The One

A single saliva sample at home could reveal the person you are biologically destined to love. That is the pitch from Match Your DNA, a company that claims to have isolated the gene linking each of us to one perfect partner. Millions have taken the test since the announcement a decade ago, and the results have already ended countless relationships and reshaped how people date, court and think about love.

Five strangers from very different walks of life each receive word that they have been "Matched." Each is about to come face to face with the person the test says is their one true match. The reunions are not guaranteed to be smooth, because even a genetic match can hide uncomfortable truths. As the five pairings move forward, the book asks what people will do to hold onto the certainty that science has promised them.

This is the first novel in the Dark Future series by British author John Marrs. It blends speculative science fiction with the pace and twists of a suspense thriller, and it examines how a seemingly simple discovery can carry complicated consequences. Readers who enjoy the series can continue with The Marriage Act, The Vacation and The Family Experiment, which share the same suspenseful, twist-driven approach.