The Judas Strain

Sigma Force #4

by James Rollins

From the depths of the Indian Ocean, a horrific plague has arisen to devastate humankind—unknown, unstoppable . . . and merely a harbinger of the doom that is to follow.

Operatives of the shadowy covert organization Sigma Force, Dr. Lisa Cummings and Monk Kokkalis search for answers to the bizarre affliction aboard a cruise liner transformed into a makeshift hospital. But a sudden and savage attack by terrorist hijackers turns the mercy ship into a floating bio-weapons lab.

Time is an enemy as a worldwide pandemic grows rapidly out of control. As the seconds tick closer to doomsday, Sigma’s commander, Gray Pierce, must join forces with the beautiful assassin who tried to kill him—following the trail of the most fabled explorer in history into the terrifying heart of an astonishing mystery buried deep in antiquity and in humanity’s genetic code.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Adventure, Mystery, Action, Mystery Thriller, Science Fiction

704 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 2, 2007

About the author

James Rollins is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of international thrillers. His writing has been translated into more than forty languages and has sold more than 20 million books. The New York Times says, “Rollins is what you might wind up with if you tossed Michael Crichton and Dan Brown into a particle accelerator together.” NPR calls his work, “Adventurous and enormously engrossing.” Rollins unveils unseen worlds, scientific breakthroughs, and historical secrets matched with stunning suspense. As a veterinarian, he had a practice in Sacramento for over a decade and still volunteers at local shelters. Nowadays, Rollins shares his home up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains with two furry companions, Echo and Charlie. He also enjoys scuba diving, spelunking, kayaking, and hiking. Of course, he loves to travel and experience new places around the world, which often inspire his next globe-trotting adventure.

Reviews

[Will Byrnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Sigma Force is back in action. (see Map of Bones). A deadly microbe has turned parts of the ocean into a toxic, flesh eating monster. What the hell is going on? Gray Pierce and the other fun folks of the Sigma Force team up with the evil Seichan to try to keep their nemesis, the Guild, from using this biological threat as a new form of bio-weapon. The action takes place with Grey and Seichan in one group and Lisa Cummings and Monk in the other, focused in the Indonesian Islands, where this threat to humanity has its origins.


James Rollins - image from World News

The formula for action/adventure these days seems to require some puzzle solving regarding ancient writings or artifacts, and a mystery that has been hidden through history. In this book, the mystery is what happened to Marco Polo during his return trip from China, that caused him to lose most of his expedition, a secret that is intimately linked to the bio-hazard of today? It entails having to figure out a secret code on an obelisk that has been stolen from the Vatican, and it goes from there. The organizations manage to effect whatever actions they need done with minimal dealings with the real world, but hey, this is pure entertainment. Why quibble? There is some payload here, the Marco Polo bit for one, angel writing for another, bioluminescence for a third, and an intimation that there are awful things lying much nearer than we might have supposed, that are not necessarily entirely dead. It was a fun, fast read, and would be a good book for summer reading. This is not book club fodder.


=============================EXTRA STUFF

Rollins's site

I read and reviewed one other Sigma Force Book, #2 - Map of Bones

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Earlier this year, I began reading the Sigma Force series written by James Rollins. I recall enjoying one of his books over a decade ago, but I couldn't remember which one... even though I wrote reviews on most of my past reads when I joined Goodreads, I didn't want to throw something out there when I barely recalled it. I also vividly recall seeing one of his stand-alone novels, Amazonia, in the airports when I was traveling a lot more last decade. That said, I've just finished the fourth book in this series, The Judas Strain, and am eager to continue reading more in the future, even if I had mixed reactions to this particular installment.

The characters are great, and the initial plot kicks off with a bang. A mysterious disease killing all ocean life near an island off the coast of Australia. A Indonesian cruise-liner gone missing. Pirates. Plagues. A strange kidnapping in progress. A peculiar theft and signal left at the Vatican. What could they all have to do with one another? Commander Gray Pierce must figure it out, and this time, his friends and his parents are in deep trouble. Seichen, his mortal enemy from previous books, needs to partner with him. Which side is she on? The descriptions are fantastic, and the tracking of Marco Polo's historic journey in the 13th century makes for a compelling connected backdrop. But it was still missing something.

While I only half understood the scientific and medical pieces, so many questions were vague and unanswered. A visit to the Hagia in Sofia was disjointed in terms of how they tried to find clues. Too many chapter-ending cliffhangers went nowhere for a while. It felt like two people wrote the book, especially when named characters suddenly became generic lines... which to me means the scene moved within the book... earlier it was when the character was unknown, now he or she was known so it stood out as oddly placed. Most of this I usually ignore and focus on the plot or the ability for the story to pull me in so much that I can't help but stay up late. Unfortunately, I found myself skimming just to get to answers midway.

All that said, if you love the characters and the thrill of the chase, it's a good book. I wish it had more Marco Polo details as well as a better connection to the religious history of being a Judas. It was like a title in name only... where I was expecting a tie in, especially given Vigor, a monsignor, has been a major character in previous books, and in this one. I'll keep reading the series, one a month until I catch up, but the next one better step it up!

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

AN ANCIENT, PANDEMIC CAUSING, VIRUS whose origin and cure is linked to the ANGKOR WAT and the mysterious return voyage of MARCO POLO from the court of KUBLAI KHAN...yep, it looks like another job for SIGMA FORCE .

The SIGMA Force is one of the truly delicious concepts to be introduced into the popcorn-eating, page-turning, actiony, spy-guy, thrill-o-rama genre. PhD toting scientific brainiacs with Navy Seal kill skills and James Bond spy craft (minus babes and booze…damn).

SIGMA is a covert ops team working under the auspices of the DOD as an agency of DARPA (Defense Advance Research Projects Agency). SIGMA is charged with tracking down and neutralizing threats in the form of advanced technology, whether biological, chemical or mechanical. The threats are always large, the explosions are always loud and the pace (with a few exceptions I mention in my gripes) is always on turbo.

Now, in a less capable story-teller’s hands, this Michael Bay/summer blockbuster sounding novel could get out of control quickly and begin to reek of cheese. Fear not because James Rollins is a very capable story-teller and maintains very good command of his plot. His novels are very well researched and incorporate fascinating real life historical events and mysteries, which he then extrapolates from to create a wild story with enough factual/historical background to keep suspension of disbelief possible.

Despite my “not quite 4 star rating” for reasons set forth below, this is a series that I intend to continue to read as Rollins is a very compelling tale spinner and his plots are big, bold and very well thought out. Put simply, they are both smart and a ton of fun.

The Judas Strain is the 4th SIGMA novel and finds the team racing against time (as usual) to investigate an unusual and highly contagious viral outbreak in the Indian Ocean. The plague has the potential to be an extinction level event if not contained or if no cure can be found. Complications arise when SIGMA’s evil counterpart, the GUILD, shows up looking to control the plague (and possibly weaponize it).

Of course, those of you who have read previous SIGMA novels know that there is MUCH, MUCH more to the plot than that. The story of the plague actually begins with Marco Polo’s 13th Century return from China after spending 20 years in the court of Kublai Khan. Marco left China with 14 ships and 600 men, but when he arrived in Italy was down to 2 ships and only 18 men. In his famous book of “travels,” Marco hinted at a “mysterious” tragedy but refused to elaborate. This historical “mystery” forms the jumping off point for Rollins story.

From there, clues lead to a mysterious connection between Marco Polo and the Vatican, clues written in angelic script, the Hindu temple complex of Angkor Wat, cannibalism, piracy and lions, tigers and bears…OH MY!! Exciting, smarter than your average action thriller and containing highly engaging plot points. If you are a fan of this genre, you should definitely be reading this.

MY GRIPES
For all the love I heap on this novel, there are a few issues I have that keep me from giving it a 4th star (though just barely). First, as with many of these types of novels, it is very formulaic. You know pretty much what you are going to get when you pick it up. Good guys win, bad guy lose, world is saved, peace preserved and justice served. Nothing horrible about that, it just takes a bit of the tension out of certain aspects of the plot.

My biggest gripe is that I think the story should be about 150 to 200 shorter than its 550 pages by cutting out the “failed attempt” to flesh out the characters and provide quiet little family moments and bad romances. This is one thing Rollins does not do well and yet he spends too much time trying to make it work. His characters are two dimensional and for this kind of story, that is just fine.

If he were to cut out all of the attempts to round out his characters and show they have any life outside of SIGMA, he could trim this down to 350 to 400 pages of smart, high octane covert action mystery with great historical background and turn this novel into a 5 star thrilltastic joy bringer.

Alas, he doesn’t and it is the extraneous stuff that Rollins does not do well that keeps me from giving this a higher rating. Still, the good parts are so interesting and I love the complicated, historical based plots so much that I will continue happily reading the series, hoping for more of the same good and less of everything else. 3.5 stars. RECOMMENDED!!

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a little bit embarrassed to give this book a 4, but there you go. It's a guilty pleasure, I guess, because the book is kind of ridiculous in a testosterone-fueled Indiana-Jones-meets-Mission-Impossible kind of way. If this tells you anything, I nearly downgraded it to a 3 because of the cannibals. (Yes, cannibals.)

I was about 60 pages into the book before I realized that it was part of a series. Some of you know that reading a series out of order is one of my BIGGEST PET PEEVES EVER, so I think it represents a therapeutic breakthrough that I kept reading. (Really, it's just the book was borrowed, and I didn't want to keep it for an unusually long time while I tracked down and read all of the books that came before it.)

Very basic plot summary: Secret military-ish agency must stop end of the world by figuring out the connection between Marco Polo and a strange bacterial outbreak on Christmas Island. There's some code-breaking and historical speculation that will appeal to the Da Vinci Code enthusiasts out there. And did I mention that there are cannibals?

[সালমান হক · Rating 4 out of 5]

বইটা পড়ার আগেও জেমস রোলিন্সের বড় ভক্ত ছিলাম। এখন শেষ করার পর বলতে হবে যে মুগ্ধতা আরো বেড়েছে ওনার ওপর। তার বইগুলোয় সবচেয়ে বেশী যে ব্যাপারটা টানে আমাকে তা হল ফ্যাক্ট এবং ফিকশনের মিলবন্ধন। দুটোকে এমনভাবে মেশান তিনি যে কিছুক্ষণ পরপরই চোয়াল আপনা আপনি খুলে যায়। প্রতিটা বই থেকেই নতুন নতুন অনেক জিনিস জানতে পারি(কিছুদিন পরেই অবশ্য সব বেমালুম ভুলে যাই :3 )। এই বইয়েও তার ব্যতিক্রম ঘটেনি। ইতিহাস আর অণুজীববিজ্ঞানের অদ্ভুত মিশ্রণ ঘটিয়েছেন রোলিন্স।

তবে আমার একটু বেশীই ভালো লেগেছে, তার কারণও আছে অবশ্য। আমি অণুজীববিজ্ঞানের ছাত্র, আর সিগমা ফোর্সের এই চার নম্বর বইটা যে কোন মাইক্রোবায়োলজিস্টকে আকর্ষণ করবেই। কিছু পাতা পরপরই আমার পরিচিত সব টার্ম- স্টেইনিং, ইলেকট্রন মাইক্রোস্কোপি, কালচার, ইনকউবেশন, সায়ানোব্যাকটেরিয়া, ভাইরাস, বায়োটেরোরিজম। মাঝে মাঝে টেক্সটবুকই মনে হচ্ছিল। :p

বইয়ের মূল প্লট সাধারণত এধরণের বইগুলোর ক্ষেত্রে যেমন হয়, তেমনটাই। পৃথিবীর মহাবিপদে লড়তে হবে সিগমা ফোর্সকে। ইন্দোনেশিয়ায় ছড়িয়ে পড়ল এমন এক ভাইরাস যেটা আমাদের দেহের নরমাল মাইক্রোফ্লোরাকে লেলিয়ে দিল আমাদের বিরুদ্ধেই। আর এই ভাইরাস যদি ছড়িয়ে পড়ে তাহলে পৃথিবীজুড়ে শুরু হয়ে যাবে মহামারী। এবিষয়ে তদন্ত করতে পাঠানো হল লিসা কামিং��� আর মংককে। অন্যদিকে গ্রে পিয়ার্সের বাসায় আহত অবস্থায় হাজির হল শেইচান। হাতে একটা প্রাচীন ওবেলিস্ক, যার সাথে যোগসূত্র আছে বিখ্যাত পর্যটক মার্কো পোলোর। ওয়াশিংটন থেকে ইস্তাম্বুল হয়ে ইরান। আর তারপর কম্বোডিয়া, যেখানে লুকানো আছে সব কিছুর উত্তর। পুরোটুকুতে উত্তেজনা ধরে রেখেছেন রোলিন্স, সাথে আছে ধুন্ধুমার অ্যাকশন। সুখপাঠ্য একটা বই। :)

অনুবাদ প্রসংগে গৎবাধা এ'কথা বলব না যে অনুবাদকের প্রথম প্রয়াস হিসেবে ভালো কিংবা প্রত্যাশার তুলোনায় ভালো হয়েছে। নতুন অনুবাদক হলেই যে অনুবাদ মধ্যম মানের হবে এটা আমি বিশ্বাস করিনা। বরং আমি এটা বলব যে ওয়াসি আহমেদের কাছ থেকে ঠিক যেমনটা আশা করেছিলাম সেরকমই পেয়েছি। এর থেকে সহজ/প্রাঞ্জলভাবে আর বইয়ের গাম্ভীর্য বজায় রেখে এই বইটা অনুবাদ করা সম্ভব হত না বলেই আমার বিশ্বাস। তাকে অসংখ্য ধন্যবাদ এবং আগামী কাজের জন্যে শুভকামনা। :)

হাতে সময় থাকলে এবং বিজ্ঞান ও ইতিহাসের কপচানি শুনতে যদি সমস্যা না থাকে তাহলে অবশ্যই পড়তে পারেন বইটা।

[Lorena · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Rollins' novels generally remind me of some weird combination of Michael Crichton, Dan Brown, and Tom Clancy -- none of whom are among my favorite authors. Rollins is, though -- I love the combination of myth/legend, science, and intrigue. The Judas Strain starts with a viral outbreak, follows Marco Polo to Cambodia (via an ancient manuscript), and has the SIGMA team tracking terrorists on three continents. If that sounds far-fetched, it's only because you haven't read it. Rollins nearly always leaves me thinking "huh. What if ....?".

[Freda Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marco Polo’s 2 year journey in 1292 from China is described in this novel. It is mysteriously eerie and puzzling but also intriguing and compelling. He starts out with 14 ships and over 600 warriors, only to be wiped out by a mysterious plague that wipes out all but 18 men including himself, and a betrothed princess bound for Persia. There is talk of ‘angels’ and a ‘map’, cannibals and pirates. This secret must be kept hidden at all costs but what is it?

Christmas Island - centuries later

A husband and wife, leisurely enjoying a day diving along the coast of Christmas Island becomes overcome by a phenomenon that quickly engulfs the water. A neon green algae glowing substance has suddenly surrounded their yacht. As the wife boards the boat, she is immediately covered in a blister like rash that confounds them. Soon they realize the sea creatures are floating, dead. Dolphins, fish, and sea turtles. DON’T GO IN THE WATER!

SIGMA force is back and it is up to Dr. Lisa Cummings and Painter Crowe to save the world from a pandemic. This virus isn’t just any virus. Marco Polo’s mysterious secret has left clues and the race begins. SIGMA’s rivalry, The GUILD, has plans for the virus and they try to prevent SIGMA from getting their hands on the cure which is beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding.

I just can’t get over how Rollins captures fact along with fiction in his novels! I always learn something new about the world as well as history and cultures, centuries before my time. Did you know that there are over 18,000 Indonesia Islands? Only slightly over 900 inhabited and over 8,000 unnamed. That is just wild! In a way I find Rollins books enchanting with the mysteries of treasures that might be hidden and buried as well as the deadly curses fictionally among them. I’m no Laura Croft though. Another great adventure, this one.

[Dystopian · Rating 4 out of 5]

প্রথম ২০০ পেজ পড়ার সময় মোটেই প্রেডিক্ট করা সম্ভব ছিলনা পরবর্তী ২০০ পেজ এমন ব্লাস্টিং হতে পারে। রোলিন্স এর বই পড়তে পড়তে অভ্যাস হয়ে যাওয়ার কথা, তারপরও সারপ্রাইজড হই লেখে কিভাবে! যায় হোক, সিগমা ফোর্স এর সাথে আরেকটা অসাধারণ জার্নি।

[Simone Kearney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend recommended James Rollins to me as I like books by Dan Brown, and Steve Barry. I have read a couple of his books so far and am in complete agreement with my friend. I find that the books start off in a very exciting way and hold my attention throughout. In this book, The Judas Strain, I am learning about Marco Polo and the mystery surrounding his 24 year voyage that took him to the palaces of Kublai Khan in China. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a historical thriller.

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Why the bubonic plague suddenly arose out of China's Gobi desert during the middle ages and slew a third of the world's population remains unknown. In fact, no one knows why so many plagues and influenza of the last century - SARS, the Avian flu- have arisen out of Asia. But what is known with fair certainty: the next great pandemic will arise again out of the East. - US Centers for Disease control and prevention, May 2006" - This quote in the beginning of the book, was so eerily apropos, now that the world is under threat of corona virus, also originated from China! This had my attention and kept me interested throughout .

This is combo offer of Michael Crichton and Dan Brown- Solving of historical puzzle by Dan Brown and the action and gore, with mutants and freaks, by Crichton. Though it was absolute non-sense, it was a fun read with nonstop mindless action. I am rating this as 4, for its pure entertainment value. The bonus was the virtual tour of so many historical places, events and their significance, lessons in pathology, anthropology, microbiology, DNA and how it is similar to the structure of a language.

The adventure in Cambodia was interesting. The architectural details of temples and the references to Hindu mythology was quite accurate. (some minor mistakes though, it was not Vishnu, but Shiva, who drank the poison which was produced while churning the milky ocean. ) Additional info- Asuras, the demons, did not get any amrit (nectar) as Vishnu took the form of Mohini (a beautiful lady) to lure them away from the nectar.

I also liked the way Sigma works as a team, they are in different parts of the world but working for a single cause. This is unlike so many other thrillers i read, where the hero is a lone warrior, like Dirk Pitt by Clive Cussler or Jack Reacher by Lee Child (yes, i have stopped reading their books now). For once, I wasn't annoyed by the way the female characters were portrayed.

There were a few unbelievable and frenzied action scenes, like when the Sigma folks escape the guild effortlessly in numerous occasions, when Gray flew across the world even though the Guild, Sigma and FBI were looking for him and how easily he found the missing puzzle.

I have this question again for these treasure hunt novels - though the villains are so resourceful, they have highly qualified scientists etc at their disposal, why do they need the help of the good folks to solve the puzzles (which the protagonists solve very easily). In this novel too, Dr. Devesh had the best doctors at his disposal, but he needed Dr. Lisa to find out more about the bacteria and the Guild wanted Gray to solve the mystery of the obelisk ! They could have done all these secretly, with no one getting wiser.

The book is of 600 + pages. I got a bit bored of the long drawn action sequence towards the end. I skipped a few pages here. And Painter Crowe was missing in action. I wanted more of him.

[আদনান আহমেদ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ভাবুন তো ফ্রান্স, আপনার দেহে ঢুকে পড়া কোন এক পরজীবি আপনার অজান্তেই শরীরের সব অর্গানকে নিজের কব্জায় নিয়ে নিচ্ছে! নিজের দেহের কোষকেই নিজের বিরুদ্ধে লেলিয়ে দিচ্ছে! জন্ম দিচ্ছে এক আদিম অনুভূতির......
ইন্দোনেশিয়ান দ্বীপপুঞ্জের ক্রিসমাস আইল্যান্ডসহ সংশ্লিষ্ট সাগরে ছড়িয়ে পড়ছে এক অদ্ভুত রোগ। জলজ প্রানীর পাশাপাশি আক্রান্ত হচ্ছে দ্বীপবাসীরাও। কিছু বুঝে ওঠার আগেই সানডে মানডে ক্লোজ হয়ে যাচ্ছে নিরীহ লোকজনের। তদন্ত করতে পাঠানো হল সিগমা ফোর্সের ড. লিসা কামিংস আর মঙ্ক কক্কালিসকে। তবে গবেষণা করতে এসে তাদের নিজেদের জীবনই লুল হয়ে গেল। অপহরন করা হল তাদের।
মোটর সাইকেল দুর্ঘটনার মাধ্যমে সিগমা কমান্ডার গ্রেসন পিয়ার্সের ঘাড়ে চেপে বসল দুর্ধর্ষ গিল্ড এজেন্ট শেইচান। ধুম ধাড়াকা এন্ট্রির চেয়েও আজিব তার আকুতি। সে চায় গ্রে-কে সাথে নিয়ে আসন্ন দুর্যোগের হাত থেকে পৃথিবীকে বাঁচাতে। লে হালুয়া! ডিপজলের একটা মুভির গান আছেনা, "বন্ধু তুমি, শত্রু তুমি, তুমি আমার জান" ওইরকম আর কি অবস্থা। এদিকে গ্রে-র কাঁধে চেপে বসছে বাবা-মার নিরাপত্তার ভয়, সেই সাথে মাথায় ঝুলে আছে গ্রেফতারি পরোয়ানা।
গোটা দুনিয়া জুড়ে ছড়িয়ে পড়তে চলেছে বিধ্বংসী এক ভাইরাস "দ্য জুডাস স্ট্রেইন"! এই জীবনঘাতী ভাইরাসকে হাতের মুঠোয় আনতে আস্তে আস্তে জাল গুটিয়ে আনছে সিগমার চিরশত্রু, রহস্যময় গুপ্তসংগঠন- দ্য গিল্ড।
এসব কিছুর সাথে ভাইরাসে আক্রান্ত মেরিন বায়োলজিস্ট সুজান টিউনিসের কি সম্পর্ক ? সত্যিই কি আছে চির রহস্যময় ফেরেশতাদের ভাষা, দ্য অ্যাঞ্জেলিক স্ক্রিপ্টের অস্তিত্ব?
সব রহস্যের জড় লুকিয়ে আছে কম্বোডিয়ায় এক ভাঙা মন্দিরের গুহায়। তবে সেই রহস্য উন্মোচন করতে হলে ফিরে যেতে হবে সুদূর অতীতে, ১২৯৫ সালে, বিখ্যাত অভিযাত্রী মার্কো পোলোর সাথে তার ভেনিসে প্রত্যাবর্তনের অভিযানে।


জেমস রলিন্স সম্পর্কে কিছু বলতে হবে? এক কাপ রহস্যেঘেরা অতীতের সাথে এক কাপ আধুনিক প্রযুক্তির মিশ্রন। সেই সাথে তিন চামচ অ্যাকশন, দুই চামচ ধাওয়া-পাল্টাধাওয়া, দুই চামচ গবেষণা, এক চামচ টুইস্ট। সবটুকুকে একপাত্রে ঢেলে দুঃসাহসিক অভিযানে ফেলে নেড়েচেড়ে নিলেই হয়ে গেল শেফ রলিন্সের মজাদার উপ্স... সুখপাঠ্য বই। ;)
সিগমা ফোর্স সিরিজের চতুর্থ বই 'দ্য জুডাস স্ট্রেইন। শুরু থেকে শেষপর্যন্ত টানটান উত্তেজনার সাথে গতিশীলতা আর রলিন্স সাহেবের বাচনভঙ্গীর ইউনিক স্টাইল তো আছেই। বায়োলজিকাল থিওরি, এক্সপেরিমেন্টাল মেথড, প্রাচীন লিপি, দায়িত্ব, আত্মত্যাগ, বিশ্বাসঘাতকতার ছোঁয়ায় কাহিনী সার্থক। সেই সাথে সিগমার চেনা চরিত্রগুলোর সাথে ফিরে এসেছে চিরশত্রু গিল্ড। সব মিলিয়ে আগাগোড়া সুখপাঠ্য একটা বই।
এবার আসি অনুবাদ প্রসঙ্গে। ওয়াসি আহমেদ রাফি, আদী প্রকাশনীর নতুন আবিস্কার। একে তো প্রথম অনুবাদ, তায় আবার জেমস রলিন্স, সেই সাথে বইয়ের বিশাল কলেবর! সত্যি বলতে পাঠকদের সন্দিহান হওয়াটাই স্বাভাবিক। তবে অনুবাদ সম্পর্কে বাজে আশঙ্কা থাকলে বই পড়ার সময় তা উবে যেতে বাধ্য। প্রথম দিকে একটু গম্ভীর মনে হলেও পুরো বইতে কোথাও আনাড়িপনার ছোঁয়া চোখে পড়েনি। রলিন্স সাহবকে উনি রলিন্সই রাখতে পেরেছেন। একবারও মনে হয়নি যে এটা অনুবাদকের প্রথম কাজ। একবাক্যে বলতে গেলে ডেব্যু ম্যাচেই সেঞ্চুরি মেরেছেন। তার কাছ থেকে আরো অনুবাদের প্রত্যাশায় রইলাম।

এক নজরে,
বইঃ দ্য জুডাস স্ট্রেইন (সিগমা #৪)
লেখকঃ জেমস রোলিন্স
রূপান্তরঃ ওয়াসি আহমেদ রাফি
প্রকাশনীঃ আদী
প্রকাশকালঃ আগস্ট ৫, ২০১৬
পৃষ্ঠাঃ ৩৯২
মূল্যঃ ৪৬০
রেটিং- বইঃ ৫/৫, অনুবাদ ৪.৫/৫

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I truly hate being in this position. A friend here on Goodreads with whom I usually agree recommended that I try Rollins. Now admittedly this is not the first in the series and I don't often start a series in the middle, but I was looking for an audio that I could listen to as I was busy with "mindless tasks". (I'm straining not to make a joke here.)

I wish I could say I liked this book, I wanted to, but I just don't/didn't. I was relieved to reach the end. To give credit where credits due...the reader had his problems also. At one point he read "MI6" as M16" and he read the word "archangel" as "arch angel" as in "arch" villain. There were other miss pronunciations that bugged me.

Still, the "book" itself get's it share of the credit. We take a bit of historical fact and a smidgen of science and then we use it as a spring board here to launch off into total absurdity, at least that's how it hit me. I'm a big fantasy fan and I'm a big action fan so you'd think suspension of disbelief wouldn't be a problem for me, and it usually isn't. But there were things here on multiple levels that kept gnawing at me. From the protagonist's inability to get his parents (including his Alzheimer's suffering father) to simply stay behind, or go somewhere, anywhere but with him (isn't there an aunt Martha...or something) to the cliches we keep stumbling over I just didn't care for it.

Sort of major spoiler below.

See, there's this super secret society (that's super, secret....not super secret. Maybe I should have said ultra secret super organization??? Oh well, you get the idea). They're all but all knowing with moles everywhere (except where they're not, but pretend to be) and see they're seeking this virus that can enter any bacteria and suddenly convert said bacteria into a deadly plague that eats flesh, rots people, melts skin or whatever.

Well, unless you have this special protein see, and then you can convert it all into a cure and all anyone has to do is drink your blood or eat your flesh and they can get better. Inconvenient, but it's okay because you also undergo a sort of metaphysical change to and become one of the wonderful people who are waiting for something in the future but we're not sure what...except it's still a long time away and till then you get to go somewhere (like heaven...maybe, but we're not sure, again) and hang out with people you love who have died of the plague because they didn't get to eat anyone's flesh but now they're happy and okay.....

Did you get that????

Oh and if you're one of the people with the protein you glow when your ready to be eaten. (Now this is not to be confused with the whole glowing vampire syndrome....see that's a "sparkle" not a "glow". Just wanted to be sure there's no confusion here.)

I'm not sure how to tell if your one of the very few people who can make the virus good, but it seems to have something to do with social consciousness as the doctor who is one and glows also gave us a lecture on how the seas are dying because people use fertilizer and fish too much...and maybe global warming. And after she changes she wanders through the jungle spotting endangered tigers and turtles. I know she must be special because if normal humans wander through the jungle and meet an endangered tiger species, the human gets eaten.

You get the idea I suppose.

Oh! the history. This all started because Marco Polo messed around where he shouldn't have...it was bad. There was this opening that let the Judas Strain (what they call the virus) out...or possibly in if you figure the world is a place to let stuff in...and the place had to be closed see...

Oh well.


I'd say try this one for yourself. As much as it bugged me others, including a friend here as I said (well I hope he's still a friend) like this book very much. With it's mix of strained science and metaphysics plus just the way the story goes it's not for me.

I will possibly give other Rollins books a shot, maybe it's just this one. Still, sorry if you love this book, but 2 stars is (are?) all I can give it. That's just my rating. It (the book that is) wasn't for me.

And believe me I know what it's like to share a book you love with someone only to have it dissed...so again, to each their own, see what you think.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing The Judas Strain, I remain a HUGE James Rollins fan! I think Map of Bones and Sandstorm are my favorite books in the Sigma Force series, but really, they are all superb adventures, and The Judas Strain is no exception.

After reading 4 books in the series, I'm completely invested in these characters. I have images of them in my head. I know and love or hate their personalities. I root for their success and worry at their failures and ultimately, I want them to save the world. I think that's something special about a series of books as opposed to a stand alone novel, you really become attached to the people you're reading about.

The Judas Strain has so much going on - pandemics, cannibalism, cruise ship hijacking, Marco Polo and lots more. It spans the globe from Washington DC to Christmas Island, The Vatican, Istanbul and finally the ancient city of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Do yourself and favor and Google the locations mentioned around the world in Rollins' books. He bases his adventures on real places, so it is fascinating to submerge yourself in the imagery of the locations by looking them up. Angkor Wat for example is incredible looking in photos, and it was so fun to really "see" what was being described in the book.

At this point, I feel like I really cant go wrong with Rollins' style.

[Rakib Hasan · Rating 5 out of 5]

সিগমা ফোর্স সিরিজের দারুণ একটা বই। শুরু থেকে শেষ পর্যন্ত সমানভাবে উপভোগ করেছি৷ একটানা পড়ার মতো বই,একবার শুরু করলে শেষ না করে উঠা যায়না। বেশ ভাল লেগেছে।

[Barbara ★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Sigma Force series that I've read and absolutely loved. James Rollins writing is historically accurate and amazingly detailed. It's one of those books that draws you in from the first horrific chapter and keeps you turning pages as fast as your fingers (and eyes) allow. Of course there are multiple things going on: a historical trail and a scientific trail which ultimately converges with dire consequences. I particularly liked the inclusion of Kowalski, an ex-military man who is now doing security for Sigma Force. He is included on the mission to provide muscle not brains but his one-liners are spot on and hilarious. He provided a much needed dose of comic relief.

Sigma has one major enemy in the war against terrorism...The Guild, they are a badass outfit that is usually one step ahead of Sigma but Sigma always wins the race. Guild agent Seichan, shot in the gut, ends up crashing her motorcycle in Commander Gray Pierce's driveway. Seichan and Gray have a past and it's not a friendly one. The historical trail involves Gray, Seichan, a Catholic priest and Kowalski reversing Marco Polo's historic journey from China and discovering the cure for a nasty bacteria that is currently killing people off the coast of Australia but which could eventually decimate the entire human population. Bad guy on this leg: Amen Nasser (Guild operative) who immediately kidnaps Gray's parents to get the upper hand.

The scientific trail involves Sigma operatives Lisa Cummings and Monk Kokkalis out on Christmas Island trying to find the cause of the recent plague-like outbreak. Bad guy here: Devesh Patanjali, Guild operative who has hijacked a cruise ship full of evacuees from Christmas Island to use as guinea pigs while looking for the cure so The Guild can use the disease for bio-terrorism. Fortunately both Lisa and Monk are on board and working against Devesh's evil.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some pacing issues but a good book. But why...why must you keep killing off people I like James.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of Action and stunning characters

I have read just about every book written by James Rollins and in my opinion "The Judas Strain" is right up there at the top. It's a stunning and education portrait of those nasty bugs in the world of biological science. In the "The Judas Strain", the fourth novel in the Sigma Force series I thought Mr. Collins writing style captured the true effects of a loose deadly bacteria that is killing all life in the waters of Christmas Island. The story is full of action and the author had a way of drawing me into the characters; it was as if I knew them. I like that about an author. Off the top of my head the mega author Clive Cussler also a knack for strong character development and Mr. Collins in his own style has proved he knows a thing or two about developing character traits. A great thriller.

[Eadie Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 4th book of the Sigma Force and was a mixture of science and history of Marco Polo's trip to China. When a virus is threatening devastating results it is a race for the cure between the Guild and Sigma Force. The book takes us to Cambodia, Christmas Island and Istanbul with pirates, cannibals, crabs and squid which keep the book interesting and the plot moving forward with lots of action. The scientific explanations were hard to follow at times but flowed easier with the audio. The final cliffhanger makes you want to read the next book soon. I would recommend this series to those who love science, history and adventure.

[Yona Racheva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a lot of books by James Rollins and loved all of them, but this one is my less favorite, it was still very good but not as much as his other books.

[Toni Osborne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sigma Force book 4

An ancient and deadly plague, the Judas Strain, has suddenly re-emerged from the depths of the Indian Ocean, a disease unstoppable and deadly. Dr Lisa Cummings and Monk Kokkalis of SIGMA FORCE search for an answer to this bizarre affliction aboard a cruise liner, transformed into a makeshift hospital. But others had different intentions. In a sudden coup, Guild members hijack the vessel full of plague victims and turn it into a bio-weapons lab.

A world away, SIGMA's Commander Gray Pierce joins force with Seichan a Guild defector holding clues to a possible cure. Following in the footsteps of the famous explorer Marco Polo, they embark on an astonishing quest which leads them to the Vatican, Istanbul and Cambodia. As a possible worldwide pandemic grows rapidly, time becomes their enemy and seconds bring them closer to a doomsday scenario. Gray and his allies are in the midst of an astonishing mystery where they cannot trust anyone.

This novel has a blend of science and history incorporated in an action pact tale of fiction. The author spiked the adventure by adding tidbits of strange details to defy the believability throughout and to leave us pondering, a very astute ploy but it didn't work for me. I found the premise of this book to be totally off the map.

The plot is comical in some ways I found myself giggling at some of the exploits: battling giant crabs and planning to blow up a jet ski with scuba gear and other far fetched endeavours. The action is easy to follow as the story jumps back and forth from Gray and Seichan pursuing Marco Polo to Monk and Lisa trying to escape both pirates and cannibals.

As for the characters, they are very superficial lacking in real substance but nevertheless a charming bunch, dare devils facing predictable situations ending with favourable conclusions. It seems Mr Rollins is saving his characters for a later date. At one point the author was so enthralled explaining some angelic symbols and maps that I had trouble tying things together and moving on.

[Richard Derus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Real Rating: 3.5* of five

I read this while I was in the goofy garage during 2014. My delightful friends supported my reading habit, and never once wondered (to me, that is, I have no idea what they said amongst themselves!) why I was asking for Rollins's books.

I wanted to read them because they are very entertaining, have enough plot and character development to keep me distracted from being in a public mental health facility, and are intensely visually told stories with deep sci-fi roots and some supernatural almost-Lovecraftian cosmic horror overtones.

Here we go full-monty supernatural. It was a pulse-pounding race around the world, the Sigma Force folks were scattered from pillar to post, and the stakes couldn't possibly have been higher...extinction! I very much appreciated the fact that the series characters had some very serious curves hurled their individual and collective ways. I couldn't sleep until I finished it. Got yelled at for it, too.

Suited me down to the ground at a time when anything more or less challenging would've been impossible to handle.

[Shahjahan Shourov · Rating 4 out of 5]

সিগমা ফোর্স সিরিজের ৪র্থ বই “দ্য জুডাস স্ট্রেইন”। গল্পের উৎকর্ষতার বিচারে বলি, প্রথম। দারুণ লাগলো, পুরোপুরি এংগেজিং।

ইন্দোনেশিয়ান দ্বীপপুঞ্জে অদ্ভূৎ একটা রোগ ছড়িয়ে যাচ্ছে।
ড. সুজান টিউনিস, তার স্বামী এবং একজন সহকর্মীকে সাথে নিয়ে ওদিকেই আছেন।
সে সময় ইতালিতে হাত-বেহাত হল একটা ওবেলিস্ক।
ভ্যাটিকানে, মনসিনর ভিগর ভেরোনা’র মনযোগ আকৃষ্ট করে পুরনো (সিরিজের পূর্ববর্তী এক গল্পের) আর ভীতিকর একটা লোগো।
মঙ্ক আর লিসা কামিংস, প্রাচ্যে ছড়িয়ে পড়া রোগটার বৈজ্ঞানিক তদন্তে নিয়োযিত থাকাকালীন সময় ছিনতাই হল তাদের বেইজক্যাম্প; একটা ক্রুজশিপ।
সেঁধে, গ্রে’র বাসায় হাজির হল শেইচান।
(যারা জানেননা; এই দু’জনের দা-কুমড়া সম্পর্ক।)
শেইচান আর গ্রে’র ছুটোছুটিতে জড়িয়ে গেল জ্যাকসন আর হ্যারিয়েট পিয়ার্স।
সিগমার ভেতর গিল্ডের ডাবল এজেন্ট আবারও নিজের অস্তিত্ব জানান দিচ্ছে।
সেসময় গিল্ডের সেরা দুিই ফিল্ড অফিসার শয্যা-সঙ্গী হবার পর, পরস্পরের মাথায় বুলেট সেঁধিয়ে দেবার সুযোগের অপেক্ষায় আছে।
এবং
১২৯৫ সালে ইতালীয় অভিযাত্রী মার্কো পোলো যা লুকিয়ে ছিলেন, সেটা খুঁজে না পেলে ডিজাস্টার অবশ্যম্ভাবী। তার জন্যে এ্যাঞ্জেলিক স্ক্রিপ্ট বা ফেরেশতাদের ভাষার পাঠোদ্ধার বাধ্যতামূলক।

“দ্য জুডাস স্ট্রেইন” এর কি পয়েন্ট ওপরেরগুলো। এখন আপনাকে সিদ্ধান্ত নিতে হবে, বইটি আর কতদিন ফেলে রাখবেন!

আমাজনিয়া কিংবা স্যান্ডস্টর্মে অত বড় পরিসরে ছিলনা। “দ্য জুডাস স্ট্রেইন” এর পুরোটা জুড়ে ছিল লাইফসাইন্স, মাইক্রোবায়োলজি। এই প্রথম মনে হল, লাইফ সাইন্সের পেছনে এতগুলো বছর সময় দেয়ার পর দুটো সার্টিফিকেটই পাইনি শুধু; জেমস রোলিন্সের “দ্য জুডাস স্ট্রেইন” পুরোপুরি উপভোগ করার মতো জ্ঞানও পেয়েছি।
বইটা যেন লাইফ সাইন্স বিদ্যার্থীদের জন্যেই ডেডিকেটেড।

স্থানিক ভিন্নতাও এ গল্পে উল্লেখ করবার মতো। ইন্দোনেশিয়া, ইউ.এস.এ, ইস্তানবুল, ইরান এবং কম্বোডিয়া। ভূগোলেকের এ মাথা থেকে ও মাথা পর্যন্ত ব্যাপ্তির এই গল্পটা সুখপাঠ্য হয়েছে, বিজ্ঞান আর ইতিহাস পোড়ানো আশ্চর্য এক ফিকশানের ফিনিক্স হয়ে ওঠার ভেতর দিয়ে। ম্যাজিক আর রিয়েলিজম এখানে পরস্পরের পরিপূরক। খুব ভাবায় একটা কথা। যতক্ষণ আমরা বুঝিনা ততক্ষণ সেটা জাদু বা পরাবাস্তব। বোঝার পর সেটা নিখাঁদ বিজ্ঞান। কিন্তু বুঝতে না পারার ওই সময়টাতেও তো আমি, আমিই। আমার নিজেকে অস্বীকার করবার উপলক্ষ্য কোথায়! প্রথম দিকের মানবের যে জীন কোডিং, যাদের চোখে সবই জাদু কিংবা পরাবাস্তব ছিল; তাকে উপেক্ষ্যা করার শক্তি কোথায় আজকের আমাদের? কাল যেটা জাদু ছিল, আজ সে বিজ্ঞান। আজ যেটা বোঝার বাইরে?

ম্যাজিক আর রিয়েলিজমের থিন লাইনটা “দ্য জুডাস স্ট্রেইন” এ শেষ পর্যন্ত মিলিয়ে গেল। গল্পটার সবচাইতে বড় শক্তি এখানেই। ড. সুজান টিউনিস আর তার গ্রেগ খুব গভীরে ছাপ রেখে গেল। ওপরের কি পয়েন্টগুলোর গ্রন্থিবন্ধনটা খুব উপভোগ্য হয়েছে বইয়ে। দুয়েকটা ব্যাপার যে হতাশাজনক নয়, তাও নয়। যেমন ৩য় পাইতজু (পড়ুন পাসপোর্ট। ব্যাপারটা ভাল ছিল, খোলাসা না করি। বই পড়ে মিলিয়ে নেবেন।) কোথায় পাওয়া যেতে পারে সে ধারণা কিংবা এ্যাঞ্জেলিক স্ক্রিপ্টের ডিক্রিপ্টিং একটু সহজসাধ্যই মনে হল। আরও বেশি দাঁতভাঙা, মাথা কুঁটা হলে বোধহয় জমতো। খুব কাছাকাছি সময়ে পড়া ৩টা বইয়ে (দ্য জুডাস স্ট্রেইন-দ্য সুলতান’স হারেম/কলিন ফ্যালকনার এবং দ্য টুর্নামেন্ট/ম্যাথ্যু রায়লি) হায়া সোফিয়া’র বর্ণনা পেয়েছি আর পাচ্ছি তাকে দেখার টান। ঢাকা-ইস্তানবুল রাউন্ড ট্রিপ বেশি না কিন্তু, ৫০-৭০কে বিডিটি। গেলে আওয়াজ দিয়েন ভাইলোগ। ওদের স্ট্রীটফুড আর বাজার কিন্তু ইন্টারেস্টিং :) আন্ডারওয়াটার হোটেলও আছে।

ওয়াসি আহমেদ’র প্রথম অনুবাদ “দ্য জুডাস স্ট্রেইন”। তাই সন্দেহাতীতভাবেই বলা যায়, লেখার অনায়াস ভঙ্গিটা তার সহজাত। কিছু অনুবাদ পড়ে মনে হয় খুব কষ্ট করে লিখেছে, অনেক খেঁটে-ঘেঁটে (গুগ/ডিকশনারী)। ওয়াসি আহমেদ সাবলীল লিখে গেছেন। কিছু ঋভ্যু (পাঠ-প্রতিক্রিয়া) আর লেখকের মন্তব্য পড়ে অবাক হতে হয়, দুঃখ লাগে সমসাময়িক। ঋভ্যুদাতা নিয়মিতই লেখে, ভুল-টুল হয়নি আর লেখক তাকে ধন্যবাদ জানায়। অনুবাদের মানদন্ডই দাঁড়িয়ে গেছে যেন ভুল না হওয়া।

অবশ্যই সেটা মানদন্ডও। কিন্তু উল্লেখ করার মতো ব্যাপার না। অনুবাদক সেই স্ট্যান্ডার্ড টা অর্জন করেই অনুবাদ করবেন, যেখানে অন্ততঃ গ্রামাটিক্যাল বা শব্দার্থের ভুল থাকবেনা কিংবা ভাষাগত। সেটা নিশ্চিত করা গেলেই, ঋভ্যু দাতার অদ্ভূৎ মন্তব্য পেতে হবেনা; ভুল-টুল হয়নি। মাথায় খেলেনা শুধু অনুবাদ পড়ে কি করে বোঝে লোকে যে, ভুল-টুল হয়নি!

এই কথাগুলো ওয়াসি আহমেদের অনুবাদকে উদ্দেশ্য করে নয়। ১ম অনুবাদ পড়ে, আমি তার পরবর্তী অনুবাদের অপেক্ষায় আছি। তার লেখায় লেখা আছে; তিনি এলেমদার লোক। বাক্যবিন্যাস আর শব্দচয়ন এর সাক্ষ্য দেয়। অভিনন্দন আর শুভকামনা জানবেন প্রিয় হয়ে যাওয়া অনুবাদক।

প্রচ্ছদে খানিক নাখোশি আছে। বইটা পড়ার আগে নাখোশি ছিল ১ মাত্রার। ওইযে গোড়ার দিকে ঘোড়া আর উট আর কিছু মানুষের অবয়ব দেখা যাচ্ছে; ওগুলো শিশুতোষ লাগে। কড়া ব্যাপারটা নাই ওখানে। বই শেষ করার পর মনে হচ্ছে আরও র কিছু’র দরকার ছিল হয়তো, জানিনা কি। ক্রিপি, ডিস্টার্বিং একটা কিছু মিস করেছি।

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely an intriguing adventure for the Sigma forces, starting with the mysterious motive behind the murder of an Egyptian curator for an even more mysterious object with links to one of the most bizarre historical mysteries we know of. The journey of Marco Polo and his father (Niccolo) and his uncle (Masseo). However, there are parts of the journey that remain a total mystery to us all. This adventure looks into what may have happened as well as a secret chapter of Marco's journey and what happened to his personal confessor, Friar Agreer.
There's another part to this adventure, as is standard Sigma affair- that of a bizarre and extremely disturbing outbreak. One that can turn people into cannibals, burn them from the inside out (not like combustion, but more like boils and intense, uncontrollable sunburns). So, it's one part historical thriller, one part medical thriller. One part, not one half, as there are more parts to this story, like a personal attack to Gray's parents, and Painter's search for them. Multiple stories/substories intertwining. However, there are also very sad moments, both with people you've known and liked for some time (like Monk) and people you only knew from the Prologue (Gregg Tunis). The strangest thing to happen in this book is actually what concerns Susan, Gregg's wife. But to find out what that is, you'd have to read this book. The reason for 4 stars is one of the side enemies, an emotionally-distant assassin, Surina, becomes interesting, but something she does doesn't get explained thoroughly enough for me, so I ended up getting dissappointed about that. Beside that, this was a very good adventure full of crazy twists and sarcastic, razor-sharp wit and counter-twists.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this as my rating indicates. Rollins has reached a point with these characters that authors can arrive at when they fully develop them over s series of novels. In order to fully appreciate the plot twists and turns the series should be read in order. I am glad I was patient at times earlier in the series because it is paying off now.
Rollins researches his subjects thoroughly and this book is no exception. It seems a mix of religion, science, philosophy and action that makes the story seem believable. He also incorporates history. Considering how prolific this author is, it surprises me he has time to research his novels this thoroughly.
Several story lines happen simultaneously and converge as the story nears the end. His villains are brutal and edgy. The complexity of the story requires full attention (and an occasional reread for me at least) to prevent confusion later. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This thriller, in the 'Sigma Files', is probably the closest thing to anything written by Michael Crichton. James Rollins has compressed so many intriguing ideas and facts onto the matrix of our imagination (and a very real fear), that this novel simply couldn't be rushed. I had to read it piece-by-piece, trying to absorb the many threads of the narrative. My only grudge in this respect is that the narrative didn't have any humour at all. Hence, one star was dropped. Otherwise, this is really as good as a Techno-thriller can be. Recommended.

[itchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

considering the pattern and the number of succeeding books in the series, it's impressive;
new tech are just awesome

p26: she was dressed all in black leather, hugging tight to hips and breast.

p172: as the band of pirates here was a mix of locals and foreign mercenaries, monk had learned that pigeon malay passed okay.

p225: proving it, kowalski revved the engine's rpms, downshifted for the next corner, twisted the wheel, throwing them all to the left, then planted back on the power and shot out of the turn like a rocket.

[Jenny a.k.a....Jenny from the block · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read filled with chills, thrills, and spills. I do enjoy the journey as always to lands far away that I would only read about and never travel to be there in real life. James Rollins does have a way about his writing that always has a few laughs, surprises in the pages, and I do wonder if there is a surprise in the next installment of Team Sigma Force. Overall I wanted more as the group was winding down. Therefore, I will have to read the next one in the series sooner rather than later. I just need to take a short intermission before I embark forward.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really was disappointed with this book after starting it and nearly put it down. But a funny thing happened... it started to get interesting at about page 75 or so. I'm glad I hung in there and kept with it. I just might read a few more by Dr. Rollins.

[Gary Sundell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good series. Oh that ending....

[Jerry Mead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good early Sigma thriller. I'll go for #5 next.