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After a mysterious outbreak of a highly lethal virus ravages the globe and hundreds succumb to the contagious illness, the U.S government instigates a cordon sanitaire in major cities to contain it from spreading rapidly around the nation.

For reclusive germophobe, Frank Talbot, dealing with his crippling fear of contamination and germs has always been a challenge, but now he may have no choice.

At the onset of the epidemic, his ex-wife, Kate, an epidemiologist for the CDC, warns Frank and their daughter, Ella to prepare for the worst. The only hope of survival is retreating to their cottage on one of the isolated islands in the St. Lawrence River. Easy for Frank, he's already there but when his daughter suffers a major setback, Frank is forced out of his comfort zone.

As riots ensue and electrical fences are breached, the H9N3 Agora Virus is unleashed and becomes unstoppable. Transportation systems cease, grocery stores are looted, hospitals become infectious morgues, and chaos erupts.

Now his greatest fear is about to become his reality. Frank must embark on a dangerous journey into the heart of an infected country, to rescue his daughter before society collapses.

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 20, 2016

712 people are currently reading
578 people want to read

About the author

Jack Hunt

116 books403 followers
Jack Hunt is the international bestselling author of over seventy thriller novels. He's been ranked #1 in the Amazon charts in multiple thriller, mystery, crime, and science fiction genres. He's also been named a Kindle Unlimited All-Star. He's married with two children. Jack lives on the East coast of North America.

Join Jack's spam-free readers list to stay alert to future releases, special offers, and reader only bonus content. The readers group are usually the first to hear about giveaways. http://jackhuntbooks.com/

Jack is best reached at the following places:

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Website: http://jackhuntbooks.com

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5 stars
388 (43%)
4 stars
310 (34%)
3 stars
137 (15%)
2 stars
45 (5%)
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16 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
Profile Image for Michele Rene.
141 reviews66 followers
April 6, 2020
I really enjoyed this book, even though it’s pretty close to what we are going through now. (Well some of it at least) I recommend this book to anyone who likes what I call survival books. Here is one of my favorite quotes from the book.

“There was nothing more anxiety provoking than a trip to Walmart. If any place was disease-ridden, it was there.”
Profile Image for chucklesthescot.
3,000 reviews134 followers
October 28, 2019
Frank is a reclusive germophobe with OCD, living in terror of germs and disease. If he had his way, he'd live all year round at his summer cabin on a small private island near the Canadian-US border where he can stay away from people and live in peace. I liked having a hero who had these issues dominating his life and he was a sympathetic character. His ex-wife Kate, who now works at the CDC, divorced him when he got too hard to handle and his daughter Ella, an aspiring police officer in New York has grown up embarrassed by her father on many occasions. Frank is in therapy trying to get better so he can win Kate back when his world is turned upside down by her worried phone call, telling him that a deadly pandemic has hit the US and it is fatal to anyone who catches it.

Frank's therapist Sal is the closest thing to a friend that he has, and is certain that he can help Frank overcome his compulsions but news of the pandemic from Kate has Sal almost as worried as Frank. He helps Frank get supplies to the island and finds himself asking if he can bring his own wife and kids to the island to ride out the storm and see what happens. Frank agrees but is more concerned about persuading Ella to leave New York and stay with him, after all of his previous prophecies of doom failed to happen. Ella doesn't believe him and by the time she realises that he and Kate were right, the campus is being locked down because the pandemic has reached the area. Frank now has to face the very real prospect of having to go to the city and overcome his fears to save his daughter.

I have a slight issue with the work of this author. I find that his ideas are excellent and he can write interesting and different characters. For example, following someone with OCD during a deadly pandemic is fascinating. I enjoyed seeing Frank's struggles with his condition battling with his desire to save his daughter. I also liked Sal, the therapist and voice of reason who is trying to help Frank get better. Sal is a good, normal guy and I liked the way he switched his thinking from panic at the potential pandemic to the rational thought that it was going to be ok. It made him a realistic character and I liked him. Frank's ex wife Kate was also a good character, dealing with her boyfriend becoming infected through his work and torn between doing her duty or going to be with her daughter.

But the big problem I find with the author is that he always has to put in main or supporting characters that I just don't like, and every time it happens, it tends to put me off reading any further than the first book in a series. In this case, I hated Sal's wife Gloria. I get that she thinks Sal spends too much time with Frank (though he does get paid for it) and that she thinks Frank is weird and paranoid. To blame Frank for Sal not seeing enough of his kids is dumb when he only visits Frank for an hour or two each week! She bitches about Frank non stop even though he has invited them to stay with him during the crisis. She moans about Frank putting them into quarantine for two days to ensure they aren't infected. Then she says Frank is making up the pandemic story and demands to speak to Kate at the CDC for confirmation. Instead of spinelessly agreeing as he did, Frank should have said no and told her to leave if she wasn't happy being there. What a whiny bitch.

Ella also drove me crazy. I understand that she doesn't want to believe another of her father's crazy theories but her attitude to her mother is really annoying. She doesn't like her mother being in a new relationship so refuses to talk to her and ignores the texts that Kate sends about the pandemic out of spite. She KNOWS that her mother is the calm and rational parent and would not make up a pandemic or feed that story to Frank for no reason but still she decides to ignore all warnings to get out the city and go to her dad. Your mother works at the CDC so for goodness sake LISTEN when she tells you to go! But Ella of course knows best and finds herself stuck in New York when the pandemic hits and gets all whiny about her circumstances. Funny how she is happy to quote to the soldiers who mummy is when it suits her!

Ella's entire storyline bugged me. She is supposed to be an adult at 19 but her behaviour to her parents is really childish. She steals gloves and masks when she leaves the hospital, which seems smart, but when they go back to the locked down campus where people are falling sick, she leaves them in the truck. Useful. She had no need to even leave the truck! When she finally gets to talk to her mother who is trying to get her off the campus, she deliberatly refuses to tell her she loves her before hanging up like a petty little child. Such gratitude. And now because of her stupidity, her dad and Sal are facing a dangerous journey to the city to rescue her. Mind you, some of their decisions on the road are pretty dumb too. Sitting outside the bank in a small town with your guns on full display IS going to attract the attention of the local police!

I really liked Sal and Frank and I hope they both make it through the crisis but I just wasn't that interested in Ella's chapters. I found some of the situations frustrating to read about and I guess I wasn't fully invested in all aspects of it. It is a decent apocalypse story but I think it's time for me to admit that the writing of the author and his characters are just not suiting me personally and look elsewhere for my reads.

2.5 stars.
Profile Image for Jo Williams.
115 reviews2 followers
May 3, 2017
I love apocalyptic fiction but this one was only mediocre at it's best and it really pissed me off at it's worst.
To me, the main character Frank, a germophobe represents everything I dislike about society today and therefore I disliked him.
Fear of germs, fear of terrorism, fear of gangs, fear of spiders, fear of Mother Nature! The media is doing such a wonderful job of controlling this dumbed-down fearful society, these people are unaware they are losing what makes them human.

What draws me to disaster stories of any kind is the human element. In amongst the most deplorable of situations, humanity at it's finest is always present. You may not know about it if you believe the drivel on tv and in the news but almost all human beings are kind, compassionate people deep down.

The main character in this novel is not only afraid of germs but he is a total jerk.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/pro...
48 reviews1 follower
January 18, 2017
Solid Read

Nice twist on main character. Believable situation and following events..minimum editing errors..If you like post-apocalyptic stories, I would recommend this book for reading.
82 reviews5 followers
February 14, 2017
Phobia

I have a slight form of this phobia, and I do mean slight, so I know that it can be debilitating. This was a very good book and I Plan on picking up the next in the series. It had a very good storyline, well thought characters.
562 reviews26 followers
January 14, 2017
Zombie free...

This is a more realistic end of the world scenario than some of the others I've read. A contagious virus too forceful to be contained. And no cure.
Frank has OCD. Sickness, germs, dirt, everything is abhorrent for him. With help from his therapist Sal, he is improving with time.
Frank's daughter Ella is in school in NYC. While disbelieving her dad at first, she soon realizes that a quarantine is ramping up and soon no one can leave. She's facing a multitude of problems. Her only way out is her dad.
This is a fine read. We have bad cops, surly neighbors and people who want what you have. More bad than good. I will be waiting for the next installment.
Profile Image for Wancket Enterprises.
632 reviews6 followers
February 11, 2017
Good

I like SHTF books and this a good one. I'm glad there weren't any zombies involved. The pandemic is bad enough. The characters are interesting and the story fast paced. On to book 2.
Profile Image for Julianne Adams.
71 reviews6 followers
January 10, 2017
Thought provoking boo!

Jack Hunt is one of my favorite apocalyptic authors and this book did not disappoint! The main character has a mental health issue...Severe OCD when it comes to germs. Unfortunately, a virus has been unleashed that has 100% mortality rate and it kills within 24 hours. His struggle with his disease, trying to rescue his daughter from a quarantined NYC, dealing with his therapist who's along for the ride plus a population that is already showing its survival of the fittest side, makes for a harrowing adventure! Characters are believable as are situations. The action never stops! Highly recommend this book!
3 reviews
September 24, 2017
A different kind of hero.

An intriguing survival story line, especially having the primary character and "hero" struggling with OCD. I gave it 3-stars because of numerous typos and some illogical incidents. After Frank and Sal were robbed of their wallets and I.D., [1] how could they rent a car without drivers licenses? And [2], how was Sal able to pick up cash wired to him at an unfamiliar bank without any I.D. to prove who he was? There are other incidents defying basic logic. However, I am hooked on the story and will buy Book II anyway.
3 reviews
January 29, 2017
Great read.

Great read.


I must admit when I read the synopsis I was put off by the ocd and germaphobia. I am so glad I took a chance on it. Story is good. Just flows. Easy to read. I loved it and am looking forward to reading other books in series.



Profile Image for Diane T..
351 reviews36 followers
June 7, 2017
I had high hopes for this book. I really enjoyed the idea behind it but the tale itself, I slogged through. I found it boring and expected. Nothing surprised me. I was unable to connect with any of the characters. The author had a great idea, he just wasn't able to pull it off.
258 reviews2 followers
January 1, 2017
Jack hunt

Good read, l would recommend it. I have read a few books of his and haven't found one l didn't like
Profile Image for Miriam Michalak.
859 reviews28 followers
June 10, 2019
Mediocre post apocalyptic fiction. Horribly annoying protagonist & nothing in the plot that engaged me meant I DNF'd this at about 60%
Profile Image for Scarlet.
351 reviews9 followers
November 2, 2020
This review is for the full series audiobook- The Agora Virus a collection of 3 eBooks by Jack Hunt: Phobia, Anxiety and Strain. These stories follow the journey of germaphobe Frank Talbot, his college-aged daughter Ella and his ex-wife Kate (a CDC epidemiologist.) a lethal flu virus is ravaging the population and tipping the world into chaos. No one is safe and Frank has to face his greatest fears to get his family to safety. The only hope of survival is his cottage on one of the isolated islands in the St. Lawrence River but dangers come in all forms and what Frank is quickly learning, is the human filth is much deadlier than his fears of sickness. A deadly pandemic story to listen to during Lockdown during a global pandemic. Absolutely loved this book, follows several POV's and Adam Verner has done a fantastic job at narration.
Profile Image for Brandon.
556 reviews36 followers
May 12, 2020
The main character, a severe OCD germaphobe, while interesting starts to get pretty irritating after a bit. Granted, you're placed squarely within the feelings of those around him, adding to the story immersion. The ensuing outbreak and his efforts to safeguard himself and his daughter made for a good read. That said, there were some pretty glaring inconsistencies with him. Going from overly cautious and realistic (outside of his disorder), to abandoning his reason and logic in some spontaneously developed cowardice and thoughtlessness. Making mistakes and learning is a natural progression, and makes for a normal character arc. This was just intentionally having him make the wrong decision repeatedly to create drama.
Profile Image for Dmussack.
46 reviews
February 11, 2024
Yep. I liked this book. It was a good page turner. I liked the font and the spacing used in this book. Easy on the eyes. I think Jack Hunt is an indie author. He kept the plot moving along quickly and kept my interest. I thought how ironic this book was written before 2020 - cause incidents in this book are very similar to situations in 20202. Prophetic? I was so happy when I noticed that this is a series cause I am really wanting to know what happens to Frank, his daughter, her friends, Franks ex wife, his therapist and his family. I chose this book cause someone in the GoodReads Challenge group on Facebook recommended it.
I was gonna use it for Prompt 31 - includes a personal phobia but I am changing it to Prompt #22 - a plot similar to another book.
733 reviews5 followers
November 19, 2019
Tragically delightful

It's a horrible thought to think we could become so barbaric Arab time of global crisis. Frank's death of germs is so deadening. It killed his marriage, it could kill his daughter's feelings toward him and worse yet it almost cost him his life by his own hand. Yet as bad as it sounds there were still times I had to chuckle out loud. Really is a good story, there's no explicit sex or swearing which made it delightful to read considering the scenario. Thank you. Great job.
Profile Image for Dorie Bishop.
26 reviews1 follower
March 3, 2020
Immersive experience!

The writer really knows how to pull you into the story, making you feel like you are the main protagonist. You life everything as they experience it, feel everything they do. You cheer the underdog protagonist, and hope the best for the situation even though its all falling apart. No spoilers! What a roller coaster ride! If You love disaster stories about viruses without the zombies, and fast passed action and the horror of an awful disease, pick this one up!
Profile Image for Jude Samson.
Author 2 books1 follower
dnf
May 31, 2021
Another preacher under the guise of being a writer. Although he’s not as bad as many others who can’t even pretend to write a story and just outright are writing a lecturing manual and how to prepper guide. This one isn’t as bad but still preachy with little actual interesting plot or characters. Everyone is incredibly one dimensional and so you don’t care if anyone gets sick or hurt or killed. Better to read a quick pamphlet than this drivel. Hell since everyone went through covid we don’t even need to do that much either. Save your time and money.
5 reviews
June 15, 2017
Phobia

It was a good read, but slow moving. It got a bit redundant, and put the book down quite a few times to do other things. Interesting read, but it did not pull me in to where you couldn't put the book down. Finally, at 60% in my I-pad, it started to get a bit more interesting. I just bought book two and will start reading that. I hope it moves much faster and will glue me to the book.
Profile Image for Johnny.
2,176 reviews82 followers
June 27, 2017
5 stars

Very well written with no mistakes found by me.
A new type of character that gave the story that fresh clean feeling even though these kind of stories are plentiful.
I also like that he's not always looking to be the good guy. Helping everyone that needs it in these kinds of stories is just silly.
You are still a hero, (at least to your family) if you get them through it in one piece.
I recommend this book to those who enjoy disaster stories.
Profile Image for Kevin.
691 reviews10 followers
February 5, 2021
Good premise, but forced. Too many coincidences and scenarios that the main character encountered were farfetched. Feels like the author is trying to make the main character a bit too righteous. At times it's a bit predictable because of the out-of-place hints about certain overly unlikely situations to occur actually happening.
February 14, 2023
An amazing brilliant book.

I loved Phobia it was a very easy read. I loved the characters, I can relate to Frank, I have a very close family member who has a phobia and like Frank has to fight with himself every single day just to try and appear normal. Yes a great book and definitely worth a read.
49 reviews
May 28, 2017
Really good read

This is a very well written start to what I think will be a gripping series. Not full of your usual boring encylopedia references of weapons and survival gear but the basis of great people stories and I can't wait to read the next one.
13 reviews
January 28, 2018
Surprisingly awesome!

I've read a lot of apocalypse books. Even I read the into for this one I was intrigued, but wasn't sure it was for me. Happy to be wrong! Very excited to start the next book in the series. I strongly advise giving this one a chance.
14 reviews
February 10, 2018
I liked this story....

I've never heard of or read anything by this author but I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading the next book in the series. I will say that the ending is rather abrupt and is definitely a lead in to the next book.
Profile Image for Dawn Taylor.
259 reviews
April 17, 2018
Great start

Awesome start to what I feel will be a well written, entertaining excellent series. The characters are entertaining and realistic. The story could happen at any m ok ment in our world.
293 reviews2 followers
May 10, 2018
Another....

..... fantastic series by Jack Hunt! Great action and interaction from the characters! Didn't want to put it down once I got started. Love the new twist in this apocalyptic series!!! One that gives this story a new look at how things are in the real world.
Profile Image for Sherri_.
7 reviews
June 22, 2018
I’m just adding all of my books I will go back and edit right what I think about them the times I started reading them and the times I finished reading them but for now please be patient as I have all my facts to the site. It’s a lot of book because I read a lot
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews

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