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The Deadliest Strain
Sudden, unexplained deaths marked by rapid decomposition are occurring across the US. When a flesh-eating microbe is identified naturally bioterrorism is suspected & Homeland Security must go to extraordinary lengths to defend America, even to the extent of resurrecting the dead.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2007
20 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
Jan Coffey
607 books83 followersJan Coffey, Nik James, and May McGoldrick are pen names for USA Today bestselling authors Nikoo Kafi and Jim McGoldrick. Together, they have crafted over fifty fast-paced, conflict-filled historical, contemporary, and Western novels, and two works of nonfiction.
Nikoo’s education and training was in engineering. She worked in robotics and submarine shipbuilding. Before earning a PhD in sixteenth-century Scottish and English literature, Jim pursued a hundred and one jobs, including a decade in submarine construction.
Storytellers at heart, Nikoo and Jim were always searching for careers that gave them time for both family and writing. Then, after thirteen years of marriage, they recognized each other’s creative strengths. Nikoo is all about characters and feeling. Jim is about action and sense of place. Their first attempt in writing fiction together produced their award-winning novel, The Thistle and the Rose. Since then, their stories have touched the hearts and minds of millions of readers all over the world. Their work has been translated into over a dozen languages and counting.
Nikoo and Jim are four-time Rita Finalists and the winners of numerous awards for their writing, including the Daphne DeMaurier Award for Excellence, the Romantic Times Magazine Reviewers’ Choice Award, three NJRW Golden Leaf Awards, two Holt Medallions, and the Connecticut Press Club Award for Best Fiction.
The authors make their home in California.
Here is a complete catalogue of May McGoldrick, Nik James and Jan Coffey’s work, in chronological order.
Each book stands on its own.
MAY McGOLDRICK
Macpherson Clan Series
The Thistle and the Rose
A Midsummer Wedding (novella)
Angel of Skye
Heart of Gold
Beauty of the Mist
The Intended
Flame
Tess and the Highlander
The Dreamer (Highland Treasure)
The Enchantress (Highland Treasure)
The Firebrand (Highland Treasure)
Much Ado About Highlanders (Scottish Relic)
Taming the Highlander (Scottish Relic)
Tempest in the Highlands (Scottish Relic)
Arsenic and Old Armor
---
Pennington Family Series
The Promise
The Rebel
Borrowed Dreams
Captured Dreams
Dreams of Destiny
Romancing the Scot
It Happened in the Highlands
Sweet Home Highland Christmas (novella)
Sleepless in Scotland
Dearest Millie (novella)
How to Ditch a Duke (novella)
---
Royal Highlander Series
Highland Crown
Highland Jewel
Highland Sword
---
A Prince in the Pantry (novella)
Ghost of the Thames
---
Made in Heaven
Thanksgiving in Connecticut (novella)
NIK JAMES
The Winter Road (novella)
High Country Justice
Bullets and Silver
Silver Trail Christmas
JAN COFFEY
Trust Me Once
Twice Burned
Triple Threat
Fourth Victim
Five in a Row
Silent Waters
Cross Wired
The Janus Effect
The Puppet Master
Blind Eye
Road Kill
Mercy (novella)
Tropical Kiss
Aquarian
When the Mirror Cracks
NONFICTION
Marriage of Minds: Collaborative Fiction Writing
Step Write Up: Writing Exercises for 21st Century
---
Sign up for the May McGoldrick, Nik James, Jan Coffey Newsletter
https://www.maymcgoldrick.com/contact-us
---
Visit their author websites
www.MayMcGoldrick.com
www.NikJamesAuthor.com
www.JanCoffey.com
Nikoo’s education and training was in engineering. She worked in robotics and submarine shipbuilding. Before earning a PhD in sixteenth-century Scottish and English literature, Jim pursued a hundred and one jobs, including a decade in submarine construction.
Storytellers at heart, Nikoo and Jim were always searching for careers that gave them time for both family and writing. Then, after thirteen years of marriage, they recognized each other’s creative strengths. Nikoo is all about characters and feeling. Jim is about action and sense of place. Their first attempt in writing fiction together produced their award-winning novel, The Thistle and the Rose. Since then, their stories have touched the hearts and minds of millions of readers all over the world. Their work has been translated into over a dozen languages and counting.
Nikoo and Jim are four-time Rita Finalists and the winners of numerous awards for their writing, including the Daphne DeMaurier Award for Excellence, the Romantic Times Magazine Reviewers’ Choice Award, three NJRW Golden Leaf Awards, two Holt Medallions, and the Connecticut Press Club Award for Best Fiction.
The authors make their home in California.
Here is a complete catalogue of May McGoldrick, Nik James and Jan Coffey’s work, in chronological order.
Each book stands on its own.
MAY McGOLDRICK
Macpherson Clan Series
The Thistle and the Rose
A Midsummer Wedding (novella)
Angel of Skye
Heart of Gold
Beauty of the Mist
The Intended
Flame
Tess and the Highlander
The Dreamer (Highland Treasure)
The Enchantress (Highland Treasure)
The Firebrand (Highland Treasure)
Much Ado About Highlanders (Scottish Relic)
Taming the Highlander (Scottish Relic)
Tempest in the Highlands (Scottish Relic)
Arsenic and Old Armor
---
Pennington Family Series
The Promise
The Rebel
Borrowed Dreams
Captured Dreams
Dreams of Destiny
Romancing the Scot
It Happened in the Highlands
Sweet Home Highland Christmas (novella)
Sleepless in Scotland
Dearest Millie (novella)
How to Ditch a Duke (novella)
---
Royal Highlander Series
Highland Crown
Highland Jewel
Highland Sword
---
A Prince in the Pantry (novella)
Ghost of the Thames
---
Made in Heaven
Thanksgiving in Connecticut (novella)
NIK JAMES
The Winter Road (novella)
High Country Justice
Bullets and Silver
Silver Trail Christmas
JAN COFFEY
Trust Me Once
Twice Burned
Triple Threat
Fourth Victim
Five in a Row
Silent Waters
Cross Wired
The Janus Effect
The Puppet Master
Blind Eye
Road Kill
Mercy (novella)
Tropical Kiss
Aquarian
When the Mirror Cracks
NONFICTION
Marriage of Minds: Collaborative Fiction Writing
Step Write Up: Writing Exercises for 21st Century
---
Sign up for the May McGoldrick, Nik James, Jan Coffey Newsletter
https://www.maymcgoldrick.com/contact-us
---
Visit their author websites
www.MayMcGoldrick.com
www.NikJamesAuthor.com
www.JanCoffey.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
April 28, 2014
Having endorsed the covert policy of supporting a Kurdish revolt in northern Iraq between 1974 and 1975, with ‘deniable’ assistance also provided by Israel and the Shah of Iran, Kissinger made it plain to his subordinates that the Kurds were not to be allowed to win, but were to be employed for their nuisance value alone. They were not to be told that this was the case, but soon found out when the Shah and Saddam Hussein composed their differences, and American aid to Kurdistan was cut off. Hardened CIA hands went to Kissinger ... for an aid programme for the many thousands of Kurdish refugees who were thus abruptly created.... The apercu of the day was: ‘foreign policy should not he confused with missionary work.’ Saddam Hussein heartily concurred. – Christopher Hitchens
They’d lived in a country that was run by a butcher. That did not make them butchers. In fact, they were just the opposite. – Jan Coffey, The Janus Effect
The whole course of human history may depend on a change of heart in one solitary and even humble individual - for it is in the solitary mind and soul of the individual that the battle between good and evil is waged and ultimately won or lost. - M. Scott Peck
In 1988, with the full might of the US Government and the force of the Regan White House behind him, Saddam Hussain facilitated what was known as “The Anfal Campaign.” Named for the eighth sura, or chapter, of the Qur’an, Saddam’s Anfal was a mammoth campaign of civic annihilation, displacement and mass killing. Saddam tapped his cousin, Ali Hassan al–Majid, a man well–known for his brutality, to take charge of northern Iraq. Al–Majid quickly deployed military resources to, in his words, “solve the Kurdish problem and slaughter the saboteurs.” He ordered Iraqi aircraft to drop poison gas on PUK and KDP targets and civilian villages, killing thousands indiscriminately. The Iraqi regime had become the first in history to attack its own civilian population with chemical weapons. Al–Majid came to be known as “Chemical Ali.”
There were eight Anfal attacks in all, each following a similar pattern. First, air attacks dropped chemical weapons on both civilian and peshmerga targets. Next, ground troops surrounded the villages, looting and setting fire to homes. Then townspeople were herded into army trucks and taken to holding facilities, the largest being Topzawa, an army camp near Kirkuk. At these camps, men and boys deemed old enough to carry a weapon were separated from women, the elderly and young children. Routinely and uniformly, these men and boys were taken to remote sites, executed in groups, and dumped into pre–dug mass graves. Many women and children were also executed, especially those from areas that supported the Kurdish resistance. – Dave Johns, The Crimes of Saddam Hussein, 1988: The Anfal Campaign
When the dust, chemicals, and biological weapons had settled, 90 percent of Kurdish villages had essentially been wiped off the map, and the countryside was strewn with mass graves, and with land mines to discourage resettlement. The response from the international community was muted, as many nations, including the United States, had supported Hussein with money and arms during the Iran–Iraq war.
“Half of writing history is hiding the truth.”― Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy
One of the worst of these attacks was against the city of Halabja, a peaceful, working class Kurdish city. Al-Majid ordered the destruction of the city with chemical and biological weapons, including mustard gas, nerve gasses such as sarin, VX and hydrogen cyanide, and a new, unidentified gas “that made people crazy (they tore off their clothes, laughed for a while and then dropped dead). Around 8000 died immediately. Overall, hundreds of thousands of innocent people in Kurdistan were slaughtered, without pity. And yet, what do we, the American People, know of the atrocities committed by our government in our insane quest for cheap oil?
Out of this wasteland of indiscriminate death and destruction begins The Janus Effect>/i>, one of the strongest novels I have ever read. Utilizing strong research, close ties with the people of Kurdistan, and a depth of personal compassion that is unmatched, Nikoo & Jim McGoldrick, writing as Jan Coffey, have written a novel that deserves to be on every person’s reading list. And yes, you really should read it, not just let it sit there and look pretty on the shelf. This is an amazing and horrifying story that will send chills up your back, and make you think, long and hard, about the meaning and reality of true evil.
In the middle of nowhere Maine, something has happened. Something horrific; unbelievable; and frightening beyond words. Two families have arrived on a small coastal island for a summer vacation. Within a matter of hours, they are all dead and rotting with unimaginable speed. Soon, those that find the bodies are also dead. Ten fatalities, within hours rotted beyond recognition. Only one aspect is possibly familiar. A strand of bacteria found in a bombed out lab in Iraq in 1988 shows many of the same constituents of this new, deadly killer. And to learn about that bacteria, what it is, and how it is developed, Austyn Newman is traveling to Afghanistan, to the infamous Brickyard Prison, there to question the one person who may have answers – the scientist who developed the bacteria in Sadaam’s laboratories.
Traded between various “black” prisons for the past five years, Dr. Rahaf Banaz has been lost in a system of total isolation, a ghost, with no record, no rights, and having never been charged with, or convicted of, a crime. Questioned, tortured, and finally left to rot, Newman finds his quarry in a hole in the Brickyard, cramped into a cell so small she cannot even stand. Starved, shaved bald, and with only a filthy blanket, she is, indeed, a ghost of a human being. And she is, he believes upon meeting her, something else as well. She may not even be Dr. Banaz.
As the story unfolds, Newman and Dr. Banaz, Dr. Fahimah Banaz, Rahaf’s sister who has taken Rahaf’s place in prison in order to allow her to continue her medical relief work, travel from the Brickyard at Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan through the ruins of cities and the beauty of the stark mountain landscape to the city of Kermanshah, Iran, in search of Rahaf, in search of answers. And during their travels, we learn too of the atrocities of sadistic politicians, both Eastern and Western, the horrors of the victims of war, and the lengths humans will go to in order to destroy one another for power, money and glory. And also? Also, the lengths that humans will go to in order to save and protect those they love. And even those they do not know.
This is a powerful story. Thriller, suspense, medical thriller, history, it’s all there, wrapped up in a story to break any thinking person’s heart. Lies and deception; truth and brutal honesty; and above all the agony of a people forgotten, written off by a culture that cares not for those who are crushed under the weight of a brutal, sadistic war machine. With heartbreaking twists at the end, this story written from the outlook of someone who loves the country and its people should be honored for both it’s excellence and heart.
“Lies and secrets, Tessa, they are like a cancer in the soul. They eat away what is good and leave only destruction behind.” ― Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Prince
I received this book from StoryCartel.com in return for a realistic review. I highly recommend that you read it. The book I read was a proof. It is now totally edited and beautifully done.
They’d lived in a country that was run by a butcher. That did not make them butchers. In fact, they were just the opposite. – Jan Coffey, The Janus Effect
The whole course of human history may depend on a change of heart in one solitary and even humble individual - for it is in the solitary mind and soul of the individual that the battle between good and evil is waged and ultimately won or lost. - M. Scott Peck
In 1988, with the full might of the US Government and the force of the Regan White House behind him, Saddam Hussain facilitated what was known as “The Anfal Campaign.” Named for the eighth sura, or chapter, of the Qur’an, Saddam’s Anfal was a mammoth campaign of civic annihilation, displacement and mass killing. Saddam tapped his cousin, Ali Hassan al–Majid, a man well–known for his brutality, to take charge of northern Iraq. Al–Majid quickly deployed military resources to, in his words, “solve the Kurdish problem and slaughter the saboteurs.” He ordered Iraqi aircraft to drop poison gas on PUK and KDP targets and civilian villages, killing thousands indiscriminately. The Iraqi regime had become the first in history to attack its own civilian population with chemical weapons. Al–Majid came to be known as “Chemical Ali.”
There were eight Anfal attacks in all, each following a similar pattern. First, air attacks dropped chemical weapons on both civilian and peshmerga targets. Next, ground troops surrounded the villages, looting and setting fire to homes. Then townspeople were herded into army trucks and taken to holding facilities, the largest being Topzawa, an army camp near Kirkuk. At these camps, men and boys deemed old enough to carry a weapon were separated from women, the elderly and young children. Routinely and uniformly, these men and boys were taken to remote sites, executed in groups, and dumped into pre–dug mass graves. Many women and children were also executed, especially those from areas that supported the Kurdish resistance. – Dave Johns, The Crimes of Saddam Hussein, 1988: The Anfal Campaign
When the dust, chemicals, and biological weapons had settled, 90 percent of Kurdish villages had essentially been wiped off the map, and the countryside was strewn with mass graves, and with land mines to discourage resettlement. The response from the international community was muted, as many nations, including the United States, had supported Hussein with money and arms during the Iran–Iraq war.
“Half of writing history is hiding the truth.”― Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy
One of the worst of these attacks was against the city of Halabja, a peaceful, working class Kurdish city. Al-Majid ordered the destruction of the city with chemical and biological weapons, including mustard gas, nerve gasses such as sarin, VX and hydrogen cyanide, and a new, unidentified gas “that made people crazy (they tore off their clothes, laughed for a while and then dropped dead). Around 8000 died immediately. Overall, hundreds of thousands of innocent people in Kurdistan were slaughtered, without pity. And yet, what do we, the American People, know of the atrocities committed by our government in our insane quest for cheap oil?
Out of this wasteland of indiscriminate death and destruction begins The Janus Effect>/i>, one of the strongest novels I have ever read. Utilizing strong research, close ties with the people of Kurdistan, and a depth of personal compassion that is unmatched, Nikoo & Jim McGoldrick, writing as Jan Coffey, have written a novel that deserves to be on every person’s reading list. And yes, you really should read it, not just let it sit there and look pretty on the shelf. This is an amazing and horrifying story that will send chills up your back, and make you think, long and hard, about the meaning and reality of true evil.
In the middle of nowhere Maine, something has happened. Something horrific; unbelievable; and frightening beyond words. Two families have arrived on a small coastal island for a summer vacation. Within a matter of hours, they are all dead and rotting with unimaginable speed. Soon, those that find the bodies are also dead. Ten fatalities, within hours rotted beyond recognition. Only one aspect is possibly familiar. A strand of bacteria found in a bombed out lab in Iraq in 1988 shows many of the same constituents of this new, deadly killer. And to learn about that bacteria, what it is, and how it is developed, Austyn Newman is traveling to Afghanistan, to the infamous Brickyard Prison, there to question the one person who may have answers – the scientist who developed the bacteria in Sadaam’s laboratories.
Traded between various “black” prisons for the past five years, Dr. Rahaf Banaz has been lost in a system of total isolation, a ghost, with no record, no rights, and having never been charged with, or convicted of, a crime. Questioned, tortured, and finally left to rot, Newman finds his quarry in a hole in the Brickyard, cramped into a cell so small she cannot even stand. Starved, shaved bald, and with only a filthy blanket, she is, indeed, a ghost of a human being. And she is, he believes upon meeting her, something else as well. She may not even be Dr. Banaz.
As the story unfolds, Newman and Dr. Banaz, Dr. Fahimah Banaz, Rahaf’s sister who has taken Rahaf’s place in prison in order to allow her to continue her medical relief work, travel from the Brickyard at Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan through the ruins of cities and the beauty of the stark mountain landscape to the city of Kermanshah, Iran, in search of Rahaf, in search of answers. And during their travels, we learn too of the atrocities of sadistic politicians, both Eastern and Western, the horrors of the victims of war, and the lengths humans will go to in order to destroy one another for power, money and glory. And also? Also, the lengths that humans will go to in order to save and protect those they love. And even those they do not know.
This is a powerful story. Thriller, suspense, medical thriller, history, it’s all there, wrapped up in a story to break any thinking person’s heart. Lies and deception; truth and brutal honesty; and above all the agony of a people forgotten, written off by a culture that cares not for those who are crushed under the weight of a brutal, sadistic war machine. With heartbreaking twists at the end, this story written from the outlook of someone who loves the country and its people should be honored for both it’s excellence and heart.
“Lies and secrets, Tessa, they are like a cancer in the soul. They eat away what is good and leave only destruction behind.” ― Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Prince
I received this book from StoryCartel.com in return for a realistic review. I highly recommend that you read it. The book I read was a proof. It is now totally edited and beautifully done.
August 28, 2019
What a crappy book. I thought this was some-kind of post apocalyptic fiction but instead it was a romance mixed with Kurdistan propaganda.
It was bad in every way. The plot was crappy at best. So basically there is some-kind of virus that kills very quickly and jumps pretty quickly between persons. There is not a hint of how it happens but a person which is behind bars for a lot of time might help). Thus enter our main protagonist that in a couple of minutes already makes her talk when in the previous 5 years she said no word. Then he discovers pretty quickly that she wasn't the person who they thought she was. What a crap.
From this moment on it begins a romance and he totally believe hers (5m of knowing her) which her colleagues and agency say that she was the maker of some chemicals weapons... how this guy works for the agency? How gully is he?
Then for 200 pages we receive chapter after chapter some people in the usa who are dying or some government guy being useless OR the travel of the lovebirds searching for her sister to save USA! USA! USA!
In the end, it really doesn't matter because she and her sister and he don't do anything at all and all is save accidently - a bit deus ex machina . CRAPPY
What I learn from this book? Trust everyone even if everyone and everything points that he/she is a mass murderer. USA as a bunch of useless government people; Kurdistan people are victims , Iraqi are murderers and everyone else for that matters. I learn quite a lot.
Crappy useless time.
It was bad in every way. The plot was crappy at best. So basically there is some-kind of virus that kills very quickly and jumps pretty quickly between persons. There is not a hint of how it happens but a person which is behind bars for a lot of time might help). Thus enter our main protagonist that in a couple of minutes already makes her talk when in the previous 5 years she said no word. Then he discovers pretty quickly that she wasn't the person who they thought she was. What a crap.
From this moment on it begins a romance and he totally believe hers (5m of knowing her) which her colleagues and agency say that she was the maker of some chemicals weapons... how this guy works for the agency? How gully is he?
Then for 200 pages we receive chapter after chapter some people in the usa who are dying or some government guy being useless OR the travel of the lovebirds searching for her sister to save USA! USA! USA!
In the end, it really doesn't matter because she and her sister and he don't do anything at all and all is save accidently - a bit deus ex machina . CRAPPY
What I learn from this book? Trust everyone even if everyone and everything points that he/she is a mass murderer. USA as a bunch of useless government people; Kurdistan people are victims , Iraqi are murderers and everyone else for that matters. I learn quite a lot.
Crappy useless time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2014
This book is an amazing example of the quality artistry that is Jan Coffey's work! It is very much a journey through a world very much like our with war and just simply trying to survive. It is as I come to expect from Ms.Coffey well written and developed characters and plots that are true to life experiences. I have hence read this one two more times since my first read and still love it!
December 10, 2018
I had higher hopes for this book. I enjoy a good disease ridden pandemic, be it man made, nature run astray, on purpose, or accidental. However, this book kind of lacked overall and I'm fuzzy on exactly how this deadly strain was created, take one part real disease and one part packaging error???? And this wasn't picked up on during the trial testing by the FDA? The story jumped back and forth on points of view between those with the disease (very briefly), those at home fighting it (somewhat), those overseas searching for a scientist (somewhat) and the history of the Middle East, their wars, people and atrocities (lots of info). There was even the hint of a budding romance. Ho hum. I often forgot what the plot was.... oh yeah, flesh eating disease.
August 23, 2023
Set after 911 but before Obama's presidency. More the half the time it is dealing with the situation in the Middle East. There is a lot of information on the Kurds, their history and their place in the region. The disease is very gruesome and aggressive. But there are not that many victims, hardly an epidemic.
October 18, 2023
Mind numbing
Truly panic inducing plot and scenario. Terrific writing and emotional descriptions of a very frightful story line. The author nails an emotional and complex plot with just the right amount of realism and human interactions.
Truly panic inducing plot and scenario. Terrific writing and emotional descriptions of a very frightful story line. The author nails an emotional and complex plot with just the right amount of realism and human interactions.
September 24, 2017
Enjoyable medical mystery.
September 3, 2019
Good thriller! The plot definitely kept me reading.
June 12, 2020
A very good book.
November 24, 2023
Quick interesting read. Perfect entertainment for traveling or a rainy weekend.
October 9, 2024
I'm assuming this is from the young adult section. Very easy read.
March 8, 2017
Average.
August 11, 2016
Outbreaks of contagious necrotising fasciitis are popping up all over America, usually with only a handful of deaths. There is no apparent connection between the victims, and the disease kills in hours. An epidemiologist working for Homeland Security is sent to a military prison in Afghanistan, to seek information from a woman who worked in a chemical lab in Iraq under Saddam Hussein's regime. But all is not as it seems...
The book jumps around between narratives in the Middle East and the US, as well as shorter narratives by short-lived characters who come into contact with the disease. The sections set in Iraq and Iran focused much more on the history of Kurdistan and the atrocities suffered during Saddam's years in power than on chasing down a treatment for the disease. This in itself was fascinating. But there were times when it would jump to a chapter about another body being found, and I'd go "Oh, RIGHT. Plague thingy."
That said, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The various narratives fit together well, and it's easy to relate to the characters. There were numerous similarities to the world today - America is under the leadership of its first African-American president, the war in Afghanistan is dragging on, etc etc. The story was fast paced and filled with intrigue. My one issue with it would be that the reason behind the outbreak is left unresolved. Yes, they discover how people were becoming infected. But nothing more than that. Despite that, I liked this book a lot.
The book jumps around between narratives in the Middle East and the US, as well as shorter narratives by short-lived characters who come into contact with the disease. The sections set in Iraq and Iran focused much more on the history of Kurdistan and the atrocities suffered during Saddam's years in power than on chasing down a treatment for the disease. This in itself was fascinating. But there were times when it would jump to a chapter about another body being found, and I'd go "Oh, RIGHT. Plague thingy."
That said, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The various narratives fit together well, and it's easy to relate to the characters. There were numerous similarities to the world today - America is under the leadership of its first African-American president, the war in Afghanistan is dragging on, etc etc. The story was fast paced and filled with intrigue. My one issue with it would be that the reason behind the outbreak is left unresolved. Yes, they discover how people were becoming infected. But nothing more than that. Despite that, I liked this book a lot.
July 20, 2016
The Janus Effect is a good read. It is interesting with a well developed story line. The characters are realistic and believable. Knowing very little of Kurdistan recent history, I found the ravaging of this country appalling under Saddam's rule in Iraq. A description of current conditions in Afghanistan reveals the futility of the U. S. presence in this country. Fahimah is a believable and admirable character and elicits genuine concern on the part of the reader for her situation.
The indicated U. S. treatment of her is a sorry example of this country's persistent paranoia regarding terrorism danger. Holding anyone without trial is inexcusable under any situation. The lack of adequate testing of the Strep-Tester is a soft jab at the Drug Companies and their shoddy practices.
On the down side, the book focuses too much on describing actions of the military and Government leaders, Those chapters read like another terrible Tom Clancy text. The ending is too abrupt, leaving some unresolved threads. What happened to Fahimah? How was the disease finally resolved? Did Fahimah and Austyn get together. Looks like we might be getting set up for a sequel.
The indicated U. S. treatment of her is a sorry example of this country's persistent paranoia regarding terrorism danger. Holding anyone without trial is inexcusable under any situation. The lack of adequate testing of the Strep-Tester is a soft jab at the Drug Companies and their shoddy practices.
On the down side, the book focuses too much on describing actions of the military and Government leaders, Those chapters read like another terrible Tom Clancy text. The ending is too abrupt, leaving some unresolved threads. What happened to Fahimah? How was the disease finally resolved? Did Fahimah and Austyn get together. Looks like we might be getting set up for a sequel.
April 19, 2014
An entertaining thriller. In what appears to be a terrorist attack, outbreaks of a deadly, flesh-eating disease, strikes America. The only hope to stop it rests with the Iraqi biochemist believed responsible for creating the strain in the first place. But how can American officials get someone they've held prisoner for years in a CIA black site to cooperate? As the President of the United States has to deal with more deaths and mounting panic, on the other side of the world an American scientist and an Iraqi scientist have to try and work together to solve the crises despite their culture differences and lack of trust. I don't like spoilers so I won't give anything away but I can recommend this book without reservation. This is a very well-written story, with enough twists and turns to keep you reading into the night.
September 30, 2014
The short blurb on the cover of the book makes it seem as though it is going to be exciting. Instead, it comes across as rather low key. What seemed more exciting was the segment with the teenagers suffering from cancer, and their parents on the seagoing ship. It is nice that the one woman got to see her sister before the sister died. She herself had been treated badly, and could have died as well. One gets an idea about the struggle in the Middle East. This was not the book I thought that it would be--I have probably read too many Robin Cook ones.
Read
August 27, 2008The disease kills within an hour and spreads within minutes. Micros eat away the body from the inside out. The disease was thought to have com from an Iraq scientist who has been in a "ghost jail" for five years. A new strep throat test strip that was just recently released in the form of samples is the cause and this flesh eating disease.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book jumps around but is done in a manner that following the story is easy. While the book is fictional, some of the history was not ( I Gooled and confirmed them.) and I would like to believe that the Kurdish people are accurately descripted. Not a real big thriller or action story, there is some of both but it is almost backround noise.
January 3, 2015
I really liked "The Janus Effect." I probably would have given it five stars, but the ending was a bit anti-climatic. Good story, the characters are likable and there is plenty of suspense. The writing style is easy to read and flows well. I will be reading more by this author. 4 stars from me. For high school age and up.
August 20, 2015
I would have given this book four stars but the ending was rushed. It is the story of a deadly flesh eating virus that is released in the US. From the beginning you don't know if it is a terrorist act or an accident by a pharmaceutical company. The race to find the cause and cure takes us to Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran.
May 26, 2012
It was okay, though I didn't like the pacing of the story. There are also a lot of things happening all at the same time, which made the progress really slow. Took me a while to finish it, finds it kinda boring, but the plot is all right.
June 24, 2014
Fantastic reading
this book was an eye opener for me, I never knew all that much about the Kurds other than the fact they had been gassed and they worked with the U.S troops. Great reading and lots of facts to think about.
this book was an eye opener for me, I never knew all that much about the Kurds other than the fact they had been gassed and they worked with the U.S troops. Great reading and lots of facts to think about.
March 31, 2008
It's interesting!! learning a new language!! I really couldn't believe what really killed those people! Almost feels real...
May 8, 2009
Good tension. Keeps plot moving forward.
June 13, 2010
Interesting premise but the pacing and story are slightly off. The ending is especially anti-climatic.
September 24, 2011
I love these kinds of books, so even though this premise did seem a bit far-fetched, I still loved and would recommend the book.
April 1, 2012
It was not what I expected it to be...I was looking for more death...no such luck with this book.
January 7, 2016
You would think that with two people writing this book it would have been pretty good but it fails badly as both a thriller and romance novel.
May 27, 2013
This was a very suspenseful book that kept you intriquid from the first page to the last.
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August 11, 2015While it's well written, it's nothing more than a Ludlum Covert-One series clone and the only thing missing is Colonel Jon Smith.
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