….by signing up for one author’s newsletter, I was able to connect to quite a few other authors– Mr. Farago being one of them — I took a chance on a book and was immediately “hooked”.
I won’t say if you like a certain author, read Mr. Farago’s books, because I find his writing style and subject matter very unique.
Give him a try and hopefully you will enjoy the books as much as I did.
A world famous astrophysicist is kidnapped by a drug cartel. In the process of the kidnapping, a member of the hired team is shot and killed. Stolzfus, the astrophysicist is also shot by a policeman in error. The head, of the cartel’s son is in an American prison and he wants to make a deal to exchange Stolzfus for the release of his son. This novel is an exciting adventure that brings a brain transplant into the heart of the story. Jack Rogan again is in the mix of trying to rescue Stolzfus. Rogan discovers lost family. This novel will keep your interest.
The main story is about a Colombian Cartel boss that tries to blackmail the US president. His son is on death row in an American prison with the execution date rapidly approaching and all legal means depleted, so he wants to kidnap one of America’s brightest and most valuable scientists and auction him off to the highest bidder. This abduction goes awry and an awful lot of thrilling and terribly exciting things happen before the blackmail plan can occur. As this scientist is the brother of Jack Rogan’s publisher, he also gets involved and things get really complicated.
As is usual in this series, there are a lot of secondary stories woven into the mains story’s fabric. Some of those things made me look much more lenient towards some of the criminals involved. A Bosnian hitwoman that saw her parents butchered in order to sell their organs to rich Arab patients, desperate to get her revenge on the doctor masterminding that trade. A life-threatening injury that gets overcome by a head transplant operation. This book is certainly fast-paced and full of unexpected action. Far fetched science fiction? Not all that impossible as one would think. In 1954 dr. Demikhov in the USSR performed a head transplant on a living dog, and experiments are currently done in several renowned institutions. Allegations of black market organ trade were made and swept under the carpet after the war in Kosovo.
The book is also a tribute to Stephen hawking. The abducted professor is totally inspired by him and often named as his successor. The theories that he proved and explained also figure prominently in the book. Don’t worry, as I could understand the explanations (and I epically failed mathematics), I’m sure that most people will.
This is a great book. There’s a fantastic story, familiar characters that grow during the series but always remain human, tension, thrills, excitement. This writer is one of my best discoveries made this year.
A received a free ARC from the writer, but this is my own personal honest opinion.
There are some things you can count on from this author, complexity in the plotline, science and plenty of thrills. This book definitely delivers! There are several intriguing storylines and a diverse cast of interesting characters. If you have never read anything from Gabriel Farago, this book is an excellent place to start.
Alonso Cordoba is on death row in the US. He is the son and heir to Columbian drug cartel lord, Hernando Cordoba. Hernando and his wife Rahima are desperate to save their son. Their attorney, Raul Rodrigo has not been able to do so through legal means, so instead he hatches a difficult and dangerous plot to save Alonso.
In June, a famous American scientist, Professor Zachariah Stolzfus, will eulogize his inspiration, the man who first introduced him to physics, Stephen Hawking at Westminster Abbey in London. Since the professor addressed the world from the International Space Station at the time of Hawking’s death, he has become even more famous than he already was. Stolzfus is one of the six greatest minds in the country and leader of the “Genius Club”.
He makes his home at a well-guarded compound at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. His security rivals that of the President! Despite that, Rodrigo’s plan is to kidnap him at Hawking’s memorial, an event that on its own will have exhaustive security due to the number of important attendees, in addition to Stolzfus security detail.
To accomplish the actual abduction, Rodrigo engages the Giordano mafia family of Florence, Italy. The Giordano’s have much to gain from a deal with the powerful drug cartel should the plan be successful.
Alessandro Giordano, surviving son of the Giordano family, has his own connections to an expert team, Spiridon 4, to carry out the kidnapping. They have never failed a job, no matter the danger involved. This job could be lucrative enough to be their last.
Nadia and Teodora, originally from Kosovo, half of Spiridon 4, were turned to a life of crime after heinous events in their early life. Their family were abducted, and the girls brutalized. Teodora witnessed the horrible murder of their parents and saw their organs being harvested for sale. She vowed vengeance on the doctor involved, Dritan Shehu or Dr. Death as he was known to the war crimes tribunal. He disappeared before he could be tried.
The girls were taken in by a group of Romany gypsies where they met the other half of their team, the brothers Silvanus and Aladdin. When the gypsies were wiped out at a later date, the four survived together and formed Spiridon 4.
Jack Rogan an internationally known author is in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan following up a lead on the disappearance of his mother when he gets a call from the woman who runs his publishing company in the US. Her brother, Professor Stolzfus, has been kidnapped and she enlists Rogan to help in the efforts to find and free him. Rogan has found the most promising lead in his search for his mother but agrees to leave immediately to help his friend.
Thus, begins the entwining of stories that will collide in one of the most intriguing and thoughtful thrillers ever.
Kindle Unlimited edition
International intrigue and action!
Great as part of the series, yet enough detail to follow as a standalone.
Read it and get hooked like I did with my first taste of this twisted and fabulous adventure series!
Wow! What a read! This book has it all: suspense, romance, intrigue, humor, murder, kidnapping. I was totally engrossed in the story. It has several plotlines which don’t seem to be related. But, the author carefully weaves them together to show they really are connected.
Two mafia families grappling for superiority in Florence, Italy; Jack Rogan trying to find what happened to his mother who disappeared many years ago from an African mission; an orphaned set of twins looking to avenge their parents’ deaths; an Amish prodigy who left his life behind to embrace science, working for NASA and was traveling to London to go to the memorial service for Stephen Hawking. You must read the book to see how it’s all related!
I received an ARC from the author and this is my voluntary review.
Once again Jack Rogan takes us on an amazing journey of mystery, intrigue and villains. With a truly international flair we find that Mexican drug cartels do work in conjunction with the Italian Mafia and are capable of even bigger conspiracies than you might have thought. A genius is kidnapped and swapped for a jailed felon but that barely scratches the surface of this awesome book. Let me just say that if you action/adventure/mystery/intrigue stories you will love this one. Even though the cast of characters is large, the non stop action along with an extremely well written story will keep you on the edge of your seat !
Absolutely fascinating
The whole plot of this novel seems beyond far-fetched but the thing which makes it compelling is that all the science, mathematics, and medicine around which the plot revolves is cutting edge and very probable, if not already reality. All the Jack Rogan cast of characters are wonderful, which makes rooting for them in their adventures an easy task. Read this and all the Jack Rogan novels.
I received an ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review.
This is a very compulsive read, like the other book is the series, it is a very exciting thriller in its own right, but it is also a fascinating dramatisation of some medical advances that are theoretically possible today, and may well be practically possible in the near future. This shows the amount of research that the author has carried out, it’s very impressive. The only downside to this is the length of time between books, I do get very impatient to know what Jack and his friends are going to get up to next.
For those of us who have read the preceding books in the series, it is a real pleasure to meet up with the characters with whom we have become familiar, but I think that this book can also be read as a very enjoyable and satisfying stand-alone.
I now can’t wait for the next book in the series!
I did receive an advance copy of this book from the author, but this review is my honest opinion and has been written voluntarily.
Absolutely awesome…
This is the 5th book in the Jack Rogan Mystery Series and it absolutely delivers an exceptionally well-crafted, fast-paced, globe-trotting thriller full of fascinating characters (some good, some incredibly twisted) that will keep the reader completely captivated until the very last word. The masterful blend of fact and fiction used to weave this thrilling story will have you wondering what has been taken from real life and what is the product of the author’s gifted imagination. The amazing fact is that most of the seemingly fantastical parts of the book are, in fact, rooted in reality and that only makes the story more enthralling. Follow Jack Rogan as he sets off on a breath-taking and perilous adventure to rescue a famous astrophysicist from the clutches of the mafia, a mercenary squad, drug cartels, and evil war criminals. This is a “must-read”, “don’t-miss”, high-octane adventure that had me clutching my e-reader in a white-knuckled death grip as I furiously flipped page after page well into the wee hours. I always look forward to a new Jack Rogan mystery and this one exceeded my already high expectations with its fast pace, political intrigue, diverse locales, wonderful characters, and a complex and truly inspired storyline.
If you haven’t read the previous books in this series, you can still enjoy this story without feeling lost as the author provides enough information about past events to keep the reader fully engaged. Much like potato chips, however, one is never enough. Having read one Jack Rogan adventure, you will likely want to go back and enjoy each and every one. These books are clean, well-written mysteries incorporating current issues into fast moving classic adventure stories. Purely top-shelf entertainment.
While the author did provide me with an advance copy of this book, I chose to purchase a copy for my collection and I am voluntarily offering this unbiased and honest review.
If you find this review helpful, I thank you for so indicating.