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Phage
Phage is the first novel of a science thriller trilogy. Dr. Sam Townsend faces the greatest challenge of his career, preventing Owen Potter, a deranged government scientist and home-grown terrorist, from unleashing a genetically-engineered pathogen on the United States population. This would-be mass assassin frames Townsend, who is forced to run from the FBI while scrambling to produce the antidote and wrestle the demons from his past. Even if Townsend succeeds in time, he is still faced with delivering the antidote to all of Potter’s victims who unknowingly have a biological time bomb ticking in their bodies.
482 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 12, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 13, 2025
well researched and carefully plotted
I appreciated the work that went into this novel. It was helpful for a project I’m working on. Lots of science was lovingly poured into this.
I appreciated the work that went into this novel. It was helpful for a project I’m working on. Lots of science was lovingly poured into this.
May 21, 2016
When the author (Dr. Tamplin) offered to send me a free copy of his new book, Phage, I was not exactly sure what I would be reading. Just from the title, though, I had supposed it may have something to do with microbiology—the often dry, academic material, that doesn’t exactly scintillate or excite one’s literary imagination. The book turned out to be a novel—a fast-paced thriller, involving, yes, microbiology, but written in a very engaging and fascinating manner--from its first page to the last. Besides the entertainment value, it also reminds the reader what a biological warfare might be like.
Two PH. D. scientists, let’s call them A and B, are engaged in research projects that can have military applications. Their objects of interest are bacteria and viruses. A has expertise in engineering (by manipulating or synthesizing their DNA) new strains of bacteria that can cause diseases, which also can be untreatable with conventional medicines. B’s work is the opposite of A’s. He uses a class of viruses called phages to infect and destroy bacteria. A works in a government lab, B is a professor at a University and runs his own research team. Both scientists’ projects are funded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Enter human frailties: call it jealousy, fear, greed or mental derangement. A turns against B by planting evidence that links him (B) to a crime he, A, had committed. The government goes after B. The university sends B on a temporary leave, letting his staff to continue with his research projects. It turns out that A has a bigger agenda: to unleash his disease-causing bacteria on the Unites States population. He infects the food supplies and seeds with it public facilities. . . If the story up to this point is not suspenseful enough, wait till you read what comes after. . . .
I personally don’t always adhere to literary conventions or rules but for those who might care, the book is written from multiple persons’ viewpoints, including one by an omniscient narrator who is in and out of the story throughout— and new chapters are often introduced without forewarning.
An engaging, suspenseful and educational read.
Two PH. D. scientists, let’s call them A and B, are engaged in research projects that can have military applications. Their objects of interest are bacteria and viruses. A has expertise in engineering (by manipulating or synthesizing their DNA) new strains of bacteria that can cause diseases, which also can be untreatable with conventional medicines. B’s work is the opposite of A’s. He uses a class of viruses called phages to infect and destroy bacteria. A works in a government lab, B is a professor at a University and runs his own research team. Both scientists’ projects are funded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Enter human frailties: call it jealousy, fear, greed or mental derangement. A turns against B by planting evidence that links him (B) to a crime he, A, had committed. The government goes after B. The university sends B on a temporary leave, letting his staff to continue with his research projects. It turns out that A has a bigger agenda: to unleash his disease-causing bacteria on the Unites States population. He infects the food supplies and seeds with it public facilities. . . If the story up to this point is not suspenseful enough, wait till you read what comes after. . . .
I personally don’t always adhere to literary conventions or rules but for those who might care, the book is written from multiple persons’ viewpoints, including one by an omniscient narrator who is in and out of the story throughout— and new chapters are often introduced without forewarning.
An engaging, suspenseful and educational read.
January 2, 2016
Very Michael Crichtonish. A little too scientific for me, but definitely keeps you turning the page.
June 8, 2017
May write more another time. Now I just want to say that I feel sad about the fate of the postdoc at the end. :(
July 12, 2016
Phage is a techno-thriller by author and microbiologist Dr Mark Tamplin. Phage tells the story of Doctor Sam Townsend a microbiologist who is caught in the midst of a conspiracy to frame him for criminal acts against the state and the impending release of a biological weapon engineered by a sociopathic USDA microbiologist called Owen Potter designed to strike at the heart of the food chain releasing a deadly mutant bacterium engineered to kill the unsuspecting American public. Set in modern day, it poses an intriguing question: what if someone where to target our food source for a weaponised biological attack?
Indeed this question is what I found the most intriguing in Tamplin's book. It is the heart of the story and what drives the narrative. In a world ravaged by war and uncertainty the one constant, to a certain degree, is the fact that we can put uncontaminated food on our plates. However, if this did happen what would we do to protect ourselves? Or could we even stop it if this actually happened?
In the setup we are given a brief introduction to the protagonist of the story Dr Sam Townsend, a man living with a past who is focused on a world of microbes when the outer world - the world of his own existence - is microscopic like the microbes he spends so much time investigating. One of the problems I have with the story is the fact that we never really get to know Sam and at times I felt his dialogue exchanges with certain Characters were a little contrived and unrealistic. As the hero of the piece I felt we really needed to know him in order to root for him, otherwise we are following a somewhat slender character that we cannot totally engage with. Perhaps that was the authors intention that he be as cold as the microbes he investigates and is holding back some more detail for what, I understand, is a planned trilogy of books involving the same character. To me its important that im along with the character for the ride and not a passive viewer. I want to know something of him and 'intuit' the rest as we go along. Character is king and informs the plot in my view.
Some Other small niggles were some subplot turns that took me out of the main storyline mostly involving the FBI and the search for Sam and his students that didn't play out realistically for me and took away from the main drive of the plot. The students dialogue exchanges, at times, felt unrealistic and didn't quite serve the plot for me. It seemed like one less character in these situations would make for a tighter, more streamlined plot and reading experience overall.
The Antagonist, professor Owen Potter was much more complex character, more deeply drawn and I could tell that Tamplin enjoyed writing his pieces. For me he was the most interesting character in the book. He was somewhat unpredictable with sociopathic tendencies and a bitter self aggrandizing attitude which combined spells disaster for anyone who crosses his path. His delusions about his mother where very reminiscent of Norman Bates, their relationship seemingly on a similar plane. His plot to contaminate food was frightening with potentially catastrophic effects on a world scale.
I Really enjoyed the opening of the book and found the build up, contamination and subsequent clean up explaining the technical scientific aspects of a 'phage' intriguing. It is very crichtonesque. I felt it got the balance right without overwhelming the reader. *On a personal note, however, I would probably have wanted more technical information as the subject matter itself fascinates me.
Overall, it is a fast paced thriller with a very interesting plot. If you enjoy science-based technical thrillers then I think you might enjoy reading 'Phage'. Putting aside certain plot and dialogue niggles overall it was an enjoyable read and I thank Mark Tamplin for reaching out and asking me to read his book.
***1/2 out of 5
Indeed this question is what I found the most intriguing in Tamplin's book. It is the heart of the story and what drives the narrative. In a world ravaged by war and uncertainty the one constant, to a certain degree, is the fact that we can put uncontaminated food on our plates. However, if this did happen what would we do to protect ourselves? Or could we even stop it if this actually happened?
In the setup we are given a brief introduction to the protagonist of the story Dr Sam Townsend, a man living with a past who is focused on a world of microbes when the outer world - the world of his own existence - is microscopic like the microbes he spends so much time investigating. One of the problems I have with the story is the fact that we never really get to know Sam and at times I felt his dialogue exchanges with certain Characters were a little contrived and unrealistic. As the hero of the piece I felt we really needed to know him in order to root for him, otherwise we are following a somewhat slender character that we cannot totally engage with. Perhaps that was the authors intention that he be as cold as the microbes he investigates and is holding back some more detail for what, I understand, is a planned trilogy of books involving the same character. To me its important that im along with the character for the ride and not a passive viewer. I want to know something of him and 'intuit' the rest as we go along. Character is king and informs the plot in my view.
Some Other small niggles were some subplot turns that took me out of the main storyline mostly involving the FBI and the search for Sam and his students that didn't play out realistically for me and took away from the main drive of the plot. The students dialogue exchanges, at times, felt unrealistic and didn't quite serve the plot for me. It seemed like one less character in these situations would make for a tighter, more streamlined plot and reading experience overall.
The Antagonist, professor Owen Potter was much more complex character, more deeply drawn and I could tell that Tamplin enjoyed writing his pieces. For me he was the most interesting character in the book. He was somewhat unpredictable with sociopathic tendencies and a bitter self aggrandizing attitude which combined spells disaster for anyone who crosses his path. His delusions about his mother where very reminiscent of Norman Bates, their relationship seemingly on a similar plane. His plot to contaminate food was frightening with potentially catastrophic effects on a world scale.
I Really enjoyed the opening of the book and found the build up, contamination and subsequent clean up explaining the technical scientific aspects of a 'phage' intriguing. It is very crichtonesque. I felt it got the balance right without overwhelming the reader. *On a personal note, however, I would probably have wanted more technical information as the subject matter itself fascinates me.
Overall, it is a fast paced thriller with a very interesting plot. If you enjoy science-based technical thrillers then I think you might enjoy reading 'Phage'. Putting aside certain plot and dialogue niggles overall it was an enjoyable read and I thank Mark Tamplin for reaching out and asking me to read his book.
***1/2 out of 5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2016
"Dr. Sam Townsend faces the greatest challenge of his career--preventing a diabolical pathogen from being unleashed on the US population. Standing in his way are demons from his past, and a home-grown terrorist bent on destroying Sam."
I have never read a science thriller before (I'm not certain I've read a thriller before) so it was quite exciting to get into Phage, not knowing what exactly to expect.
My first fear was that I wouldn't understand what was going on. After all, Tamplin has a background in microbiology, which I have next to no knowledge in. However, everything makes perfect sense as long as you don't let the big words grind you down. Even though there were plenty of words I didn't know the meaning of, that didn't seem to matter, as it all made perfect sense to me. And let's just say I was an English-History sort of person at school, so don't let the microbiology stuff put you off. I must admit, I did end up skimming some of the heavy science stuff, but I enjoyed the way this book made my brain work a little harder than normal. We all need that from time to time.
Phage is told in a very black-and-white way, as I expected. But I wanted a little more emotion from all the characters. Plus, I wanted to get to know them a little better. They all had bits and piece of backstory, but I wanted to truly know them and feel what they were feeling.
The way it was told also brought out some very bizarre and specific descriptions, especially when travelling. I don't know whether this was done on purpose or not, but it ended up irritating me to know that they turned a certain way at a junction to take the whatever road. Also, there were some very weird, real-life interruptions sometimes when the characters were talking to one another, which is the sort of thing that usually gets taken out, but for some reason, the characters get interrupted for no reason at all, which I just found odd. But again, I wouldn't be surprised if this was a style choice. Like I said, it's told in a very matter-of-fact way. The whole thing feels very realistic.
The plot is so intricate and well-thought out. There is always something going on, and as you get to the end, the tension really ramps up. However, sometimes our protagonist and friends seemed to lack urgency. Or maybe that was me just dying to know how it ended. The short chapters also made it super-easy to read a whole lot in one go.
Considering I had no idea what to expect when I turned the first page, I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed Phage so much more than I expected and imagine fans of the genre would fall easily into this book's trap. It didn't take me many sittings at all to absorb the whole thing.
Phage is an intricately carved, exciting science thriller that kept me reading.
First Blogged Here: http://bit.ly/FangsClawsandWings
I have never read a science thriller before (I'm not certain I've read a thriller before) so it was quite exciting to get into Phage, not knowing what exactly to expect.
My first fear was that I wouldn't understand what was going on. After all, Tamplin has a background in microbiology, which I have next to no knowledge in. However, everything makes perfect sense as long as you don't let the big words grind you down. Even though there were plenty of words I didn't know the meaning of, that didn't seem to matter, as it all made perfect sense to me. And let's just say I was an English-History sort of person at school, so don't let the microbiology stuff put you off. I must admit, I did end up skimming some of the heavy science stuff, but I enjoyed the way this book made my brain work a little harder than normal. We all need that from time to time.
Phage is told in a very black-and-white way, as I expected. But I wanted a little more emotion from all the characters. Plus, I wanted to get to know them a little better. They all had bits and piece of backstory, but I wanted to truly know them and feel what they were feeling.
The way it was told also brought out some very bizarre and specific descriptions, especially when travelling. I don't know whether this was done on purpose or not, but it ended up irritating me to know that they turned a certain way at a junction to take the whatever road. Also, there were some very weird, real-life interruptions sometimes when the characters were talking to one another, which is the sort of thing that usually gets taken out, but for some reason, the characters get interrupted for no reason at all, which I just found odd. But again, I wouldn't be surprised if this was a style choice. Like I said, it's told in a very matter-of-fact way. The whole thing feels very realistic.
The plot is so intricate and well-thought out. There is always something going on, and as you get to the end, the tension really ramps up. However, sometimes our protagonist and friends seemed to lack urgency. Or maybe that was me just dying to know how it ended. The short chapters also made it super-easy to read a whole lot in one go.
Considering I had no idea what to expect when I turned the first page, I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed Phage so much more than I expected and imagine fans of the genre would fall easily into this book's trap. It didn't take me many sittings at all to absorb the whole thing.
Phage is an intricately carved, exciting science thriller that kept me reading.
First Blogged Here: http://bit.ly/FangsClawsandWings
May 2, 2016
I'm not a science person at all, so when Mr. Tamplin invited me to review his book I almost said "No." I was worried that I'd lose interest or be overwhelmed by the technical jargon. I was not. In fact, Tamplin wrote the explanations for different experiments and science terms in a way that was natural to the storyline and made sense to the reader.
The story and characters are plausible and a little bit creepy: contaminated food supply, profit over life businessmen, sociopathic egotistical guy with mother issues, and scientist with a story. OK, that last part required a little bit of belief suspension because I totally imagined a scientist with the charm of Don Wildman, nerd appeal of Jeff Goldblum, and physique of Harrison Ford (middle~aged Indiana Jones years). And none of my science teachers ever came close to meeting those specs.
My only complaint about this book is that there were a few lose ends. Really, what was the deal with Owen and his mother? How did Townsend get the scar and what happened to his wife? Although I don't expect answers to the Owen question, life is that way sometimes; I suspect that since this is the first in a trilogy, other answers will be forthcoming. And I look forward to finding them out.
This is a long book, but it's a quick and easy read.
Note: this novel contains crude language, violence, and sexual situations.
I'd recommend this book for anyone who likes suspense and/or medical drama.
Side note: You will never look at salad the same way again...
The story and characters are plausible and a little bit creepy: contaminated food supply, profit over life businessmen, sociopathic egotistical guy with mother issues, and scientist with a story. OK, that last part required a little bit of belief suspension because I totally imagined a scientist with the charm of Don Wildman, nerd appeal of Jeff Goldblum, and physique of Harrison Ford (middle~aged Indiana Jones years). And none of my science teachers ever came close to meeting those specs.
My only complaint about this book is that there were a few lose ends. Really, what was the deal with Owen and his mother? How did Townsend get the scar and what happened to his wife? Although I don't expect answers to the Owen question, life is that way sometimes; I suspect that since this is the first in a trilogy, other answers will be forthcoming. And I look forward to finding them out.
This is a long book, but it's a quick and easy read.
Note: this novel contains crude language, violence, and sexual situations.
I'd recommend this book for anyone who likes suspense and/or medical drama.
Side note: You will never look at salad the same way again...
April 24, 2016
I can't say that I've read many scientific thrillers before, so this book was definitely out of my comfort zone. Something definitely told me that I needed to read it, though. Maybe the cover spoke to me. Or maybe I just thought it would be interesting. No matter what it was, Phage far and away exceeded my expectations.
First things first... I didn't have any trouble following along with the science stuff. The author clearly explains what's going on, so there's no need to fear not being able to follow enough to enjoy the story. This was one of my biggest fears when I agreed to read the book, so I'm super happy that I worried for nothing.
The book is really well written. The pacing is perfect. The story was absolutely fascinating! I was hooked in fairly easily and couldn't stop reading. Loved it. I'm looking forward to reading the next book.
I saw another review on Amazon that said a movie script is needed and I have to agree. I feel like Phage could be a big hit. The way the book read, I could clearly see it all playing out in my mind (I love when books read like this).
Phage is definitely a book that you'll want to pick up.
* This book was received from the author in exchange for an honest review. *
First things first... I didn't have any trouble following along with the science stuff. The author clearly explains what's going on, so there's no need to fear not being able to follow enough to enjoy the story. This was one of my biggest fears when I agreed to read the book, so I'm super happy that I worried for nothing.
The book is really well written. The pacing is perfect. The story was absolutely fascinating! I was hooked in fairly easily and couldn't stop reading. Loved it. I'm looking forward to reading the next book.
I saw another review on Amazon that said a movie script is needed and I have to agree. I feel like Phage could be a big hit. The way the book read, I could clearly see it all playing out in my mind (I love when books read like this).
Phage is definitely a book that you'll want to pick up.
* This book was received from the author in exchange for an honest review. *
June 9, 2016
Bio-Thriller
From the opening scene of people dying from E. coli in and near a pork processing plant, I knew this would be a decent thriller. Microbiology and immunology are not my general interest when reading a novel, but the concept of a scientist/professor fighting a true “mad scientist” (Owen) intrigued me. After our hero (Professor Sam Townsend) succeeds in eradicating the bacterial spread, I was hooked on the story. Where would Sam’s travels take me next?
From Alabama to Miami, the Virgin Islands, West Virginia, Cuba and Mexico, this bio-thriller reads like a disturbing travelogue of intense action. Owen plots revenge against both real and imagined grievances against him, his desire for recognition driving him to an insane vendetta against Sam, the company that “stole” his patent” and the “mongrels” (a.k.a. every other person besides himself and his imagined “Mother”) he feels are beneath him in every way.
The frightening real plot is balanced with likable heroes and well thought-out plot.
From the opening scene of people dying from E. coli in and near a pork processing plant, I knew this would be a decent thriller. Microbiology and immunology are not my general interest when reading a novel, but the concept of a scientist/professor fighting a true “mad scientist” (Owen) intrigued me. After our hero (Professor Sam Townsend) succeeds in eradicating the bacterial spread, I was hooked on the story. Where would Sam’s travels take me next?
From Alabama to Miami, the Virgin Islands, West Virginia, Cuba and Mexico, this bio-thriller reads like a disturbing travelogue of intense action. Owen plots revenge against both real and imagined grievances against him, his desire for recognition driving him to an insane vendetta against Sam, the company that “stole” his patent” and the “mongrels” (a.k.a. every other person besides himself and his imagined “Mother”) he feels are beneath him in every way.
The frightening real plot is balanced with likable heroes and well thought-out plot.
June 29, 2016
Phage is a scientific thriller. The main character is a professor in microbiology who uses phages (viruses of bacteria) to stop epidemics. An unstable scientist is planning a nation-wide bioterrorism attack. A race against the clock ensures where multiple parties try to stop him. Think Dan Brown with microbiology instead of history.
It was clear to me that this is the first work of Tamplin, sometimes the dialogues and characters seem a bit artificial. Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed reading this novel. The plot was fast-paced and the prose was agreeable. I liked that that the author sometimes 'zooms in' to some of the event in the micro-world (in the first pages describing the conjugation of bacteria that have lead to virulence, details of the PCR reaction...). Since I enjoy reading populair science, I would ready stuff like that even undiluted, though I can imagine some people to be turned off by 'a biology lecture'.
If there would be a sequel, I would gladly read it.
It was clear to me that this is the first work of Tamplin, sometimes the dialogues and characters seem a bit artificial. Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed reading this novel. The plot was fast-paced and the prose was agreeable. I liked that that the author sometimes 'zooms in' to some of the event in the micro-world (in the first pages describing the conjugation of bacteria that have lead to virulence, details of the PCR reaction...). Since I enjoy reading populair science, I would ready stuff like that even undiluted, though I can imagine some people to be turned off by 'a biology lecture'.
If there would be a sequel, I would gladly read it.
June 7, 2016
I’m generally not a big fan of novels that involve terrorism (homegrown or otherwise) so I was hesitant to read this book, but fortunately, I was not disappointed.
Mr. Tamplin has built a strong and likeable main character, a horrible villain and plenty of other well developed supporting characters. The story itself starts off strong and continues that way until the end. Since many of the reviewers have already given a thorough synopsis of the story, I won’t bother, I will say that this is a great start to the series and I look forward to reading the next one.
I did have one minor complaint (thus the 4.5 star review), I felt the story was a bit too technical, and at some points it slowed down the momentum.
This book was provided to me for free for an honest and unbiased review (see all our reviews at http://www.bookexplosions.com/ or on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/... )
Mr. Tamplin has built a strong and likeable main character, a horrible villain and plenty of other well developed supporting characters. The story itself starts off strong and continues that way until the end. Since many of the reviewers have already given a thorough synopsis of the story, I won’t bother, I will say that this is a great start to the series and I look forward to reading the next one.
I did have one minor complaint (thus the 4.5 star review), I felt the story was a bit too technical, and at some points it slowed down the momentum.
This book was provided to me for free for an honest and unbiased review (see all our reviews at http://www.bookexplosions.com/ or on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/... )
January 25, 2017
In Phage, author/scientist Mark Tamplin has crafted a top-notch biomedical thriller that often brings together the best elements of Crichton and Clancy and creates a stirring ride that revs up at just the right moments.
After a gripping initial episode introduces likable yet flawed protagonist Dr. Sam Townsend – who comes complete with detective-like tenacity and some clearly hidden demons – we have a chance to catch our breath and learn a little about how the scientist goes about his daily research-oriented life. But just around the corner, danger lurks in the form of a deranged rival bent on bringing Sam down in dramatic fashion.
A renowned microbiologist in his own right, Dr. Tamplin’s story mixes just enough scientific street cred with genuine suspense to create a thoroughly terrific escapade. Recommended.
After a gripping initial episode introduces likable yet flawed protagonist Dr. Sam Townsend – who comes complete with detective-like tenacity and some clearly hidden demons – we have a chance to catch our breath and learn a little about how the scientist goes about his daily research-oriented life. But just around the corner, danger lurks in the form of a deranged rival bent on bringing Sam down in dramatic fashion.
A renowned microbiologist in his own right, Dr. Tamplin’s story mixes just enough scientific street cred with genuine suspense to create a thoroughly terrific escapade. Recommended.
July 25, 2016
I have to admit that this story freaked me out a bit--bioterrorism and a homegrown sociopath bodes well for some realistic nightmares. The book reads like an action movie, which allows for a great story, but it struggles with some structural components that hurt characterization (point of view and the dialogue to name a few). Putting that aside, the book delivers a story that entertains!
September 11, 2016
Mark Tamplin's debut novel sheds light on the truth threat to America's stability, and it isn't nuclear weapons. The real threat lies in bioterrorism, a world that Tamplin knows very well and presents to the reader with terrifying verisimilitude.
Definitely keeping me up at night. I look forward to the next book in the series!
Definitely keeping me up at night. I look forward to the next book in the series!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews