Taming the Telomeres: A Thriller

By: R.N. Shapiro

Narrated by: Mikael Naramore

Length: 14 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's Summary

A survivor. A soul mate. A secret affecting telomeres - the protective tip of the human chromosome that controls cell life. And death.

High school senior Amanda Michaels suffers from amnesia with regard to everything before the jet crash that only she survived. She lost her parents and her memory in the aftermath but miraculously survived. While recovering, Amanda strikes up a whirlwind romance with a young hospital volunteer but recalls only a haunting series of flashbacks of her near-death experiences (NDEs).

Gold Award-winning fiction thriller - 2015 Readers' Favorite Int. Book Award Contest

©2014 Richard N. Shapiro (P)2016 Richard N. Shapiro

Critic Reviews

Gold Award winning fiction thriller – 2015 Readers' Favorite Int. Book Award Contest "'A masterpiece' and 'spellbinding page turner' are just some of the praises showered on this cutting-edge biological thriller...and a highly unanticipated climax complete the thriller joyride." ( Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

Science and Law!

Where does Taming the Telomeres: A Thriller rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's right in there with Baldacci and Grisham. I read everything they write. This equals them in entertainment, suspense, grip on your interest. I hope the author follows up with more in this genre.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Taming the Telomeres: A Thriller?

The discussion of the biology and the events that led to the plane crash.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scenes in the countryside outside Washington, DC. They reminded me of some of Baldacci's best scenes out in the Virginia countryside. I know that area. Very realistic - Loudoun County, Va. ...

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but couldn't do that. I drive a lot and listened to it straight thru before starting up another.

Any additional comments?

I am interested in the intersection of science and law. I am a chemist and enjoy books that have an element of science in them - but the science needs to be accessible. it is here.

Brilliantly plotted - executed biological thriller

I enjoyed this book for so many reasons. As others have said, it’s a page-turner that cannot be put down. The story is well-executed and carefully plotted. Seventeen-year-old Amanda Michaels is the sole survivor in a plane crash. Her uncle, famed attorney Andy Michaels, who launched his career representing families of 9/11 Pentagon crash victims, is devastated by the crash. Ron Micheals, Amanda’s dad and Andy were as close as two brothers could be. Andy’s challenge: to mourn his brother, take care of his niece and use his knowledge of the law to investigate the crash, and ensure that the victims are properly compensated. As for Amanda, she has no memory of anything that occurred before the crash except her chilling near-death and dream-like experience. Her survival of the crash was miraculous and her rate of recovery beyond extraordinary. As the story progresses, the reader is exposed to twist after surprising twist, revealing that nothing is as it seems. All this progresses to an unforgettable and satisfying conclusion.

Shapiro demonstrates an in-depth knowledge of not only the law and legal procedure, but also the details about the practice of law. He gives us an insider’s view of the federal court system, and demonstrates knowledge about domestic operation of our intelligence agencies.

Shapiro is an inventor, and holder of a number of patents. This explains for me the reason that he was knowledgeable about the telomeres, something that I had never heard of prior to reading this novel.

As an aside, after reading this work, I felt compelled to look further and discovered that tellers really do exist, and in fact were the subject of the 2009 Nobel Prize in medicine won by Elizabeth Blackburm (Johns Hopkins) and Jack Szostak (Harvard Medical School). “Awarded for the discovery of telomeres, the repeated sequences of DNA at the ends of chromosomes that protect the integrity of the chromosomal DNA, and for the discovery of telomerase, the enzyme that builds the telomeres.”

Listen this book, The narrator was excellent, and I have not doubt you will love it as I did!

Garret Holms, Author of Grant Of Immunity

Well, what's this book about?

Well, what's this book about? Part survivor story, part coming of age tale about Amanda, but I also learned how critical the research is about human telomeres, and why there might be high level espionage about this medical research. There are a number of characters that you "think" you know, but don't, as the story unfolds. Many unexpected twists. I like the narrator. He does a great job with this audio version. If you enjoy spy thrillers, I highly recommend this novel - and the last act absolutely rocks!

Loved it. Not the typical thriller formula

Would you consider the audio edition of Taming the Telomeres: A Thriller to be better than the print version?

Great performance. Is this better than print? Can't say, all depends on what you prefer but this novel keeps you guessing and makes you really think.

What did you like best about this story?

That it didn't follow a typical thriller formula. Several twists occurred that I never saw coming.

What about Mikael Naramore’s performance did you like?

You need to enjoy a narrator hour after hour, and I like the richness of his voice. He varies his delivery for some of the characters nicely also.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was drawn in to this novel from the very beginning. Amanda Michaels was a complex character, it was hard to relate to her at times, but that is good in a way because the author developed many of the key characters and I invested in them.

Any additional comments?

If you enjoy Grisham, Gone Girl and stuff like the Bourne Identity, you will love this thriller.

great spy thriller

Where does Taming the Telomeres: A Thriller rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is in the top 3 for me.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Captured me right away and especially at the end. Surprises I did not see coming too.

Have you listened to any of Mikael Naramore’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Had not heard him but I like him.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The beginning was awesome and the ending and "chase" at the end was great too.

Any additional comments?

If you like Bourne Identity or Gone Girl, definitely get this.

Best Audiobook I've Ever Heard

A science-based tech-thriller built on a fabulous concept. Like The Martian, this has enough science to make things believable--without bogging down the story in a million little details. The best audiobook I've ever heard, by far. This screams to be a movie.

Joining ranks of most successful mystery authors

Have known R.N. (Rick) Shapiro for 20 plus years. I thoroughly enjoyed Taming, and am friends with David Baldacci and Scott Turow. Rick is on his way to join the ranks of the most successful mystery writers.

Martin Silfen
Entertainment Attorney, Author and Law Professor (Retired)

Too Many Characters & Hard To Believe

I don't listen to my audiobooks everyday so keeping all the characters straight was challenging.

Just OK

Dialogue does not flow. Ending a little too pat. Few good twists but never drew me in.