Sarah Stegall's Blog

Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Outstanding beginning to a series I look forward to reading. Joe Ledger is the best hero I've read in the military thriller genre - a tough fighter with both soul and humor. He's broken, he knows it, knows that what he has to do will damage him further, and does it anyway. That's a hero. There's a lot of violence in this book, but it's well written and believable. There's a lot less of the hardware-stroking that dominates lesser works, where the emphasis is on the meticulous detailing of EVERY FREAKIN' BOLT of the weaponry. Maberry, an experienced martial artist himself, writes believable fight scenes that are economic, fast and honest. The story of how Joe Ledger, a Baltimore PD, finds himself recruited into the standard-issue Seekrit Government Black Ops Division is less compelling, but necessary to the story. Wisely, Maberry gets right to the action, throwing this new anti-terrorist group against an existential threat using science as a weapon. Good supporting cast, plenty of humor to lighten some moments, and fast-paced action. Breath-taking and bold. I like it.



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