05
Thu
February
The Unexpected Consequences of Iron Overload
A Paranormal, Romantic, Spoof, Thriller
by James Minter (Author)
$13.49
An awareness raiser for the genetic condition Hemochromatosis. Humour is the best medicine; this book is an ice-breaker to get families talking about the condition in a light-hearted way
Description
Jimmy Kavanagh has a genetic condition where he absorbs and stores iron from his diet over and above the body's requirements - Haemochromatosis. He is unaware of this, but as time progresses, with increased iron levels, he exhibits many unusual traits: oxidisation (rusting), becoming magnetised, and having strong bones (excess iron is stored in bone marrow). Through various childhood experiences, he realises he is different but doesn't know why. After a significant event in which he saves Barbara, the woman of his dreams, from possible death, he realises he can control his magnetism. His life is further complicated after coming to the attention of the KGB. They are interested in all things paranormal, and the CIA, which is determined to stop the Russians. Life for Jimmy is further complicated by Sheila. Her father is Irish, though she was born in Australia. She has Haemochromatosis, but of course, from the Southern hemisphere, her polarity is reversed. Will Jimmy and Barbara live happily ever after? Can he manage to thwart the Russians and the CIA? Since opposites attract, does his future lie with Sheila?
Publisher Name : Minter Publishing Limited
Publication Year : 2016
ISBN : 9781910727416
Reader Testimonials / Reviews :
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2017
Verified Purchase
James Minter's wonderful book, "The Unexpected Consequences of Iron Overload" is a really fun read with the added benefit of being an awareness (and fund!) raiser for the genetic condition of hemochromatosis. His motivation in writing the book was to bring laughter and humor to an otherwise not very funny condition and to help start conversations about the not often discussed condition of hemochromatosis.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It’s marketed as a “paranormal, romantic, spoof thriller” and at first I wasn’t quite sure how he was going to pull all that off without going too far into the realm of ridiculous, but I was quite impressed at the balance he found. The characters are all just a little bit exaggerated (hence the “spoof” aspect of the book), but what I liked is that this was not taken too far as to become silly. They maintain a human-ness within their over-the-top personalities. This is part of what made this book such a fun read!
The hero is dashing, the villains are evil (and a bit bumbling…also, it’s not always clear which ones the actual villains are, which is part of the fun). There are Russian spies and American CIA agents. There are not one, but two beautiful heroines. And of course there’s the mystery of why one man seems to possess magical powers, almost as if he has too much iron in his body…
As an American, I appreciated the humor of how the CIA agents were depicted, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I spent a lot of time looking up terms like “Proper English Breakfast,” “Mews,” and “Marmite.” I ended up learning a lot!
Finally, as someone with a family member with hemochromatosis, I appreciated all the “inside jokes” and details that were clearly added into the book by Mr Minter as a wink to those who know about hemochromatosis. Parts of the main character's childhood, diet, and origins all were clues to his story that weren’t obvious if you aren’t familiar with the disease.
Mr Minter is a really good author and I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an enjoyable read (plus, you might just learn something, too!).
Author Website: http://www.jamesminter.com/
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/unexpectedConsequences
