# Michael Cordy > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Michael_Cordy > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Michael_Cordy.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Cordy > Source revision: 1357140629 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Michael Cordy** is a British novelist.[1] He was born in [Sekondi-Takoradi](/source/Sekondi-Takoradi) in [Ghana](/source/Ghana). Cordy spent much of his childhood in both [West Africa](/source/West_Africa) and [East Africa](/source/East_Africa), [India](/source/India) and [Cyprus](/source/Cyprus). He was educated in the [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom) at [The King's School, Canterbury](/source/The_King's_School,_Canterbury), and the universities of Leicester and Durham. After ten years in marketing and advertising, with his wife's encouragement, he became a novelist. His first novel, *The Miracle Strain*, took two years to complete and was published in 1997. [Disney](/source/Disney) bought the film rights for $1.6 million and the novel reached no. 5 in *[The Sunday Times](/source/The_Sunday_Times)* Bestseller list. An international success, it has since been published in more than twenty-five languages and over forty countries. Another five novels followed: *Crime Zero/The Crime Code*, *The Lucifer Code*, *The Venus Conspiracy*, *The Source* and *The Colour Of Death*. All were published in the UK by Bantam Press and Corgi of *[Penguin Random House](/source/Penguin_Random_House)*, and translated into several languages. *[Warner Bros](/source/Warner_Bros)* optioned the film rights to *The Source* and the producers of *Lord of The Rings* and *The Golden Compass* optioned *The Crime Code*. Michael Cordy's seventh and latest novel *Manhattan Down* was published in hardback in May 2025 to good reviews. The paperback is due in April 2026. Reviews for *Manhattan Down*: *[The Sunday Times](/source/The_Sunday_Times)* - ‘Michael Cordy’s blend of heist, technology and geopolitical thriller is a riveting read’ *[Literary Review](/source/Literary_Review)* - ‘The plot is terrific, the writing punchy, the pace fast and the characters delightful. The twists add real piquancy to the tale. *[Financial Times](/source/Financial_Times)* - ‘Cordy specialises in fast-paced, high-concept thrillers where the fate of multitudes, if not all humanity, is at stake.’ *[Express](/source/Daily_Express)* - ‘Manhattan Down is Cordy back at his brilliant best and ripe for another Hollywood buy up’ ## Personal life Michael Cordy lives in London with his wife Jenny and their daughter Phoebe. His latest novel *Manhattan Down* was published in May 2025 in Hardback by [Penguin Random House](/source/Penguin_Random_House). The paperback is out in April 2026. He is currently working on his eighth novel. ## Bibliography Cordy is the author of seven novels: - ***The Messiah Code***, originally *The Miracle Strain*, published 1997. Doctor Tom Carter, inventor of a machine that can predict genetic defects, is contacted by a secret brotherhood to help them find the second coming of [Jesus Christ](/source/Jesus_Christ) to save his daughter. - ***The Crime Code***, originally *Crime Zero*, published 1999. In the near-future, a genetic project to identify the genes responsible for criminal behaviour lead into an attempt to eliminate crime by eliminating men. - ***The Lucifer Code***, originally *Lucifer*, published 2001. A religious group's attempts to witness the afterlife result in the leader declaring that the apocalypse is coming. - ***The Venus Conspiracy***, originally *True*, published 2004. A scientist's discovery of a drug that simulates love leads to a madman's attempt to turn himself into a figure of worship for the world. - ***The Source***, published August 2008, involves [Abiogenesis](/source/Abiogenesis). An adventure set mostly in [Peru](/source/Peru), [Warner Bros.](/source/Warner_Bros.) have bought an option on the film rights. A doctor's attempt to save his dying wife leads him to the discovery of a location that may be the inspiration for the [Garden of Eden](/source/Garden_of_Eden). - ***The Colour of Death***, published August 2011. The main character has an unprecedented form of [synaesthesia](/source/Synaesthesia), in which her five senses merge to form a sixth, and her hallucinations appear to be memories, but not her own. - ***Manhattan Down***, published May 2025. Described by the publisher as "A high concept international thriller which dares to take the world to the edge of oblivion." ## References 1. Ilan, Shahar (March 1, 2009). ["Time to change the code"](https://web.archive.org/web/20131203155104/http://www.haaretz.com/news/time-to-change-the-code-1.271173). *Haaretz*. Archived from [the original](https://www.haaretz.com/news/time-to-change-the-code-1.271173) on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2012. ## External links - [Express Article on Michael Cordy's book Manhattan Down](https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/2054007/Michael-Cordy-books-manhattan-down/) - [Review of Lucifer in The Observer](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/sep/02/crimebooks.features/) - [Michael Cordy's Website](http://www.michaelcordy.com/) - [United Kingdom Publisher: Penguin](https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/1027642/michael-cordy.html) - [London Literary agent: Patrick Walsh](https://www.pewliterary.com/author/michael-cordy/) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Michael Cordy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Cordy) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Cordy?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.