A fast-paced, riveting, medically driven tale.
A surgeon fights to recover a vaccine for a virus the American government may have created in this third installment of a thriller series.
Dr. David Aaronson, who’s wanted by various United States agencies, is hiding in Fallon, Nevada. Though a small town of only 8,000 residents, it seemingly faces an epidemic when quite a few locals die after coughing up blood. But a mysterious man has shocking information for David. The U.S. government supposedly released lethal virus “CoVid23” in Fallon with the intent of testing a vaccine. Behind this deplorable plan is Col. Jonathan Neville, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency director. He claims China weaponized CoVid23 for an imminent biological strike against the U.S., but David believes this virus is homegrown. Neville, who’s chummy with powerful sorts, including the president, soon learns that Fallon’s town surgeon is piecing together the director’s scheme. Neville has people in Nevada to keep an eye on David and, if need be, to eliminate him. As the “supervirus” attacks multiple nations, David makes a daring attempt to get the vaccine Neville is harboring before many more die. Van Anderson quickly sets an unwavering narrative momentum with concise writing and succinct chapters. The subplots are gripping; David, for example, falls for local woman Nova Featherstone, who may be infected and whose murderous, drug-trafficking father poses a serious threat. The story is plausible as well, as the author, a former heart surgeon, vividly details medical procedures and describes a U.S. that’s simultaneously battling Covid-19. While David and others are often in peril, the final act, during which he tries infiltrating a secure lab, is particularly exciting. Despite copious references to earlier installments, this engaging book will appeal to new and returning readers alike.
A fast-paced, riveting, medically driven tale. (dedication, author's notes, acknowledgements, author bio)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-9907597-6-8
Page Count: 316
Publisher: White Light Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Funny, thrilling, poignant, and profound.
Timey-wimey mysteries vex a singular hotel’s damaged in-house detective.
In 2072, those with hundreds of thousands of dollars to spare can use the federally owned Einstein Intercentury Timeport to see Shakespeare stage Hamlet, watch the Battle of Gettysburg, or witness countless other bygone events. A tram ride away from Einstein is the Paradox Hotel, where guests can obtain costuming, earpiece translators, and era-specific vaccines. Individual “flights” are relatively safe, but frequent travel can be risky; just ask former time cop January Cole, who spent her early career riding the timestream to prevent tourists from altering history and is now Unstuck, a condition that causes her perception to—temporarily and without warning—jump into her past or future. January left the field years ago to police the Paradox, but though the move has done little to slow her ailment’s progression, she refuses to retire, as her slips often provide glimpses of her late girlfriend, Mena, who used to work on-site. The U.S. government is hemorrhaging money, so a senator and four trillionaires are holding a summit at the Paradox to discuss Einstein’s privatization. The security logistics alone are a nightmare, but factor in strange time fluctuations and a phantom corpse in Room 526 and you have the recipe for a disaster only January can thwart—provided her mind stays put. Inventive action, breakneck pacing, and a delightfully acerbic yet achingly vulnerable first-person-present narration distinguish this speculative noir stunner, which meditates on grief while exploring issues of inequity and determinism. The worldbuilding can feel hand-wavy, and the supporting cast is so large as to occasionally confuse, but on balance, Hart delivers a riveting read likely to win him scores of new fans.
Funny, thrilling, poignant, and profound.Pub Date: Feb. 22, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-9848-2064-8
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022
Over-the-top thrills. Greaney never disappoints.
In the 11th entry in the Gray Man series, Gentry unexpectedly faces an old foe.
Courtland Gentry joins Golf Sierra, the counterterror team led by Zack Hightower. Gentry is the new Six, or point man. The last two Sixes were KIA—“It sucked to be the Six.” So the team expects the same fate for the new guy. Chapters alternate between 12 years ago and the present, with harrowing violence and high stakes in both. One bad man connects the two threads: The Golf Sierra team’s current antagonist is Murad Khan, aka Pasha the Kashmiri. The new Six must learn how to work with a team because he’s used to killing on his own. Gentry’s CIA code name is Violator, but he’s also known as the Gray Man. In the present, Khan is thought to be dead until he and Gentry spot each other while the Pakistani plans mass murder of non-Muslims. Gentry has insanely good fighting skills combined with luck and a powerful desire to off “assholes who so richly deserved to die.” He tells Hightower that “I don’t have a death wish. I have a kill wish.” And oh, does the lad get his wish. Both threads have a strong, brave, and appealing woman, and our hero is attracted to both. Alas, Six is too busy for sex. So many bad guys, so little time. Greaney has created a great series character who channels his murderous urges into where they’re most needed (overseas) and leaves the rest of us alone. Gentry brims with self-confidence, such as when he pilots his team over a rugged mountain range in a helicopter he’s not qualified to fly. Those are some of the hairiest, scariest scenes, along with a deadly high-rise battle in the middle of Mumbai monsoon winds.
Over-the-top thrills. Greaney never disappoints.Pub Date: Feb. 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-09899-8
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: March 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022
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