Product Description

How well do you know your closest friends? Are they loyal? Are they trustworthy? Are they human? A magnetic false prophet with an unnatural power to enchant; a government agent trying to profile an inhuman breed of terrorist; an otherworldly mastermind posing as an out of work beach bum. And the man in the middle, Patrick Obrien, a humble accountant who discovers his best friends are more than they seem. As he struggles to escape their trap to use him in a global catastrophe scheme, Patrick finds himself ensnared by the FBI agent, who pits him against the very people he is running from.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2034799 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-20
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 396 pages

Customer Reviews

Clever clever clever!
From its eerie prologue to the final startling chapter, reading Adrienne Jones's "The Hoax" is every bit as fun as a roller coaster ride through a carnival fun house with one's very best friends in tow.

This is a tale that evolves humorous frat boy hi-jinks into a conspiracy theorists ultimate nightmare. It spins a child's top into a deadly hurricane, soon encompassing everything in its path: from calculated murders, to strange religious blood rituals, FBI covert operations, and bio-terrorism, to, yes, the ultimate fate of all mankind. This richly layered story unfolds with such deftness and wit, that Jones's twists and turns leave one agog and laughing out loud. And like that roller coaster ride, she makes it impossible to stop reading until it comes screaming to its climactic end.

I give this my highest recommendation - it's one of my best reads of the year! Eerie, funny, and smart - trust me, you'll love this book!

One of the best of 2006
Kids want a savior and don't need a fake. I want to be elected.
We're all gonna rock to the rules that I make. I want to be elected. --Alice Cooper, "Elected"

"Maybe you don't know your friends as well as you think you do," Betsy said.
Patrick looked at her and smirked. "Yeah. I've been hearing that one a lot lately." --from The Hoax

Adrienne Jones is a woman without fear. Her choice not to be restrained by genre conventions -- or even by genres themselves, leaping from one to another as it fits her story -- has resulted in some of the most fascinating fiction being produced today. Her first novel, The Hoax is a far cry from her previous novella, Temple of Cod, both in subject and in execution, but they both retain that inimitable spark that lets you know you're reading an Adrienne Jones creation.

Patrick Obrien, Joey Duvaine, and Melvin Shepherd have been inseparable since high school. Patrick thought he knew his closest friends better than anyone else, but now, ten years later, their friendship is being tested. Joey's family members are being killed off mysteriously, and he doesn't seem to care. In fact, Joey and Shep are already making plans to use the Duvaine fortune to fund a modern-day miracle that will gain innumerable followers to their new religion: one with Joey as Messiah and Shep, most importantly, as treasurer.

They want Patrick to join them, but he wants none of it. Unfortunately, the three are bound by a bond stronger than friendship, one that will keep them together despite Patrick's will to the contrary.

That's only the first 50 pages of the strangeness in store for readers of The Hoax. Just when you think you might have figured out where the plot is leading, Jones throws in another surprise or reveals another secret, and you're right back in the dark. And none of these surprises seem forced; the way she incorporates them is entirely organic to everything we've already discovered about the characters -- this is a woman who knows her characters inside and out. Plus, Jones gives us a solid foundation in reality, so that when things turn mythical, we can stay grounded. Her imagination seems boundless, and she's not afraid to give it space to flower, but she knows just how to focus it to make her story progress just the way she planned. In a word, she's brilliant.

Jones gives us characters to care about. Even the villain, with his mind set on "improving humanity" by his own means, is easy to empathize with and therefore impossible to hate. All of her main characters (and there are several) are fantastically individual -- you're likely to remember them as you do people you've actually met -- but she is just as good at supporting roles, bringing their stories and personalities into sharp focus quickly, so the plot doesn't flag.

The Hoax is that rarity -- a book for everyone. Mystery/thriller fans will be thrilled by the suspenseful plot and keep guessing at twists and turns; horror hounds will take to the more brutal scenes; lovers of fantasy and mythology will enjoy the stunning discoveries; and mainstream literary aficionados can delve deeply into the characters, their relationships, and their motivations.

Speaking of literary fiction, I had a similar experience reading this book as I did reading The Tin Drum (coincidentally, a character in each has a powerful scream): they're both great books with engaging storylines and terrific characters that are densely written so you have to read every word to keep up with the nuances of their plots. Now, I'm not saying that Adrienne Jones's first novel is exactly on the level of Gunter Grass's masterwork (also his first), but most novels contain a lot of filler, and The Hoax is 100% pure story that takes a lot of effort, but is absolutely worth it in the end. This is definitely going on my book of the year list, and I'm already looking forward to the proposed sequel. Even my wife loved it, and she never reads "those weird books you get."

Fans of sci-fi wouldn't want to miss this one
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (8/06)

This book begins with a bizarre murder, a funeral and a group of young men that share blood. What more could you ask for to whet your appetite for a good read. "The Hoax" by Adrienne Jones should be read with the lights on and the door locked. Fans of science fiction don't want to miss this one.

Three men, friends from high school, loyal to each other, or are they? Have you ever wondered if you can truly know someone? I mean, really know them. Could your best friend fool you into thinking he is something he's not, like human?

This is the story of three men that have known each other since childhood. Except one of them, Shep isn't really a child, nor is he human. He has a plan to cause utter global chaos. He can't accomplish it without the help of his two earthly friends. Through out time he has chosen Patrick and Joey. He will use them to his ends. He forces them to make a blood pact, which infects them with his blood giving him power over them. Joey is totally under Shep's control but Patrick still has some free will left.

Patrick is determined, "...never to do another stupid thing again in the name of friendship." He's determined to stay away from Shep and Joey. Litner of the FBI needs Patrick's help if he's going to prevent the catastrophe that Shep has planned. To stop him they must discover who or what Shep really is.

Adrienna Jones is a gifted author. Her style is superb. I enjoyed this book and found it difficult to put down. The cover hints at what is inside. I recommend this book for science fiction lovers as well as fantasy. Interesting story Ms. Jones.