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Type and Cross
Dr. Persephone Smith has the gift of enhanced empathy, or the ability to get inside the heads of criminals too twisted for other psychologists to unravel. When a bioterrorist triggers a pandemic, the government hires Seph and a crack team of scientists to hunt him down.
Seph discovers that Dr. William Blaine has a genetic secret of his own, one which holds the key to both his coded journal and the cure’s formula. His special abilities are a perfect foil to her own. As their psychological link deepens, he taunts her in her pursuit, from the smoky tobacco shops of Bermuda to the underground tunnels of Geneva and France.
With the death toll rising, Seph must use her frightening connection to a monster to stop further spread of the pandemic. Type and Cross asks: What's YOUR type - your life may depend on it.
Seph discovers that Dr. William Blaine has a genetic secret of his own, one which holds the key to both his coded journal and the cure’s formula. His special abilities are a perfect foil to her own. As their psychological link deepens, he taunts her in her pursuit, from the smoky tobacco shops of Bermuda to the underground tunnels of Geneva and France.
With the death toll rising, Seph must use her frightening connection to a monster to stop further spread of the pandemic. Type and Cross asks: What's YOUR type - your life may depend on it.
- GenresThriller
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 5, 2016
13 people are currently reading
319 people want to read
About the author
J.L. Delozier
7 books351 followersAs a physician, J.L. Delozier draws inspiration from science that exists on the edge of reality—bizarre medical anomalies, new genetic discoveries, and anything that seems too weird to be true.
Her debut was nominated for a “Best First Novel” award by the International Thriller Writers organization; her fourth novel, Con Me Once, won a Silver Falchion Award. Her latest murder-mystery, The Photo Thief, won an Ippy Award for Best Mystery and was nominated for Thriller and Silver Falchion awards. Her equally award-winning short fiction has appeared in Artemis Journal, The Pittsburgher, Thriller Magazine, Retreats from Oblivion, and various anthologies.
A retired Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at Penn State, she lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and feline twins. See more at www.jldelozier.com
Her debut was nominated for a “Best First Novel” award by the International Thriller Writers organization; her fourth novel, Con Me Once, won a Silver Falchion Award. Her latest murder-mystery, The Photo Thief, won an Ippy Award for Best Mystery and was nominated for Thriller and Silver Falchion awards. Her equally award-winning short fiction has appeared in Artemis Journal, The Pittsburgher, Thriller Magazine, Retreats from Oblivion, and various anthologies.
A retired Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at Penn State, she lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and feline twins. See more at www.jldelozier.com
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 29, 2017
The story hooked me quickly and never let up. A perfectly brisk pace and the author's appealing writing style made this a very fast, engaging read. Can't wait for the next one!
October 27, 2017
A medical thriller with an original approach, that doesn't read like every medical thriller book or film out there-- that's what I really liked about Type and Cross. I was still thinking about it weeks after finishing, and really just want to open it back up and read it again. Especially since there were sections that would have benefited from a more careful read. A thoughtful book, not just trying to be a page-turner although it is that, but also going into some depth into the science and medicine involved in the plot.
May 24, 2022
Persephone “Seph” Smith is a profiler. Her acute empathy allows her to get into the minds of criminals, understanding the way they see the world and sometimes anticipating their next moves. When a killer executes a plot to release a deadly virus into the world, one with the potential to kill well over half the population, Seph is called to join the team pursuing him. What follows is a globe-trotting chase matching Seph’s wits against those of a killer who seems just as capable of seeing through her as she is of seeing through him.
J.L. Delozier is a doctor with years experience in both community medicine and in treating people during the worst of emergencies. Her clinical expertise shows in the details of the book, but does not overwhelm the story. This may say something about me, given that the book is about a mass murderer using biological weapons to cull the population, but I found the book to be a very enjoyable read. Seph is a thoughtful protagonist, capable of using her intelligence to track and capture the criminal, but also one who considers seriously the ramifications of life and death when confronted with the reality of plague in a modern era.
Type and Cross raises some interesting questions. What would people do when they knew they had a month to live? Delozier poses some intriguing possibilities. Some would turn to religion. Some would see an opportunity to strip off the veneer of civilization and give in to much baser instincts: rape and pedophilia, for example. Some would withdraw their savings and take that “bucket list” trip. Others would huddle close to loved ones. These possibilities are not dwelt upon. They are listed as observations Seph makes as the world confronts mass mortality, but they show the depth of the author and the character. We are mortal creatures who never fully accept our mortality. Each of us tends to live as though we have all the time in the world. Curiously, though, that refusal to bow to the inevitable might make us powerful enough to live beyond our years.
Seph realizes she will die. (Spoiler, though, she doesn’t.) The disease will kill almost everyone. This gives her an element of freedom to pursue a hurried relationship that, if they had more than a month to live, might not have developed. It pushes her to appreciate and welcome her family roles as a sister and an aunt. But it also focuses and motivates her to complete her task and find the killer. If she dies, when she dies, she will die doing what she is supposed to do. Ultimately, that may be all any of us can live for.
I am looking forward to finishing the prequel book, Storm Shelter. Although Type and Cross was published first, it should be regarded as the second book in the series according to the author. Regardless of the order you read them, J.L. Delozier has given us a delightful protagonist who may have to save the world again someday. I am glad she is up to the task.
J.L. Delozier is a doctor with years experience in both community medicine and in treating people during the worst of emergencies. Her clinical expertise shows in the details of the book, but does not overwhelm the story. This may say something about me, given that the book is about a mass murderer using biological weapons to cull the population, but I found the book to be a very enjoyable read. Seph is a thoughtful protagonist, capable of using her intelligence to track and capture the criminal, but also one who considers seriously the ramifications of life and death when confronted with the reality of plague in a modern era.
Type and Cross raises some interesting questions. What would people do when they knew they had a month to live? Delozier poses some intriguing possibilities. Some would turn to religion. Some would see an opportunity to strip off the veneer of civilization and give in to much baser instincts: rape and pedophilia, for example. Some would withdraw their savings and take that “bucket list” trip. Others would huddle close to loved ones. These possibilities are not dwelt upon. They are listed as observations Seph makes as the world confronts mass mortality, but they show the depth of the author and the character. We are mortal creatures who never fully accept our mortality. Each of us tends to live as though we have all the time in the world. Curiously, though, that refusal to bow to the inevitable might make us powerful enough to live beyond our years.
Seph realizes she will die. (Spoiler, though, she doesn’t.) The disease will kill almost everyone. This gives her an element of freedom to pursue a hurried relationship that, if they had more than a month to live, might not have developed. It pushes her to appreciate and welcome her family roles as a sister and an aunt. But it also focuses and motivates her to complete her task and find the killer. If she dies, when she dies, she will die doing what she is supposed to do. Ultimately, that may be all any of us can live for.
I am looking forward to finishing the prequel book, Storm Shelter. Although Type and Cross was published first, it should be regarded as the second book in the series according to the author. Regardless of the order you read them, J.L. Delozier has given us a delightful protagonist who may have to save the world again someday. I am glad she is up to the task.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2018
A mad scientist has created a deadly virus that will wipe out half the population if psychologist and empath Dr. Persephone Smith can't track him down and stop him. That is the premise of J.L. Delozier's debut novel, Type & Cross. The book opens with the world facing an epidemic of global proportion that threatens to kill everyone with blood type O. Dr. Persephone Smith, or Seph to her friends, is called in to provide a profile of the mastermind behind the outbreak, a scientist with visions of grandeur named Baine. From the CDC in Atlanta to Bermuda to the World Health Organization in Geneva, Seph races around the globe, tracking Baine in hopes of capturing him and forcing him to surrender the antidote for the virus.
Delozier drops the reader into the middle of the story on page one. The infection has already taken hold and is spreading. There is no slow build up, just "press the accelerator and race forward." This medical thriller is intermixed just enough medical terminology to make the premise sound plausible without losing the reader. Delozier's writing isn't overburdened by over-embellished description or unwieldy dialog which makes the book a pleasure to read. Yet, she provides enough detail to let the reader's imagination go wild with imagery and scenery.
In Persephone Smith, Delozier has created a likeable character with her own set of unique fallacies. It is these fallacies that make the character all the more believable. Delozier puts the same level of energy into creating her minor characters as she does with the major ones. It is that attention to detail that brings life to Seph and her counterparts throughout the book. I think, if I had one complaint, it would be the fact the Seph, who is a true badass, gets overwhelmed with emotion a tad much. But, I can overlook that minor point in such a fast-paced, exciting book.
Type & Cross is the first in the Dr. Persephone Smith series and leaves a couple threads hanging at the end, which I hope are tied up in Delozier's upcoming book, Blood Type X. If you are looking for a exciting medical thriller for your summer read, take a look at Type & Cross.
Delozier drops the reader into the middle of the story on page one. The infection has already taken hold and is spreading. There is no slow build up, just "press the accelerator and race forward." This medical thriller is intermixed just enough medical terminology to make the premise sound plausible without losing the reader. Delozier's writing isn't overburdened by over-embellished description or unwieldy dialog which makes the book a pleasure to read. Yet, she provides enough detail to let the reader's imagination go wild with imagery and scenery.
In Persephone Smith, Delozier has created a likeable character with her own set of unique fallacies. It is these fallacies that make the character all the more believable. Delozier puts the same level of energy into creating her minor characters as she does with the major ones. It is that attention to detail that brings life to Seph and her counterparts throughout the book. I think, if I had one complaint, it would be the fact the Seph, who is a true badass, gets overwhelmed with emotion a tad much. But, I can overlook that minor point in such a fast-paced, exciting book.
Type & Cross is the first in the Dr. Persephone Smith series and leaves a couple threads hanging at the end, which I hope are tied up in Delozier's upcoming book, Blood Type X. If you are looking for a exciting medical thriller for your summer read, take a look at Type & Cross.
December 12, 2022
Suspenseful story about a nightmarish plague spreading across the planet and killing some but not others. Why does the plague only infect some people? The author used her medical knowledge to write a thriller about a terrifying plague with no cure that was published a few years before Covid-19. The heroine and the villain have unusual mental gifts that help them with their goals. For the villain, that means wiping out a part of the human race. For the heroine, it means stopping him. A real page-turner!
March 28, 2018
A Real Page Turner
The characters where well developed and very believable. If you are looking for a good suspense novel, this book's for you.
The characters where well developed and very believable. If you are looking for a good suspense novel, this book's for you.
July 28, 2019
Good book
Lots of suspense and action. I loved the characters and they were realistic. The story keeps you guessing the whole way through.
Lots of suspense and action. I loved the characters and they were realistic. The story keeps you guessing the whole way through.
Want to read
August 17, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (8/17/2020)! 🎁
August 1, 2023
Book started out great, unfortunately I lost interest a little the more I read. I hate that Baine was never caught/ found.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2017
A slick thriller with twists and turns that'll keep you turning the pages till late into the night. Engrossing read and love that the author is an MD--the technical content is spot-on.
March 4, 2017
good book. open for vol II
I completely enjoyed reading this book. it did not end the way I though tv it should...it left several loose ends, karen , dan , paul. police c
ruisers
do not have door handles in the back seat. must be opened fr
be opened from outside. story covered a lot of geography. well described and language was not th.at rough. some street slang. nice touch of religion too. this might make a good movie or tv series. like the fugitive or hannibal. my reviews seem redundant because of a lack of appropiate adjectives to describe them. mp
..m
I completely enjoyed reading this book. it did not end the way I though tv it should...it left several loose ends, karen , dan , paul. police c
ruisers
do not have door handles in the back seat. must be opened fr
be opened from outside. story covered a lot of geography. well described and language was not th.at rough. some street slang. nice touch of religion too. this might make a good movie or tv series. like the fugitive or hannibal. my reviews seem redundant because of a lack of appropiate adjectives to describe them. mp
..m
May 4, 2016
A great thriller full of chases and drama!
A plague has broken out in the world, affecting only those with type O blood. But it's not a natural plague. A man named Baine has created it, and has a goal of singlehandedly spreading it throughout the world, to eliminate as much of the human race as he can. It's the only way to save the earth.
Enter Seph, a psychologist hired by the CDC to help find and catch Baine in order to help bring about the end of the plague. She's joined by Marin, an agent for Homeland Security and together they travel the world, trying to find Baine before the plague finds them.
This books is full of thrilling chases and characters to root for. More than once the story twisted and turned in a way I didn't expect and I was constantly kept on my toes.
And one of my favorite things about this book is that the relationship between Seph and Marin is never sexual or romantic in any way. They are friends and partners and it was so refreshing to see characters of the opposite gender get along as friends and only friends. It was very true to life.
Recommend for fans of thrillers, especially with world encompassing stakes.
A plague has broken out in the world, affecting only those with type O blood. But it's not a natural plague. A man named Baine has created it, and has a goal of singlehandedly spreading it throughout the world, to eliminate as much of the human race as he can. It's the only way to save the earth.
Enter Seph, a psychologist hired by the CDC to help find and catch Baine in order to help bring about the end of the plague. She's joined by Marin, an agent for Homeland Security and together they travel the world, trying to find Baine before the plague finds them.
This books is full of thrilling chases and characters to root for. More than once the story twisted and turned in a way I didn't expect and I was constantly kept on my toes.
And one of my favorite things about this book is that the relationship between Seph and Marin is never sexual or romantic in any way. They are friends and partners and it was so refreshing to see characters of the opposite gender get along as friends and only friends. It was very true to life.
Recommend for fans of thrillers, especially with world encompassing stakes.
May 13, 2016
Another lucky win from the goodreads giveaway community for me.
This was just the sort of story I have found myself really enjoying lately.
You know the ones --
The OMG...
We're all gonna die if the smart people don't figure this out PDQ!
Thank you, J.L. Delozier, for this well written read.
I am already looking forward to sharing your next case with you!
This was just the sort of story I have found myself really enjoying lately.
You know the ones --
The OMG...
We're all gonna die if the smart people don't figure this out PDQ!
Thank you, J.L. Delozier, for this well written read.
I am already looking forward to sharing your next case with you!
January 18, 2017
It kept my interest. The author weaved a dark and evil story but the blood types were too complexed for me. The author being a physician made it too technical for lay people. I probably will read next book written by JL Delozier.
November 12, 2016
Good first novel - interesting premise, interesting bad-guy, satisfying ending. Would read another in the series.
Read
November 24, 2017This is an apocalyptic thriller. The world is threatened by a man-made plague and a medical specialist is brought in to help solve it. The antagonist is not only known to them, he is in their hands. No matter; the plague rages on. Persephone Smith is the psychologist who tries to profile the bad guy, Bill Baine, who has released a blood-type virus into the world. Smith, also a doctor, attempts to keep pace with the plague, and from her interviews with the narcissistic, compliant Baine she tries to limit the damage.
Delozier says that Conan Doyle and Michael Crichton influenced her. It shows. For me, I was reminded of several others: the late Frank Herbert's book “The White Plague”, which is very similar; Harlan Ellison's novella “Mefisto In Onyx”, who's antagonist is like Baine; and the Dan Brown novels with Robert Langdon, whom she mentions. So, a sadistic, psychotic mass murderer stalks the planet.
The story is fast paced and takes the reader around large parts of the world, keeping us on edge and sympathizing with the team of investigators before they begin to fall to the plague. It's standard thriller material and the science that backs it is very good. Unlike some readers, I appreciated all the details. Delozier knows her stuff. A tighter bit of editing would have helped here, to avoid such things as 'via' and 'albeit', which threw me off. And I did have a minor issue with the dialogue. Most of the characters seem to talk as if they are reading carefully rendered scripts or cue boards. We get entire paragraphs of dialogue that come across as information dumps. I always wonder why good writers do not tune their dialogue to be unique to each character. Nobody talks as if they are reciting paragraph after paragraph of details. It may be just me, but when you have exchanges of what sounds like out-takes from Wikipedia essays as each character talks to the reader, it is, at least for me, a bit of a put-off. The novel as a whole, however, keeps us interested. This is a doctor (Delozier) giving us her version of a serious global catastrophe. Most readers can easily get hooked on it.
Delozier says that Conan Doyle and Michael Crichton influenced her. It shows. For me, I was reminded of several others: the late Frank Herbert's book “The White Plague”, which is very similar; Harlan Ellison's novella “Mefisto In Onyx”, who's antagonist is like Baine; and the Dan Brown novels with Robert Langdon, whom she mentions. So, a sadistic, psychotic mass murderer stalks the planet.
The story is fast paced and takes the reader around large parts of the world, keeping us on edge and sympathizing with the team of investigators before they begin to fall to the plague. It's standard thriller material and the science that backs it is very good. Unlike some readers, I appreciated all the details. Delozier knows her stuff. A tighter bit of editing would have helped here, to avoid such things as 'via' and 'albeit', which threw me off. And I did have a minor issue with the dialogue. Most of the characters seem to talk as if they are reading carefully rendered scripts or cue boards. We get entire paragraphs of dialogue that come across as information dumps. I always wonder why good writers do not tune their dialogue to be unique to each character. Nobody talks as if they are reciting paragraph after paragraph of details. It may be just me, but when you have exchanges of what sounds like out-takes from Wikipedia essays as each character talks to the reader, it is, at least for me, a bit of a put-off. The novel as a whole, however, keeps us interested. This is a doctor (Delozier) giving us her version of a serious global catastrophe. Most readers can easily get hooked on it.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews