Quincentenarian

'Quincentenarian' was originally published as 'Rare Traits', the first part of the Rare Traits Trilogy.

When forensic biochemist Claudia Reid sees the results of a routine DNA swab taken in connection with a drink-driving case, she cannot believe her eyes. Beyond rare, the profile is, as she confides to her best friend Sal, 'outrageously unique'. Convinced she has stumbled upon a major discovery in the world of genetics, Claudia ignores the rules that forbid her from identifying the man who gave the sample and sets out to trace him, risking her job in the process.

Her enquiries lead her to an art gallery in the Lake District where she is rebuffed and angrily sent packing by the gallery owner, John Andrews, who tells her he has no interest in her research and threatens to report her. While surprised and dismayed by the intensity of Andrews' response, Claudia remains undaunted, determined to find a way to unravel the secrets hidden in his genetic code.

Meanwhile, John Andrews is worried. Although he knows little about DNA, he understands that his must be very special - how else could he have lived for more than five hundred years and still show no sign of ageing? But bitter experience over the centuries has taught the quincentenarian that if his secret is discovered, he could be in mortal danger.

As Claudia slowly moves closer to the incredible truth, she is unaware that she has unleashed a threat to John's existence far greater than anything he has faced in the past.