The Enclave

When Lacey McHenry accepts a prestigious research fellowship at the world-renowned Kendell-Jakes Longevity Institute, she sees it as a new start on life. But a disturbing late-night encounter with an intruder leads to an unexpected cover-up by Institute authorities, and she soon realizes there's more going on than she ever imagined.

She finds a supporter in genetics researcher Cameron Reinhardt. However, Reinhardt is a favorite of the Institute's director, and she can't help wondering if he, too, is in on the cover-up. The brilliant but absentminded researcher turns out to have his own secrets, some of them dark and deadly.

Hancock has cleaned up at the Christy Awards for excellence in Christian fiction with four previous visionary novels (most recently, Shadow over Kiriath), but this one falls short. Researcher Lacey McHenry has a lowly position at the cutting edge Kendall-Jakes Longevity Institute, where a peculiar intruder sets off a complex chain of events that draws together McHenry and researcher Cameron Reinhardt— a man with a powder keg of a past—as the two try to solve the riddles that keep cropping up in their workplace. Hancock has a plot so complicated that a lot of elements are unsatisfactorily resolved or are simple red herrings: Lacey’s abusive ex-husband, a host of intriguing but underdeveloped secondary characters, military action in Afghanistan that is part of Reinhardt’s past. Narrative energy instead goes to didacticism: Reinhardt, an evangelical Christian, argues with his fellow scientists about evolution in an episode that’s more polemic than dramatic. Visionary fiction is a narrow niche, and the Christian biblical literalism driving key action in the plot won’t do much to enlarge the audience. (July) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

Average Rating:

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Reviewed by Nicole (Willow Springs), October 26, 2009

This book was hard for me to get into. The story line was just not one I want to read normally. But I thought I would give some other genres a try and get away from my normal historical reading. The characters were interesting, and the author did an awesome job at keeping the details straight. There are twists and lots of science fiction going on, (as well as weird names I could not get past). There is some cloning going on, bad guys, and just plain weird characters (enforcers). You can feel the thrills and they keep you on the edge of your seat (or page). So, if you like sci-fi this could be the book for you. I hear this author is awesome in the sci-fi world. And I would say she is to those that are interested in this kind of story line.

Reviewed by Marni Tovia (Seattle, WA), October 08, 2009

Wow, what a book! An absolutely great read!! I rate it 5 stars for the (almost) 500 pages of fast paced "can't put it down" fiction. It sure satisfied my craving for an clean, really exciting book. Thanks Karen.

Reviewed by Margaret Winkler (Rittman, OH), October 01, 2009

It took a little to get into reading it but I enjoyed reading it when I got a little way in the book.

Reviewed by Amydeanne (Canada), September 11, 2009

Well I will admit I was a little confused by this book to start off with. There were two very separate stories going and I did not see any connection at all in them (there was a small reference that did connect them though… and you can see it come together as you get further along) Anyhow, a little slow to start but as I got drawn in I found it to become more and more interesting. I couldn’t put it down by the end and had a lot of “AHA” moments while reading it. Hancock was good at drawing the stories together and twisting them into an intrinsic work of art! Why was Cameron so scared of the past? Why was Lacey so stupid lol. (I mean that in the nicest way lol) I love that this book brings the “future sci-fi” into face. It was very interesting, and makes you wonder a lot about that sort of thing. The second story really was wild, but I love how it connected in the end.

Reviewed by Janna Ryan (North Platte, NE), August 30, 2009

This is such a hard book to review. I love fantasy / speculative fiction and I love a good mystery, suspense as well. Put the two together and I am usually in 7th heaven! This time I ended the book just a little confused. It will be hard to explain without giving anything away, but I'll try. In the first two chapters we are introduced to Lacey and Cameron. Cameron is a genius scientist with an emphasis in genetics and Lacey is the new intern at this amazing science facility Kendall-Jakes where the owner, Parker Swain, is trying to change the world. Everything is present day and starts getting edgy when a very odd stranger breaks into the facility and attempts to assault Lacey. Cameron helps her but then mysteriously the next day, Lacey is being told that what she thinks happened is just her delusions and she stands back as everything that happened is covered up. In the next two chapters we are thrust forward as we enter "New Eden" and find a community of people that are living in a post-apocalyptic world underground. Here they are not allowed to go above ground because of the toxins and the Enforcers are given a third eye (literally). Zowan, Terra and Parthos are trying to make sense of life below the surface. We switch back and forth between the two scenes every couple chapters and the whole time I'm trying to figure out what they are both doing in the same book. Cameron starts having flashbacks to his military days involving ancient things. He is hearing voices and Parker Swain is looking suspicious. Karen ties it all together beautifully and really weaves an amazing story. It just went a little over the top for me with the ancient stuff (which I can't name), without that the story would've been great. That of course is just my opinion, but that is why I review for you :-)

Reviewed by Julie Sines (Michigan), August 30, 2009

The Enclave by Karen Hancock was an excellent supense fiction book. It was the first book I had read by this author, but it certainly won't be my last! This book is definitely a 5-Star read!

Reviewed by Kevin Sorensen (Rochester, MN), August 12, 2009

This was my first exposure to Karen Hancock. I'm intrigued enough now that I'll want to track down her previous series, The Legends of the Guardian-King. My overall impressions with this book were mixed. The first 70–80 pages moved slowly, but once past that the pace became a page-turning sleep-depriving experience... until the final few chapters. Then, I simply had to suspend any sense of belief in reality and just finish the story to the end. Cameron Reinhardt's character seems to have a great deal of Mrs. Hancock in him. She too was in the scientific field, came to faith in Christ and probably knows full well Cam's experiences of being mocked, ridiculed, and being put on "stage" to defend his beliefs in light of science. Hence, he seems like a believable character, although his brain-freezes at times really irked me. I guess that means I allowed the character's reality to become a part of me. Well done, Mrs. Hancock. Lacey McHenry flightiness and ability to get "tossed to and fro by every wave and wind of doctrine" was quite maddening. Again, I'm wondering if this is the sign of an very good author's ability to make me really upset with one of her main character's. The chief villain of The Enclave, Parker Swain, however was a problem for me. I don't care for "bad guys" who are just too easy to hate and despise and Swain was really easy from the outset. While in character he may have set a dashing figure, he just came off as a greasy, mealy-mouthed Jekyll and Hyde who could sway people with his words. Yet no one seemed to have the ability to see through, what was clearly evil deception... except me right from the start. It was very disappointing for he clearly had no redeeming values. I realize this all sounds a bit negative, yet Mrs. Hancock's style was engaging and, as mentioned, the middle portion had me for quite some time. All this is enough to make me want to check out her other works and see what she does with some real sci-fi/fantasy themes.

Reviewed by Sandra (Jackson, TN), August 07, 2009

Cameron Reinhart is a brilliant albeit absent-minded geneticist who also happens to be a born-again Christian. Not deterred by slurs and inneundos by fellow employees and employer regarding his Christianity, he is determined to stand fast in his faith no matter what the cost. Lacy McHenry is starting her life over after years of spousal abuse. Even though her ex-husband is now deceased, she still bears emotional and physical scars. Her lowly entry-level job gives her hope for a bright future and that one day she can complete her degree. Until the night she is attacked by a mysterious intruder and her path crosses with Cameron. You will be on the edge of your seat from the first page to the last. This is a very fast paced exciting, shocking, page turning novel. Another fine work by Karen Hancock

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