Soul [Mass Market Paperback]

**4 1/2 Bookmarks, courtesy of Wild on Books Reviews**

As scientist Julia Huntington researches genetic predisposition for killing with neither compunction nor remorse in the 21st century, an attack in Afghanistan reveals she herself bears that very trait, much to her surprise.

In the 19th century, Julia's great-great-grandmother marries the man she loves, and is later tried for his murder. Did Lavinia do it? Could Julia's ancestor have killed her own husband?

As an unexpected blow sends Julia spiraling out of control, history seems to be repeating the pattern begun with Lavinia. Will Julia's story end in tragedy, mirroring that of Lavinia Huntington?

I confess I had not before heard of author Tobsha Learner when a local bookstore offered me the chance to review her new release, SOUL. Judging from the synopsis on the back cover, the premise looked intriguing. Having now read this story, I can honestly say that it lived up to the expectations that blurb set with me.

SOUL is a fascinating erotic thriller that doubles as a psychological study of sorts, questioning genetic predisposition to violence while it enthralls the reader with a good bit of suspense. Switching between Julia's story in the present day and Lavinia's tale two hundred years earlier cleverly shows unmistakable parallels between the events in these women's lives and their own reactions to them.

Throughout the story, Tobsha Learner effortlessly builds empathy for both women as the reader lives through one tragedy after the next in their lives. Of course, as each suffers one emotional blow after another, it takes its toll and the reader is caught up in the suspense, wondering how each will handle the new obstacles facing their lives.

I will say that there were times that I felt the pacing of the story might have been a bit faster, but never sufficiently to break the spell of this gripping erotic thriller.

Alternating between the two timelines throughout the story, we are kept guessing as to what fate each woman will meet until the very end of the book, wondering if Julia is doomed to the same fate as her ancestor without really being sure just what that fate was until the ending. Did Lavinia kill her husband? What lengths will Julia go to in order to protect everything she values most? I'm not telling... You'll just have to read the book to find these answers. I promise you, the journey Tobsha Learner takes you on in SOUL will be well worth your time.

After reading Tobsha Learner's "Witch of Cologne" last year I was determined to read any further historical novels that she published so when I found out about "Soul" it moved quickly to the top of my to read list.

Unlike her last novel "Soul" is not entirely a work of historical fiction. Set in dual time lines it is the story of two women one hundred and forty years apart, Lavinia (who was tried for the murder of her husband) and her great -granddaughter Julia a geneticist searching for a gene which would mark out people who did have an emotional response to murder/combat. Their lives play out side by side, developing to the point where each is forced to make a choice that in fact may be no choice at all but the pure product of their genes.

Lavinia is the daughter of an Irish cleric elevated in society when the retired Colonel and naturalist James Huntington marries her purely for the purpose of begetting a son. Lavinia believes her much older husband to have married for love and is severely disillusioned when the man begins to take up his old habits-including sexual activities that were illegal at the time. But while he refuses to be untrue to himself Huntington will not grant Lavinia the same freedom and she finds herself increasingly desperate for both escape and revenge.

Julia thought she had the ideal life until her beloved husband left her for her best friend when she was pregnant and she miscarried. Though she tries to throw herself into her work finding the "no post traumatic stress disorder gene" for the Department of Defense she is unable to forgot the immense betrayal or leave behind the idea that her child has been murdered and her life has been stolen from her. Filled with rage she becomes concerned that her family history of violence has left its mark genetically and that she is domed to repeat acts of her forbearers....

This is a really fascinating book. Not only are the characters completely real in their portrayal and emotional responses but the parallels between the two stories make for a wonderful comparison. While their situations are not exactly the same nearly every page of this novel radiates with pain from the wrongdoings and injustices forced upon the Huntington women. In that sense this is not a happy book. But it is the scientific aspect that captured the focus of my interest. Both women have a family history of violence, both are in situations were people commonly "snap" but both also possess immense intelligence to not only realize the possibly terrible consequences of their potential actions but to know they possess free will.

Or do they? The "nature verses nurture" debate is heavy in this book. While Julia tends to believe in nature over nurture, Col. Huntington, her great grandfather, is a fan of nurture over nature and both argue the points enough with their contemporary colleagues to leave the reader with a multitude of information to choose their own viewpoint from.

"Soul" is a novel that will sweep you along, racing through the pages to discover what these women will do. Every page seems to uncover a new injustice or painful realization that pushes them closer and closer to the edge-or to fulfilling their genetic destiny. And the debate on the reality of the gene and the ethics in even looking for it ads a very relevant note to the book.

The absolute only issue I has with this novel is that Julia's research is sponsored by the Department of Defense supposedly with the goal of finding soldiers who will not be affected by the post traumatic stress. I find it hard to believe given the current state of post combat care (especially mental care) for US soldiers that the government cares about that at all. In fact it's a little laughable and though the goal of treating and reducing the consequences of PTSD is a laudable goal the idea of having a "perfect soldier" is a little scary.

I recommend this if you're interested in science, genetics, history, women's history, the dynamics of marriage or the human mind. In general this is just a great book and I hope it gets the recognition it deserves.

Five stars. I look forward to the author's next book.

This is an okay read for the treadmill, but the hype of being a 'bodice ripper' and 'a medical thriller' is overstated: the book isn't much of either, unfortunately. I would have liked more of both. Also, the book reeks of left-wing barbs against republicans, which is okay by me, except it seems the author fails to see the ironies in the lefty-California world she describes.