Secret Passages (Paperback or Softback)

"Mr. Le Carre, meet Dr. Feynman! ... [T]his one really makes the earth move." —Ursula K. Le Guin

Returning to the characters and setting of his widely admired novel, BROKEN SYMMETRIES, SECRET PASSAGES is the story of a revolutionary physics experiment.

SECRET PASSAGES centers on Manolis Minakis, a shepherd boy who grows up orphaned and wild on the island of Crete. But after a meeting with archaeologist John Pendlebury, who appreciates Minakis’ innate gift for mathematics, he is sent to Cambridge University. There, Minakis becomes a renowned physicist and eventually a successful industrialist, returning to Crete in retirement. Using a cache of Minoan treasures, Minakis lures photographer Anne-Marie Brand and her husband, theoretician Peter Slater, to aid in his experimental attempts to recover the past.

Set against the colorful background of the island of Crete, the legendary home of a once-great civilization, earthquakes, love, loss, and the mysterious history of the physicist Minakis make this a fascinating and enthralling novel.

Contemporary science fictiontinged novel featuring some of the characters from Broken Symmetries (1983), thankfully without that yarn's overwrought melodrama. Following an acrimonious divorce, Anne-Marie Brand finds that her ex, Charlie, has gained custody of their son Carlos; she has a daughter, Jenny, by her current beau, physicist Peter Slater--who's struggling to formulate a new approach to quantum theory. Anne-Marie's problem is that Carlos isn't actually Charlie's son but her brother Alain's, the result of a savage rape. A dealer in ancient artifacts, Alain agrees to admit to Carlos's paternity, but in return Anne-Marie must inquire of the Cretan archaeologist and physicist Manolis Minakis the source of his stunning collection of Minoan artifacts. Surprisingly, Manolis opens up to Anne-Marie, telling her his complicated life story, even showing her the cave where he found the artifacts. Manolis also hints to Peter that he's found a way to reverse time in a small, limited way. After Manolis dies in the earthquake that seals the cave forever, Peter uses the old man's time-reversing device to reconstruct a picture of Manolis's mother- -and finally Anne-Marie understands the full Greek tragedy of Manolis's life and why he was so willing to help her. Impressive, low-key, resonant, with a fascinating Cretan backdrop and life-sized characters: Preuss's best outing so far. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.