The Pandora Block by John Hegenberger

The race is on to find the cure for a bloody disease targeting women of color. But a hidden side-effect of the Black Sea Virus might kill us all. Time to call in the 21st Century Robin Hoods to locate, assemble and decode The Pandora Block.

The Pandora Block opens with the world engulfed in a deadly pandemic. Jonathan Boyd reaches out to a team of reluctant colleagues in the search for an ancient puzzle/relic that might hold the key to the cure. From Capetown to Columbia, Busan to Paris, LA to St. Croix, John Hegenberger takes readers on a globe-trotting ride that is part action/adventure, part spy thriller, and part theft caper. Meticulously researched, the book combines the best elements of Clive Cussler and Ian Fleming, with a dash of Dan Brown and Michael Crichton. A fascinating story. — Baron R. Birtcher, award-winning author of Rain Dogs and South California Purples.

Award-winning author John Hegenberger spent some time with The Big Thrill discussing his latest thriller, THE PANDORA BLOCK:

What do you hope readers will take away from this book? 

A rip-snorting, high-tech roller coaster ride with characters who have their own personal problems and little time to save the world.

How does this book make a contribution to the genre? 

It continues the tradition of Clive Cussler action adventures, but combines it with a Simon Templar band of thieves whose past catches up with them and whose future is uncertain.

Was there anything new you discovered, or that surprised you, as you wrote this book? 

The most surprising aspect of the book for me was discovering that elements and events of today like SpaceX and the Zika virus can be pushed just a teeny bit to become massively important to the plot and the world at large.

No spoilers, but what can you tell us about your book that we won’t find in the jacket copy or the PR material? 

THE PANDORA BLOCK could have been four separate novels. One taking place in Korea, another in South Africa, another in Columbia, and another in Paris. Each of these stories weave together to make an intriguing tapestry of mystery and adventure.

What authors or books have influenced your career as a writer, and why?

Few if any books have influenced my career as a writer. Many have influenced my style and content. Everything from Leslie Charteris to Margaret Atwood to H. Bedford Jones (Google him) and that’s quite a span.

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Award-winning author John Hegenberger has produced more than fourteen books since mid-2015, including several popular series: Stan Wade LAPI in 1959 and Eliot Cross Columbus-based PI in 1988. He’s the father of three, a tennis enthusiast, collector of silent films, hiker, Francophile, B.A. Comparative Lit., ex-Navy,and happily married for 48 years and counting. Active member of SFWA, PWA, SinC and ITW. His novel SPYFALL won a 2016 award at Killer Nashville. THE PANDORA BLOCK is his first international thriller.

To learn more about John, please visit his website.