The Gene Thieves

The future is closer than you think ... family bloodlines, genetics, legal shenanigans, a horrific kidnapping combine in a thrilling, fast-paced story.
Brilliant, lonely genetic scientist Piggy Brown is desperate for a child, but he's in a tricky legal situation. Dancer is a lawyer with his own reasons for wanting to grant Piggy's dearest wish - and he can set up Conjugal Contracts which push the envelope of the law. Dancer visits the Nest, the official centre for surrogates, and inveigles them into recommending someone they have used before, someone who won't ask too many questions about the baby she carries. But choosing a surrogate can be risky, and this one, Angela, comes with baggage: her own child, Molly, a six-year-old who has already seen too much of her mother's world. When a grotesque kidnapping occurs, everything is thrown into chaos and Jack Lee, Chief Investigator for the UN Ethical Science Council, decides it's time to take charge of the case - for the sake of humanity's future. Praise for tHE GENE tHIEVES: 'Something for everyone here: part science fiction, part family drama, part mystery, part geo-political thriller ... [Maria Quinn] weaves each element together seamlessly, all the while never losing sight of the endearingly normal humans at the core of her tale' aurealisXpress 'an exciting near-future thriller ... fast-paced and engaging' Bookseller+Publisher four-star review

Maria Quinn's career began in Sydney as an advertising copywriter. After working in the US and Canada, she moved to a London agency, as Creative Director. Returning to Australia, she became a magazine editor and feature writer. Her television credits include producing the national program King's Kitchen. She is the winner of the 2007 Todhunter Literary Award for short story and the recipient of a prestigious Varuna fellowship. This is her first novel. Visit Maria's website at www.storyworldonline.com