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The Scientist Who Wasn't There

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The Scientist Who Wasn't There

By: Joanne Briggs
Narrated by: Joanne Briggs
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'A page-turner with a mystery to solve, and a meditation on what it means for a child to know their parents' - Cathy Rentzenbrink
'An exceptional, entirely unpredictable, real-life thriller' - Michael Mansfield
'An astonishingly original memoir about truth, identity and the ethics of science' The Telegraph
'Gripping' The Times

WINNER OF THE BRIDPORT PRIZE FOR MEMOIR

Renowned scientist Professor Michael Briggs was many things:

- A Space expert at NASA
- An adviser to the World Health Organisation
- A successful Big Pharma executive

But Michael Briggs had a secret.

A scandal broke out in 1986 when research he conducted was revealed to be compromised. Patients were also claiming that a pregnancy test he pioneered had caused devastating birth defects. Soon after his fall from grace, Briggs was dead, struck down by a mystery illness in a foreign country

Briggs left behind a long list of publications, patents, and inventions. But he also left behind hundreds of people who believe they are victims of his negligence and who are still fighting for justice to this day.

And he left someone else: his daughter, Joanne. After decades of wondering who her father really was, Joanne decided to investigate for herself. In hypnotic prose, she uncovers the secret that shaped her father's entire life and made his story more fantastic than any science fiction. As she discovered, Briggs's greatest invention was himself.

©2025 Joanne Briggs (P)2025 Bonnier Books UK
Corruption & Misconduct Medical Medicine & Health Care Industry Physician & Patient Politics & Government Professionals & Academics Fiction
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From beginning to end a fascinating story. Every so often you come across an audiobook that keeps you gripped from beginning to end and this was definitely one of those.. highly recommended I don’t think you’ll be disappointed

The truth always makes shocking reading.

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Travel with the author as she investigates her father’s past uncovering the truth in ever more astonishing layers.
This memoir draws the reader in from the start and engages interest throughout. The author uses techniques which keep each chapter fresh and interesting. I particularly enjoyed the conversations with her brother. The book reminds us how different the past was before the accountability of the internet and what a nebulous concept truth is. Spanning the boomers era all the way to fantasy and outer space the reader is taken along as part of the unfolding story. The book is both an expose and an introspective journey a unique hybrid which is a triumph of personal storytelling.
This memoir is exceptionally well written with a wry turn of phrase that leads the reader through some difficult concepts and human situations. All based on a true story which greatly adds to the interest.
The narration by the author herself is exactly right and exceeds that of many professional narrators as it is clearly read with an understanding and humility which enhance the story.
The scientist who wasn’t there will stick in your mind. An unforgettable read and a true life mystery centred around an enigmatic man.
I have to recommended it to all my friends.

A daughters journey to uncover a mystery

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