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We All Fall Down
Not since Pandemic have we seen a thriller like this from bestselling author Daniel The plague has hit Italy. Can Dr. Alana Vaughn find the source in time to save the world?
No person is left unscathed, no family untouched. Death grows insatiable.
Alana Vaughn, an infectious diseases expert with NATO, is urgently summoned to Genoa by an ex-lover to examine a critically ill patient. She’s stunned to discover that the illness is a recurrence of the Black Death. Alana soon suspects bioterrorism, but her WHO counterpart, Byron Menke, disagrees. In their desperate hunt to track down Patient Zero, they stumble across an 800-year-old monastery and a medieval journal that might hold the secret to the present-day outbreak. With the lethal disease spreading fast and no end in sight, it’s a race against time to uncover the truth before millions die.
No person is left unscathed, no family untouched. Death grows insatiable.
Alana Vaughn, an infectious diseases expert with NATO, is urgently summoned to Genoa by an ex-lover to examine a critically ill patient. She’s stunned to discover that the illness is a recurrence of the Black Death. Alana soon suspects bioterrorism, but her WHO counterpart, Byron Menke, disagrees. In their desperate hunt to track down Patient Zero, they stumble across an 800-year-old monastery and a medieval journal that might hold the secret to the present-day outbreak. With the lethal disease spreading fast and no end in sight, it’s a race against time to uncover the truth before millions die.
385 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 26, 2019
69 people are currently reading
1542 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Kalla
19 books563 followersBorn, raised, and still residing in Vancouver, Daniel has worked as an ER Physician for the past twenty years. He is also the author of fifteen published novels, which have been translated into thirteen languages.
In his latest novel, THE DEEPEST FAKE, a tech CEO and AI pioneer’s carefully curated life is unraveling—his wife is cheating, someone is defrauding his company, and he’s just been handed a fatal diagnosis. He’d end it all, if only he could trust his own reality. As deepfakes and deception blur the lines between truth and illusion, the novel explores the challenges and pitfalls of safeguarding reality in an age when it can be fabricated.
Daniel received his B.Sc. and MD from the University of British Columbia, where he is now a clinical associate professor. He is the proud father of two girls and a poorly behaved but lovable mutt, Milo.
In his latest novel, THE DEEPEST FAKE, a tech CEO and AI pioneer’s carefully curated life is unraveling—his wife is cheating, someone is defrauding his company, and he’s just been handed a fatal diagnosis. He’d end it all, if only he could trust his own reality. As deepfakes and deception blur the lines between truth and illusion, the novel explores the challenges and pitfalls of safeguarding reality in an age when it can be fabricated.
Daniel received his B.Sc. and MD from the University of British Columbia, where he is now a clinical associate professor. He is the proud father of two girls and a poorly behaved but lovable mutt, Milo.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
June 25, 2023
“… rats that are immune to plague but can still spread the goddamn Black Death.”
With authors like Tess Gerritsen and Michael Palmer being a pretty sure bet, the literary arena can be a pretty crowded venue for new authors looking to worm their way into the affections of lovers of the medical thriller genre. But, with no small amount of native pride, I can recommend Canadian author Dan Kalla as being worthy of a place of honour on your shelves.
Those who read medical thrillers regularly are only too aware that the field is chock-a-block full of weary derivative plot lines but in WE ALL FALL DOWN, Kalla has crafted a barn-burner pandemic possibility tale that has a basis unlike anything you’ve ever seen or heard before. Suffice it to say, without treading into spoiler territory, that Kalla’s frightening scenario revolves around the bubonic and the pneumonic plague. And we’re not talking here about any old garden variety plague. Kalla has built a fascinating novel around the possibility of a DNA reprise of the actual “Black Death” virus that wiped out half of medieval Europe in the 14th century. Kalla has also filled the pages with plenty of other issues that keep the plot moving, compelling, believable and poignant in today’s embattled world – misogyny, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, schizophrenia and mental illness, to name only a few.
It’s also worth observing that Kalla is a skilled writer who has a marked ability to convey the science behind his plot in an informative, interesting fashion. No condescension or dumbing down for the masses here. It’s also clear that Kalla’s skills as a thriller writer have come a long, long way since his debut with PANDEMIC. I’m certainly going to head out to my local bookstore to find one or two of the other novels that formed part of his path between then and now.
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
With authors like Tess Gerritsen and Michael Palmer being a pretty sure bet, the literary arena can be a pretty crowded venue for new authors looking to worm their way into the affections of lovers of the medical thriller genre. But, with no small amount of native pride, I can recommend Canadian author Dan Kalla as being worthy of a place of honour on your shelves.
Those who read medical thrillers regularly are only too aware that the field is chock-a-block full of weary derivative plot lines but in WE ALL FALL DOWN, Kalla has crafted a barn-burner pandemic possibility tale that has a basis unlike anything you’ve ever seen or heard before. Suffice it to say, without treading into spoiler territory, that Kalla’s frightening scenario revolves around the bubonic and the pneumonic plague. And we’re not talking here about any old garden variety plague. Kalla has built a fascinating novel around the possibility of a DNA reprise of the actual “Black Death” virus that wiped out half of medieval Europe in the 14th century. Kalla has also filled the pages with plenty of other issues that keep the plot moving, compelling, believable and poignant in today’s embattled world – misogyny, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, schizophrenia and mental illness, to name only a few.
It’s also worth observing that Kalla is a skilled writer who has a marked ability to convey the science behind his plot in an informative, interesting fashion. No condescension or dumbing down for the masses here. It’s also clear that Kalla’s skills as a thriller writer have come a long, long way since his debut with PANDEMIC. I’m certainly going to head out to my local bookstore to find one or two of the other novels that formed part of his path between then and now.
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
April 5, 2019
We All Fall Down is a suspenseful novel about a modern-day plague which closely resembles the Black Death which occurred 800 years ago. The author, Daniel Kalla MD, is an emergency room physician from Vancouver BC. Dr Alana Vaughn, a doctor with the NATO infectious diseases department arrives in Genoa, Italy to investigate the sudden critical illness of a woman who was working at a construction site where an ancient monastery had been demolished. The contagion soon claims several more victims, thereby baffling the medical experts. The plague then mysteriously spreads to Naples and Rome, leaving the medics at a loss to determine what or who is the carrier of this contagious atrocity. Time being of the essence, the doctors from NATO and the World Health Organization rush to solve the mystery of where the plague started and how it is spread. If you enjoy tense medical drama, this novel is for you. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 11, 2019
3.5 stars.
I wish to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC in return for an honest review. I was not aware of any current medical mysteries, a category I used to enjoy. The author, Daniel Kalla , is an emergency room doctor, who puts his medical and scientific knowledge, as well as research into the epidemiology of the Black Death into a convincing narrative.
The book was well written with believable and interesting characters. I sometimes felt a lack of connection with the protagonists, and an emotional detachment from the well-described events when I should have been feeling suspense and dread.
Dr. Alana Vaughn, an infectious disease expert working for NATO, has been summoned to Genoa by a former lover and co-worker in dangerous and disease-ridden trouble-spots overseas. She has been requested to observe and help diagnose a female patient at the hospital where he is presently working. They are horrified to discover that the woman has a deadly form of pneumatic plague, a disease not prevalent for centuries. The woman worked at the demolition site of an 800-year-old monastery. Soon other patients have been admitted with the lethal illness and are succumbing to it
There is a scramble to produce a vaccine, but any prevention or cure will come too late for the earliest victims. If the source of the infection is not found soon and contained, the results will be catastrophic. Millions could die. Alana is joined in the investigation by another disease expert, Byron Menke, from WHO, the agency where Alana previously worked. Alana suspects that the disease had its origin in bioterrorism. Byron has his doubts and plans to search for Patient Zero before the plague spreads and causes Europe-wide death unseen since the Black Death.
A patient in Rome has contacted the sickness, and soon people are been admitted to hospital in Naples. Some are presenting either symptoms of pneumatic or bubonic plague. The investigation is drawn back to the remains of the ancient monastery. There Alana uncovers a medieval manuscript which may provide clues to the new potential epidemic. A doctor in the 1300s kept a journal of his observations and experiences at the time the Black Death was raging across Europe and decimating the monastery and surrounding area. His writings had been preserved in the monastery library.
The chapters alternate between the events and thoughts of the doctor in this centuries-old document and the frantic rush of the present day investigators to find the cause of the plagues’ reappearance, and the hurry by medical researchers to invent an effective preventive serum and cure. Terrified crowds during the Black Death scapegoated Jews, blaming them for poisoning water sources. In the present day, some people start reacting to rumours that Moslem terrorists have unleashed the disease in an act of terrorism.
Alana and Byron are horrified to learn that the plague is being carried towards Asia, which would result in worldwide death of cataclysmic proportions. Is it possible to stop it in time?
This was a fascinating and informative story of how epidemiologists and scientists in medical labs react to previously unknown new disease outbreaks, and to diseases which have been dormant for centuries. This should keep readers informed and riveted to the book. Recommended to anyone who enjoys a gripping medical mystery.
I wish to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC in return for an honest review. I was not aware of any current medical mysteries, a category I used to enjoy. The author, Daniel Kalla , is an emergency room doctor, who puts his medical and scientific knowledge, as well as research into the epidemiology of the Black Death into a convincing narrative.
The book was well written with believable and interesting characters. I sometimes felt a lack of connection with the protagonists, and an emotional detachment from the well-described events when I should have been feeling suspense and dread.
Dr. Alana Vaughn, an infectious disease expert working for NATO, has been summoned to Genoa by a former lover and co-worker in dangerous and disease-ridden trouble-spots overseas. She has been requested to observe and help diagnose a female patient at the hospital where he is presently working. They are horrified to discover that the woman has a deadly form of pneumatic plague, a disease not prevalent for centuries. The woman worked at the demolition site of an 800-year-old monastery. Soon other patients have been admitted with the lethal illness and are succumbing to it
There is a scramble to produce a vaccine, but any prevention or cure will come too late for the earliest victims. If the source of the infection is not found soon and contained, the results will be catastrophic. Millions could die. Alana is joined in the investigation by another disease expert, Byron Menke, from WHO, the agency where Alana previously worked. Alana suspects that the disease had its origin in bioterrorism. Byron has his doubts and plans to search for Patient Zero before the plague spreads and causes Europe-wide death unseen since the Black Death.
A patient in Rome has contacted the sickness, and soon people are been admitted to hospital in Naples. Some are presenting either symptoms of pneumatic or bubonic plague. The investigation is drawn back to the remains of the ancient monastery. There Alana uncovers a medieval manuscript which may provide clues to the new potential epidemic. A doctor in the 1300s kept a journal of his observations and experiences at the time the Black Death was raging across Europe and decimating the monastery and surrounding area. His writings had been preserved in the monastery library.
The chapters alternate between the events and thoughts of the doctor in this centuries-old document and the frantic rush of the present day investigators to find the cause of the plagues’ reappearance, and the hurry by medical researchers to invent an effective preventive serum and cure. Terrified crowds during the Black Death scapegoated Jews, blaming them for poisoning water sources. In the present day, some people start reacting to rumours that Moslem terrorists have unleashed the disease in an act of terrorism.
Alana and Byron are horrified to learn that the plague is being carried towards Asia, which would result in worldwide death of cataclysmic proportions. Is it possible to stop it in time?
This was a fascinating and informative story of how epidemiologists and scientists in medical labs react to previously unknown new disease outbreaks, and to diseases which have been dormant for centuries. This should keep readers informed and riveted to the book. Recommended to anyone who enjoys a gripping medical mystery.
May 4, 2019
A very entertaining and pleasingly sciencey thriller about the re-emergence of the Black Death in Genoa, mostly presented from the perspective of those fighting the disease. A parallel story takes us back to the horrors of the original outbreak in 1348. Review to follow very shortly on For Winter Nights.
April 3, 2019
In 1348 the Black Death came to Genova, Italy. A young barber surgeon, Rafael Pasqua, documents the effects of the terrible plague on his community. The epidemic ravaged most of Europe and left its population decimated. It's not been seen again for hundreds of years.
Present day Genoa: A construction worker dies suddenly and had first exhibited the classic symptoms of bubonic plague. Is this Patient Zero in a new outbreak of this dreaded disease? Before long, the city is inundated with more cases including the more lethal form, pneumonic plague. A team from the World Health Organization descends on the city along with Alana Vaughn, an infectious diseases expert with NATO who is summed there by an old paramour. It is indeed Black Death. Is this somehow a reoccurrence of the plague related to an old monastery that was being torn down or is it bioterrorism? The doctors, scientists and epidemiologists are in a race against time as the horrible plague spreads across Italy. NO SPOILERS.
If you know me, you know I absolutely love thrillers that involve some sort of medical condition and I'm totally obsessed with books written about the Black Death. This one did not disappoint and I devoured it in a few hours unable to set it down even for a second. I loved the scientific details and the descriptions in both past and present of how the disease affected the people and the communities in which it occurred. This is a story of disease, yes, but it's also a story about the individuals who travel to all parts of the world to contain and eradicate evolving bio threats. When a disease of this magnitude re-emerges, it can rapidly spread and develop into a pandemic and those infectious disease experts are there to prevent calamity and save lives. I liked the writing, the characters and the story and highly recommend it. Definitely a book I'm going to be pushing on all my friends this spring!
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this e-book ARC to read and review. I enjoyed this so much that I intend to seek out the other books written by this author.
Present day Genoa: A construction worker dies suddenly and had first exhibited the classic symptoms of bubonic plague. Is this Patient Zero in a new outbreak of this dreaded disease? Before long, the city is inundated with more cases including the more lethal form, pneumonic plague. A team from the World Health Organization descends on the city along with Alana Vaughn, an infectious diseases expert with NATO who is summed there by an old paramour. It is indeed Black Death. Is this somehow a reoccurrence of the plague related to an old monastery that was being torn down or is it bioterrorism? The doctors, scientists and epidemiologists are in a race against time as the horrible plague spreads across Italy. NO SPOILERS.
If you know me, you know I absolutely love thrillers that involve some sort of medical condition and I'm totally obsessed with books written about the Black Death. This one did not disappoint and I devoured it in a few hours unable to set it down even for a second. I loved the scientific details and the descriptions in both past and present of how the disease affected the people and the communities in which it occurred. This is a story of disease, yes, but it's also a story about the individuals who travel to all parts of the world to contain and eradicate evolving bio threats. When a disease of this magnitude re-emerges, it can rapidly spread and develop into a pandemic and those infectious disease experts are there to prevent calamity and save lives. I liked the writing, the characters and the story and highly recommend it. Definitely a book I'm going to be pushing on all my friends this spring!
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this e-book ARC to read and review. I enjoyed this so much that I intend to seek out the other books written by this author.
January 1, 2019
“We All Fall Down” is a thought-provoking book which looks squarely at a cataclysm of unimaginable proportions. The Black Death has arrived in Italy and the story will tell us how people will react to the catastrophe. Will Dr. Alana Vaugh, an infectious diseases expert with NATO find the source in time to save the world?
Daniel Kalla who practices emergency medicine in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada has once again written an absolutely riveting drama hard to put down. Very knowledgeable in the subject, his words plunges his readers’ right in the middle of the crises where experts are on the hunt to track down Patient Zero. Their search brings them across an 800 year monastery and a medieval journal that may be key to understanding and solving the outbreak.
This 10th novel that combines suspense with a historical mystery is told in alternating chapters drawing us back to the Middle Ages where the initial outbreak took place then we are smoothly taken forward to today’s crises where NATO, WHO and local representatives need to find a solution. Mr. Kalla demonstrates a masterful skill needed for genuine suspense by capitalizing and building on the danger of exposure and the panic ensuing. The writing shines with medical and scientific expertise.
No person is left unscathed, no family untouched. Death grows insatiable……this is scary to think, could biological terrorism really happen, how fast can viruses spread and how safe are we?
Mr. Kalla is one of my favourite authors and I wouldn’t miss any of his books. I read them all….This latest is a well-done nail biting thriller….
I received this ARC from the publisher Simon Schuster via NetGalleys for me thoughts.
Daniel Kalla who practices emergency medicine in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada has once again written an absolutely riveting drama hard to put down. Very knowledgeable in the subject, his words plunges his readers’ right in the middle of the crises where experts are on the hunt to track down Patient Zero. Their search brings them across an 800 year monastery and a medieval journal that may be key to understanding and solving the outbreak.
This 10th novel that combines suspense with a historical mystery is told in alternating chapters drawing us back to the Middle Ages where the initial outbreak took place then we are smoothly taken forward to today’s crises where NATO, WHO and local representatives need to find a solution. Mr. Kalla demonstrates a masterful skill needed for genuine suspense by capitalizing and building on the danger of exposure and the panic ensuing. The writing shines with medical and scientific expertise.
No person is left unscathed, no family untouched. Death grows insatiable……this is scary to think, could biological terrorism really happen, how fast can viruses spread and how safe are we?
Mr. Kalla is one of my favourite authors and I wouldn’t miss any of his books. I read them all….This latest is a well-done nail biting thriller….
I received this ARC from the publisher Simon Schuster via NetGalleys for me thoughts.
March 13, 2019
We All Fall Down reads like a high-octane two part episode of an interchangeable average network television show.
We All Fall Down is told through multiple perspectives, the main character, Dr. Alana Vaughn, an 800-year-old diary, and the perpetrator of the release of the plague.
Dr. Vaughn is your standard capable female main character. She’s intelligent, physically capable, and sensual with a romantic past connection to another character. She isn’t fleshed out given much depth. Mind you, all the characters are not given much depth since the plague, it’s release, and containment are the main focus of the story.
I disliked the diary chapters. I found them tedious and annoying as they often cut in the middle of the action to give readers information that isn’t relevant until later in the story. Though, Kalla does a fine job of portraying the setting and showing readers the atmosphere and chaos the Black Death created.
The reason I rated the novel three stars instead of two is because the science is on point. The portrayal of the scientists and epidemiologists are credible and informative without being overly obtuse. The science of the disease itself and its containment was fascinating to read. Kalla is a doctor himself and it shows in this regard.
Overall, We All Fall Down is an okay read that passes the time if you’re looking for a high stakes story rooted in science.
***I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
We All Fall Down is told through multiple perspectives, the main character, Dr. Alana Vaughn, an 800-year-old diary, and the perpetrator of the release of the plague.
Dr. Vaughn is your standard capable female main character. She’s intelligent, physically capable, and sensual with a romantic past connection to another character. She isn’t fleshed out given much depth. Mind you, all the characters are not given much depth since the plague, it’s release, and containment are the main focus of the story.
I disliked the diary chapters. I found them tedious and annoying as they often cut in the middle of the action to give readers information that isn’t relevant until later in the story. Though, Kalla does a fine job of portraying the setting and showing readers the atmosphere and chaos the Black Death created.
The reason I rated the novel three stars instead of two is because the science is on point. The portrayal of the scientists and epidemiologists are credible and informative without being overly obtuse. The science of the disease itself and its containment was fascinating to read. Kalla is a doctor himself and it shows in this regard.
Overall, We All Fall Down is an okay read that passes the time if you’re looking for a high stakes story rooted in science.
***I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 20, 2019
The book was well written with believable and interesting characters even though I couldn't honestly connect with the main characters of the book. The disease and it's causes and effects were described well but I was not a fan of the constant timeline jumps as it ended up confusing me. But I really liked the medical aspect of the book and how the scientists and doctors react to a dormant disease suddenly becoming active all over again and with them struggling to cope with the lack of vaccines available and also the consideration of the disease used as a bio-weapon was really interesting. Overall an interesting book which I would recommend to anyone who likes a good medical thriller. A big thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK Fiction for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange of my honest review.
November 17, 2020
Wow - a novel about the bubonic/pneumonic plague being purposefully reintroduced to Genoa, Italy, by a disgruntled, embittered Abbot who had recently lost his ancient monestary to a land developer. An infectious disease specialist from NATO, a doctor with WHO and Italian security forces struggle to contain the rat-borne epidemic before it goes international. This is a creative, timely and technically accurate story of stopping the crazed plot of a mad “true believer”. Especially intriguing is the diarized account, woven into the contemporary tale, of similar struggles by a 14th century barber-surgeon who attempted to save many of Genoa’s first plague victims. Well done, and compelling in this troubling time of the COVID 19 pandemic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2019
Recensione a cura di Lucrezia per Feel the Book
Permessa: io amo questo genere di romanzi, un mix di medical thriller con un tocco apocalittico… Ne sono irresistibilmente attratta anche quando temo che sia affrontato con superficialità.
Non è facile porre il lettore davanti uno scenario così cupo, come quello di un’epidemia di peste polmonare ad altissima mortalità, senza metterlo davanti a eventi esagerati o forzati.
Devo dire che nonostante l’ipotesi di fondo del romanzo, azzardata quanto basta, la trama nel complesso non mi ha mai dato l’impressione di essere inverosimile, magari non così probabile ma non troppo fantasiosa.
In una unione di passato e presente che con furbizia mantiene alta l’attenzione e la tensione, l’autore ci trascina insieme ai protagonisti nella corsa contro il tempo per fermare un’epidemia, in cui le responsabilità umane non sono secondarie, che potrebbe decimare la popolazione come già accaduto nel Medioevo.
Le informazioni scientifiche sono verosimili, non sono in grado di dire se vere, e ho apprezzato anche il mistero da svelare, che non si piega a una soluzione facile e di moda.
Ma… ci sono molti ma. Il tutto è sostenuto da una scrittura che nel voler essere di taglio giornalistico risulta piatta, priva di capacità di trasmettere emozioni, veloce e facile da leggere, sì, ma a tratti confusa per i salti logici all’interno delle scene. In parte sicuramente è una scelta stilistica, visto che i capitoli in forma di diario funzionano meglio, ma l’ho trovata poco efficace e monocorde.
Come mi è già capitato recentemente con altri thriller d’oltreoceano, mi sembra che anche qui si sia data la priorità a un ritmo narrativo cinematografico con azioni ed eventi che si susseguono senza pause, che mal si adatta alla forma romanzo. E questo si nota in particolare nelle relazioni tra i protagonisti, che hanno un passato sentimentale comune che viene solo accennato ma non fatto sentire in alcun modo, banalizzando al massimo anche i pochi episodi di attrazione che dovrebbero dare ai personaggi una profondità, perché ognuno di noi è una persona completa, fatta sia della parte professionale e logica che della parte emotiva. Con questo non voglio dire che ci dovesse essere per forza una storia d’amore, ma se scegli di mostrarmi che due personaggi si baciano, be’ devi sbilanciarti un pochino di più.
Viene in questo modo banalizzato anche il dramma causato da un’epidemia così grave che porta via bambini e adulti senza nessuna discriminazione.
Un buon libro, secondo il mio parere, non è fatto solo di una buona idea…
Lo consiglio solo se amate particolarmente il genere e vi fate trascinare più da dialogo e azione che dagli approfondimenti.
Editing a cura di Ash per Feel the Book
Permessa: io amo questo genere di romanzi, un mix di medical thriller con un tocco apocalittico… Ne sono irresistibilmente attratta anche quando temo che sia affrontato con superficialità.
Non è facile porre il lettore davanti uno scenario così cupo, come quello di un’epidemia di peste polmonare ad altissima mortalità, senza metterlo davanti a eventi esagerati o forzati.
Devo dire che nonostante l’ipotesi di fondo del romanzo, azzardata quanto basta, la trama nel complesso non mi ha mai dato l’impressione di essere inverosimile, magari non così probabile ma non troppo fantasiosa.
In una unione di passato e presente che con furbizia mantiene alta l’attenzione e la tensione, l’autore ci trascina insieme ai protagonisti nella corsa contro il tempo per fermare un’epidemia, in cui le responsabilità umane non sono secondarie, che potrebbe decimare la popolazione come già accaduto nel Medioevo.
Le informazioni scientifiche sono verosimili, non sono in grado di dire se vere, e ho apprezzato anche il mistero da svelare, che non si piega a una soluzione facile e di moda.
Ma… ci sono molti ma. Il tutto è sostenuto da una scrittura che nel voler essere di taglio giornalistico risulta piatta, priva di capacità di trasmettere emozioni, veloce e facile da leggere, sì, ma a tratti confusa per i salti logici all’interno delle scene. In parte sicuramente è una scelta stilistica, visto che i capitoli in forma di diario funzionano meglio, ma l’ho trovata poco efficace e monocorde.
Come mi è già capitato recentemente con altri thriller d’oltreoceano, mi sembra che anche qui si sia data la priorità a un ritmo narrativo cinematografico con azioni ed eventi che si susseguono senza pause, che mal si adatta alla forma romanzo. E questo si nota in particolare nelle relazioni tra i protagonisti, che hanno un passato sentimentale comune che viene solo accennato ma non fatto sentire in alcun modo, banalizzando al massimo anche i pochi episodi di attrazione che dovrebbero dare ai personaggi una profondità, perché ognuno di noi è una persona completa, fatta sia della parte professionale e logica che della parte emotiva. Con questo non voglio dire che ci dovesse essere per forza una storia d’amore, ma se scegli di mostrarmi che due personaggi si baciano, be’ devi sbilanciarti un pochino di più.
Viene in questo modo banalizzato anche il dramma causato da un’epidemia così grave che porta via bambini e adulti senza nessuna discriminazione.
Un buon libro, secondo il mio parere, non è fatto solo di una buona idea…
Lo consiglio solo se amate particolarmente il genere e vi fate trascinare più da dialogo e azione che dagli approfondimenti.
Editing a cura di Ash per Feel the Book
April 2, 2019
...**THIS IS A GOVERNMENT ALERT**IF YOU EXHIBIT SYMPTOMS, STAY IN YOUR HOMES**PLEASE REMAIN CALM AND DO NOT ATTEMPT THE RESCUE OF OTHERS**THIS IS A GOVERNMENT ALERT**IF YOU EXHIBIT SYMPTOMS, STAY IN YOUR HOMES**PLEASE REMAIN CALM AND DO NOT ATTEMPT THE RESCUE OF OTHERS**THIS IS A GOVERNMENT ALERT**...
IT STARTS WITH ONE PATIENT
A woman is dying in an Italian hospital, coughing up blood, convulsing and barely conscious.
BEFORE IT SPREADS TO THE TOWN
Dr Alana Vaughn, an expert from NATO, confirms everyone’s worst fears: the woman has the highly infectious disease that swept through Europe eight hundred years ago. The Black Death.
AND TAKES THE CITY
The sickness is spreading so quickly that soon the outbreak becomes a global pandemic. Markets crash and governments fall as quickly as the citizens they govern.
THEN THE COUNTRY
As panic takes hold and the death toll climbs, the consequences become horrifically clear – Alana must discover a way to stop the disease or it will be the end of us all.
THEN THE WORLD - AND WE ALL FALL DOWN.
The book is fast paced and had me on the edge of my seat wondering if Alana, Nico, Byron and company were going to be able to get to the bottom of who unleashed the plague and when or if they could get it under control.
The book was well written with believable and interesting characters.
I really liked the medical aspect of the book and how the scientists and doctors react to a dormant disease suddenly becoming active all over again and with them struggling to cope with the lack of vaccines available and also the consideration of the disease used as a bio-weapon was really interesting.
This is scary to think, could biological terrorism really happen, how fast can viruses spread and how safe are we?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.
Highly Recommend reading!
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this e-book ARC to read and review. I enjoyed this so much that I intend to seek out the other books written by this author.
IT STARTS WITH ONE PATIENT
A woman is dying in an Italian hospital, coughing up blood, convulsing and barely conscious.
BEFORE IT SPREADS TO THE TOWN
Dr Alana Vaughn, an expert from NATO, confirms everyone’s worst fears: the woman has the highly infectious disease that swept through Europe eight hundred years ago. The Black Death.
AND TAKES THE CITY
The sickness is spreading so quickly that soon the outbreak becomes a global pandemic. Markets crash and governments fall as quickly as the citizens they govern.
THEN THE COUNTRY
As panic takes hold and the death toll climbs, the consequences become horrifically clear – Alana must discover a way to stop the disease or it will be the end of us all.
THEN THE WORLD - AND WE ALL FALL DOWN.
The book is fast paced and had me on the edge of my seat wondering if Alana, Nico, Byron and company were going to be able to get to the bottom of who unleashed the plague and when or if they could get it under control.
The book was well written with believable and interesting characters.
I really liked the medical aspect of the book and how the scientists and doctors react to a dormant disease suddenly becoming active all over again and with them struggling to cope with the lack of vaccines available and also the consideration of the disease used as a bio-weapon was really interesting.
This is scary to think, could biological terrorism really happen, how fast can viruses spread and how safe are we?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.
Highly Recommend reading!
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this e-book ARC to read and review. I enjoyed this so much that I intend to seek out the other books written by this author.
March 26, 2019
#WeAllFallDown #NetGalley Quite a different subject from the usual thrillers/crime dramas that I read and was a welcome change. The book is fast paced and had me on the edge of my seat wondering if Alana, Nico, Byron and company were going to be able to get to the bottom of who unleashed the plague and when or if they could get it under control. I am not usually a fan of two timelines, but this one really seemed to work with the plot and helped move the book along. I realise this is work of fiction, but it has me looking at people who cough in a whole new light!! An excellent read.
August 12, 2019
Dr Alana Vaughn, working with NATO, is summoned to Genoa, Italy by her former lover and WHO partner Nico to help him with what appears to be a case of bubonic plague. This is the disease that decimated Europe in the mid 1300s but now only produces a handful of cases each year primarily in Africa. This new outbreak of the disease quickly spreads and is unusual in the speed that symptoms develop and rapidly lead to death. Alana and Nico race to find the cause. Did the first patient bring it back from Africa? Could terrorism be involved? What does the new development on the site of an ancient monastery have to do with it? Does the old priest know something? How is the Muslim man involved? I love medical mysteries and this one did not disappoint. As the cases spread beyond Genoa, WHO and NATO work together with Italian authorities to discover what, or who, caused this outbreak and try to get it rapidly under control. The book demonstrates the techniques they use to solve this mystery much as any detective solves his crimes. Of course there is a litte romance thrown to keep things human. The book moves rapidly and comes to a conclusion I found surprising but believable. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author. I wish to thank Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book. This review is my honest opinion and was not swayed by getting the book for free.
June 25, 2019
The only part I enjoyed were the snapshots of the 1348 Black Death pandemic through the pages of Doctor Pasqua's diary.
Amateurish writing style, no character depth or development whatsoever, boring characters, flat dialogue, an unnecessary romance...and ALL the mistakes in Italian just pissed me off! If you are going to use so much Italian at least get a native speaker to proof-read your book before you publish it.
Amateurish writing style, no character depth or development whatsoever, boring characters, flat dialogue, an unnecessary romance...and ALL the mistakes in Italian just pissed me off! If you are going to use so much Italian at least get a native speaker to proof-read your book before you publish it.
April 15, 2019
We All Fall Down
A fast paced dual time medical thriller set in Genoa Italy in both current time and during the Black Plague of the fourteen century. Heaps of action, accurate medical details and engaging characters all rolled into a rocket strapped plot make for the best medical thriller I have read in ages. While the present story line races off to stop the next pandemic, the historical section grounds the reader in the grim reality of the Black Plague in a sweet and sorrowful story of a barber surgeon battling his corner to if not save give comfort to his patients and community with compassion, the science of his age and a great deal of ingenuity.
Either story line could well stand alone as a book. Together they sing. Looking forward to reading more by Daniel Kalla.
A fast paced dual time medical thriller set in Genoa Italy in both current time and during the Black Plague of the fourteen century. Heaps of action, accurate medical details and engaging characters all rolled into a rocket strapped plot make for the best medical thriller I have read in ages. While the present story line races off to stop the next pandemic, the historical section grounds the reader in the grim reality of the Black Plague in a sweet and sorrowful story of a barber surgeon battling his corner to if not save give comfort to his patients and community with compassion, the science of his age and a great deal of ingenuity.
Either story line could well stand alone as a book. Together they sing. Looking forward to reading more by Daniel Kalla.
April 29, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. Written by a doctor, I like its portrayal of the return of the plague to Genoa. There's also a parallel story of a Genoese doctor during the Black Death of the Middle Ages. We see the parallels of both ages. The sad fact that humans tend to find an "other" to blame in the face of disaster. During the Black Death, the Jewish community got the blame. In this modern tale, the Muslims were the scapegoat. We also see how our modern health system might be taxed in the event of an epidemic. It's scary if one stops to think about it, how easy such an event might occur. Even with modern science, we are still vulnerable to bacteria and viruses.
Also, since he's a local-to-me author, I am interested in getting his other books.
Also, since he's a local-to-me author, I am interested in getting his other books.
July 11, 2020
In der jetzigen Corona-Zeit hat mich das Thema Pandemien und Viren ziemlich fasziniert, sodass ich nicht lange überlegen musste und mir dieses Buch über das erneuten Ausbreiten der Pest aus dem Mittelalter geholt habe. Es wird abwechselnd aus der heutigen Zeit von Dr. Alana Vaughn, einer Expertin für Infektionskrankheiten, und der Vergangenheit aus dem Mittelalter erzählt, was zuerst etwas verwirrend war, woran ich mich aber schnell gewöhnt hatte.
Der Ausbruch beginnt auf einer Baustelle, bei der eine alte Abtei abgerissen wurde. Ziemlich schnell im Buch ist klar, dass es sich um die Pest handelt, gelegentlich auch in einer resistenteren Form. Doch wie kommt die Pest wieder zurück? Das erforschen wir das gesamte Buch über und ist im Grunde eine ziemlich gute Idee, für mich aber etwas schlecht umgesetzt. Der Schreibstil ist sehr kalt und unpersönlich. Gefühle kommen kaum durch, obwohl die beiden Protagonisten früher schon einmal ein Verhältnis hatten und durch diese Krise wieder aufeinander treffen.
Die Rückblicke sind ziemlich erleuchtend und zeigen sehr gut wie das damalige Leben war. Und dann wird wieder zur heutigen Zeit geschaltet und man merkt wie kompliziert alles verstrickt ist und wie lange es dauert Maßnahmen durchzusetzen. Es ist ein bisschen wie eine Schnitzeljagd, jedoch sehr langatmig und langwierig und konnte mich leider nicht überzeugen. Es kam einfach kaum Spannung auf, die Handlung tropfte so vor sich hin und so ein richtiger Ausbruch wird es auch gar nicht. Am Ende breitet es sich nicht weit aus, da hatte ich ein bisschen mehr Dramatik und Dringlichkeit erwartet.
Die Protagonistin kann ich eigentlich kaum beschreiben, da sie sehr unpersönlich bleibt. Wir begleiten sie fast nur auf ihrer Arbeit und bei Treffen mit ihrem alten Verhältnis. Sie ist sehr pflichtbewusst und strukturiert, sonst kann man nicht wirklich viel über sie sagen.
Fazit
Leider habe ich mir von diesem Buch mehr erhofft. Die erwartete Panik und Dramatik bleibt leider ganz aus und das Buch ist sehr faktenreich und kühl geschrieben, sodass Emotionen sehr kurz kommen. Das Thema war trotzdem aktuell und interessant und die Grundidee eigentlich echt spitze. 3/5 Punkte.
Der Ausbruch beginnt auf einer Baustelle, bei der eine alte Abtei abgerissen wurde. Ziemlich schnell im Buch ist klar, dass es sich um die Pest handelt, gelegentlich auch in einer resistenteren Form. Doch wie kommt die Pest wieder zurück? Das erforschen wir das gesamte Buch über und ist im Grunde eine ziemlich gute Idee, für mich aber etwas schlecht umgesetzt. Der Schreibstil ist sehr kalt und unpersönlich. Gefühle kommen kaum durch, obwohl die beiden Protagonisten früher schon einmal ein Verhältnis hatten und durch diese Krise wieder aufeinander treffen.
Die Rückblicke sind ziemlich erleuchtend und zeigen sehr gut wie das damalige Leben war. Und dann wird wieder zur heutigen Zeit geschaltet und man merkt wie kompliziert alles verstrickt ist und wie lange es dauert Maßnahmen durchzusetzen. Es ist ein bisschen wie eine Schnitzeljagd, jedoch sehr langatmig und langwierig und konnte mich leider nicht überzeugen. Es kam einfach kaum Spannung auf, die Handlung tropfte so vor sich hin und so ein richtiger Ausbruch wird es auch gar nicht. Am Ende breitet es sich nicht weit aus, da hatte ich ein bisschen mehr Dramatik und Dringlichkeit erwartet.
Die Protagonistin kann ich eigentlich kaum beschreiben, da sie sehr unpersönlich bleibt. Wir begleiten sie fast nur auf ihrer Arbeit und bei Treffen mit ihrem alten Verhältnis. Sie ist sehr pflichtbewusst und strukturiert, sonst kann man nicht wirklich viel über sie sagen.
Fazit
Leider habe ich mir von diesem Buch mehr erhofft. Die erwartete Panik und Dramatik bleibt leider ganz aus und das Buch ist sehr faktenreich und kühl geschrieben, sodass Emotionen sehr kurz kommen. Das Thema war trotzdem aktuell und interessant und die Grundidee eigentlich echt spitze. 3/5 Punkte.
September 15, 2019
Dr Alana Vaughn, an infectious disease specialist working for NATO, is summoned to Genoa by her ex-lover. He wants her opinion on an odd case - a construction worker has appeared in the ER with what looks like pneumonic plague, a disease not seen for centuries, that had at one time decimated the population of Europe. The only clue they have is that he had been part of a crew tearing down an ancient monastery. As more patients arrive with the disease and as the body count begins to rise, Vaughn and her team are in a race against time especially when the plague appears miles away from what is believed to be ground zero.
We All Fall Down by Daniel Kalla is a fast-paced medical thriller with a touch of historical elements. The story is told from several different perspectives: Dr. Vaughn; a Medieval surgeon; and the perpetrator behind the spread of the disease. Although the mystery behind the spread of the disease stretched my willing suspension of disbelief somewhat, I found the historical and especially the medical elements fascinating. I also found the chaos created as the disease spread easily believable. Overall, a very enjoyable read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
We All Fall Down by Daniel Kalla is a fast-paced medical thriller with a touch of historical elements. The story is told from several different perspectives: Dr. Vaughn; a Medieval surgeon; and the perpetrator behind the spread of the disease. Although the mystery behind the spread of the disease stretched my willing suspension of disbelief somewhat, I found the historical and especially the medical elements fascinating. I also found the chaos created as the disease spread easily believable. Overall, a very enjoyable read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
October 10, 2019
First medical thriller in a very long time. Was eager to read this and not disappointed! Short chapters told in 2 different perspectives/eras, a pager turner. Another great author to add to my list. Thoroughly enjoyed!
March 22, 2019
I love Daniel Kalla's style of writing, especially when dealing with medical issues/terms. He makes it clear and understandable without going on and on about boring things that will just clog up the story.
This book is thrilling. I love a good pandemic type story and this one does not disappoint. While we "sort of" know what is happening before the main characters do, its still intriguing as Kalla leaves a lot of unsolved issues and keeps them to the very end.
Although I had to read this slowly (time constraints) I was always annoyed that I had to put it down for "real life" and looked forward to picking it up again.
The only reason I did not give this a 5 stars is that I HATED the forced romance in this book. This story could have easily survived without any of that and I wish it had. I am not sure why Kalla felt the need to insert that in an otherwise captivating read.
This book is thrilling. I love a good pandemic type story and this one does not disappoint. While we "sort of" know what is happening before the main characters do, its still intriguing as Kalla leaves a lot of unsolved issues and keeps them to the very end.
Although I had to read this slowly (time constraints) I was always annoyed that I had to put it down for "real life" and looked forward to picking it up again.
The only reason I did not give this a 5 stars is that I HATED the forced romance in this book. This story could have easily survived without any of that and I wish it had. I am not sure why Kalla felt the need to insert that in an otherwise captivating read.
March 6, 2019
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
An eight hundred year old monastery in Genoa, Italy is being torn down to make way for more modern buildings. Vittoria Fornero is in charge of the construction site and isn't going to let anything slow down the project, including a monk that lived at the former monastery. Brother Silvio shows up at the site daily with a fold up chair and a black satchel and watches the progress of the excavation. The monk has been spooking some of the workers with tales of old concerning the monastery. All of this along with a sudden bout of illness is too much for Vittoria and she collapses at work.
Dr.Alana Vaughn receives a text from a former colleague, Dr. Nico Oliva, whom she worked with at the World Health Organization. Two words had her packing for Genoa immediately. Those two words were "the plague". This is not the first time in history that the Monastery has been at the center of a deadly outbreak and Alana and Nico must discover how it is spreading now.
This story is told from the perspective of two time periods, that of the medieval outbreak recounted by Rafael Pasqua, and from the present day investigations of Doctors Alana Vaughn and Nico Oliva. The modern day doctors race against time to find the source of the plague and try to contain it before it ravishes the population of Italy as it did once before centuries ago. The journals of Rafael tell about the horrors of the bubonic plague sweeping thru his time. Both timelines have one thing in common and that is the monastery.
Fast paced story that has both timelines told in separate narratives that are seamlessly tied together.
A compulsive read with well developed characters that will hold you on the edge of your seat till the final pages.
An eight hundred year old monastery in Genoa, Italy is being torn down to make way for more modern buildings. Vittoria Fornero is in charge of the construction site and isn't going to let anything slow down the project, including a monk that lived at the former monastery. Brother Silvio shows up at the site daily with a fold up chair and a black satchel and watches the progress of the excavation. The monk has been spooking some of the workers with tales of old concerning the monastery. All of this along with a sudden bout of illness is too much for Vittoria and she collapses at work.
Dr.Alana Vaughn receives a text from a former colleague, Dr. Nico Oliva, whom she worked with at the World Health Organization. Two words had her packing for Genoa immediately. Those two words were "the plague". This is not the first time in history that the Monastery has been at the center of a deadly outbreak and Alana and Nico must discover how it is spreading now.
This story is told from the perspective of two time periods, that of the medieval outbreak recounted by Rafael Pasqua, and from the present day investigations of Doctors Alana Vaughn and Nico Oliva. The modern day doctors race against time to find the source of the plague and try to contain it before it ravishes the population of Italy as it did once before centuries ago. The journals of Rafael tell about the horrors of the bubonic plague sweeping thru his time. Both timelines have one thing in common and that is the monastery.
Fast paced story that has both timelines told in separate narratives that are seamlessly tied together.
A compulsive read with well developed characters that will hold you on the edge of your seat till the final pages.
March 11, 2019
A captivating thriller, and a very thought provoking "what if?" scenario.
Current day Italy and it seems the Black Plague has re-surfaced. The authorities are on a perplexing chase for the hows and whys, trying to contain the spread before it reaches cataclysmic proportions. Has it been transferred from Africa? Is it bio-terrorism. Does it have ties to the Plague that devastated Europe centuries ago in 1348?
Current day Italy and it seems the Black Plague has re-surfaced. The authorities are on a perplexing chase for the hows and whys, trying to contain the spread before it reaches cataclysmic proportions. Has it been transferred from Africa? Is it bio-terrorism. Does it have ties to the Plague that devastated Europe centuries ago in 1348?
February 22, 2019
A very good read. A middle ages plague surfaces in Genoa when a monastery is sold by the church and it's torn down. A race for WHO to find the source of the plague, to isolate those infected, trying to cure the infected and to try to contain it to a geographic area. A parallel recounting of a middle ages physician trying to treat the same plague in the same city.
February 18, 2019
Easy to read, hard to put down.
Switches from present to Middle Ages were very well done.
Thought provoking, very well written and I am sure this will not be the last book I’ve read from a Daniel Kalla.
Switches from present to Middle Ages were very well done.
Thought provoking, very well written and I am sure this will not be the last book I’ve read from a Daniel Kalla.
June 5, 2021
I loved the idea of a book set in modern day revolving around the reappearance of the black-death which does fascinate me.
I did question the idea of reading this with the current pandemic but it was such an enjoyable read and I do feel that this touched on a variety of impacts such an outbreak would have.
I did question the idea of reading this with the current pandemic but it was such an enjoyable read and I do feel that this touched on a variety of impacts such an outbreak would have.
October 18, 2021
tolle Parallelhandlung
May 5, 2019
Weaving together history, science, and medicine Daniel Kalla’s novel “We All Fall Down” begins when one of the construction workers on a site where a monastery has been demolished to make way for a modern apartment tower becomes fatally ill. Summoned to Genoa to examine Dr. Nico Oliva’s patient who’s been diagnosed with the pneumonic plague Alana Vaughn an infectious diseases expert quickly suspects bioterrorism as the number of victims rises. Joining the WHO (World Health Organization) team under the leadership of Canadian epidemiologist Byron Menke they hunt for “Patient Zero” and the source of the plague, discovering a link to an 800-year-old monastery, an ancient journal and a conspiracy.
Suspense mounts as past and present collide with barber-surgeon Rafael Pasqua’s journal entries about the impact of the Black Death in 1348 which are intermingled with Byron and Alana’s efforts to find “Patient Zero” and the truth behind the current outbreak. Captivating, with compelling plot twists the politics in both timeframes are fascinating with the Archbishop blaming the Jews for the outbreak in 1348 and the Muslims as the scapegoats in the present.
Fast-paced tension escalates with a connection to the San Giovanni Monastery that’s been demolished and a building venture on the site that will be bankrupted with further delays. Lightening the severity of the unfolding drama is the closure of Alana’s relationship with Dr. Nico Oliva and her awakening attraction to Byron, a man she finds heavy-handed and tactless at first. Yet all too quickly the story flows smoothly to an ending with a life-threatening encounter.
Breathing life into the plot are strong, complex, and realistic characters like Alana Vaughn the NATO infectious disease expert who’s perceptive, headstrong, and shrewd; Byron Menke the stubborn, single-minded and tireless WHO team leader; compassionate, dedicated and frustrated Dr. Nico Oliva; as well as the cheerful, talkative and alarmist Brother Silvio.
I thoroughly enjoyed “We All Fall Down” an exciting page-turner and will look for other novels by Daniel Kalla in future.
Suspense mounts as past and present collide with barber-surgeon Rafael Pasqua’s journal entries about the impact of the Black Death in 1348 which are intermingled with Byron and Alana’s efforts to find “Patient Zero” and the truth behind the current outbreak. Captivating, with compelling plot twists the politics in both timeframes are fascinating with the Archbishop blaming the Jews for the outbreak in 1348 and the Muslims as the scapegoats in the present.
Fast-paced tension escalates with a connection to the San Giovanni Monastery that’s been demolished and a building venture on the site that will be bankrupted with further delays. Lightening the severity of the unfolding drama is the closure of Alana’s relationship with Dr. Nico Oliva and her awakening attraction to Byron, a man she finds heavy-handed and tactless at first. Yet all too quickly the story flows smoothly to an ending with a life-threatening encounter.
Breathing life into the plot are strong, complex, and realistic characters like Alana Vaughn the NATO infectious disease expert who’s perceptive, headstrong, and shrewd; Byron Menke the stubborn, single-minded and tireless WHO team leader; compassionate, dedicated and frustrated Dr. Nico Oliva; as well as the cheerful, talkative and alarmist Brother Silvio.
I thoroughly enjoyed “We All Fall Down” an exciting page-turner and will look for other novels by Daniel Kalla in future.
October 23, 2020
Danke an NetGalley und den Ullstein Verlag, die mir ein Rezensionsexemplar zur Verfügung gestellt haben. Meine Meinung ist davon unabhängig.
Patient Null: Wer wird überleben? ist ein packender Thriller, dessen Thematik unglaublich aktuell ist.
Alana ist Expertin für Infektionskrankheiten bei der NATO und soll in Italien eine schwer kranke Frau untersuchen. Ergebnis: die Pest... die gibt es auf der Welt immer mal wieder, aber der Erreger ist anders. Tödlicher. Schneller. Resistent.
Und schnell wird klar: die junge Frau ist nicht Patient Null...
Mithilfe der WHO und ihrem Ex versucht Alana, die Pandemie zu stoppen.
Der Ausbruch scheint irgendwie mit einem alten Kloster in Verbindung stehen, nur wie? Ein Wettlauf gegen die Zeit beginnt.
Das Buch wird abwechselnd aus der Sicht von Alana erzählt, so wie Flashbacks zum Tagebuch eines "Arztes", der 1348 die Mönche eines Klosters gegen die Pest behandelt. Eben jenes Kloster, auf dessen Baustelle die erste Betroffene gearbeitet hat. Auch gibt es ein paar Kapitel aus der Sicht von Erkrankten, und einer unbekannten Person, die Stimmen hört.
Am Ende fügt sich alles zusammen, und ich fand die Perspektiven wirklich gut gewählt. Durch den Wechsel zwischen Vergangenheit und Gegenwart bleibt es durchgehend spannend.
Schnell war mir klar, was der Zusammenhang zwischen dem Kloster und der Pest ist. Über den "Auslöser" war ich aber trotzdem überrascht.
Der Stil von Daniel Kalla ist gut, obwohl ich anfangs etwas gebraucht habe, um in die Geschichte reinzukommen. Irgendwann lässt sie einen nicht mehr los!
Etwas überflüssig fand ich die romantischen Aspekte der Geschichte. Alana trifft in Italien auf ihren Ex-Freund, und eine andere Person macht ihr Avancen. Für mich braucht ein Thriller nicht immer noch eine Romanze.
Ansonsten hat mir das Buch wirklich gut gefallen!
Wer angesichts der aktuellen Lage kein Problem hat, ein Buch über eine Pandemie zu lesen, dem kann ich das Buch echt ans Herz legen.
4/5 Sterne
+++ENGLISH+++
Fast-paced thriller, that constantly changes between present and past outbreaks of the plague, that seem to be connected. I didn't need the romance aspect. Great style of writing!
Patient Null: Wer wird überleben? ist ein packender Thriller, dessen Thematik unglaublich aktuell ist.
Alana ist Expertin für Infektionskrankheiten bei der NATO und soll in Italien eine schwer kranke Frau untersuchen. Ergebnis: die Pest... die gibt es auf der Welt immer mal wieder, aber der Erreger ist anders. Tödlicher. Schneller. Resistent.
Und schnell wird klar: die junge Frau ist nicht Patient Null...
Mithilfe der WHO und ihrem Ex versucht Alana, die Pandemie zu stoppen.
Der Ausbruch scheint irgendwie mit einem alten Kloster in Verbindung stehen, nur wie? Ein Wettlauf gegen die Zeit beginnt.
Das Buch wird abwechselnd aus der Sicht von Alana erzählt, so wie Flashbacks zum Tagebuch eines "Arztes", der 1348 die Mönche eines Klosters gegen die Pest behandelt. Eben jenes Kloster, auf dessen Baustelle die erste Betroffene gearbeitet hat. Auch gibt es ein paar Kapitel aus der Sicht von Erkrankten, und einer unbekannten Person, die Stimmen hört.
Am Ende fügt sich alles zusammen, und ich fand die Perspektiven wirklich gut gewählt. Durch den Wechsel zwischen Vergangenheit und Gegenwart bleibt es durchgehend spannend.
Schnell war mir klar, was der Zusammenhang zwischen dem Kloster und der Pest ist. Über den "Auslöser" war ich aber trotzdem überrascht.
Der Stil von Daniel Kalla ist gut, obwohl ich anfangs etwas gebraucht habe, um in die Geschichte reinzukommen. Irgendwann lässt sie einen nicht mehr los!
Etwas überflüssig fand ich die romantischen Aspekte der Geschichte. Alana trifft in Italien auf ihren Ex-Freund, und eine andere Person macht ihr Avancen. Für mich braucht ein Thriller nicht immer noch eine Romanze.
Ansonsten hat mir das Buch wirklich gut gefallen!
Wer angesichts der aktuellen Lage kein Problem hat, ein Buch über eine Pandemie zu lesen, dem kann ich das Buch echt ans Herz legen.
4/5 Sterne
+++ENGLISH+++
Fast-paced thriller, that constantly changes between present and past outbreaks of the plague, that seem to be connected. I didn't need the romance aspect. Great style of writing!
July 23, 2019
Scary, but in a good way.
This is a medical pandemic story that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I really liked Alana, she was professional, but still human. I thought Nico was a tool though, not really worthy of the pages devoted to him. Byron was unexpectedly my fav male character, although Claudio deserved more page time.
Reading the diary portions was very interesting. I liked the peek into the older story, and found the switches between modern and older times to be handled quite well.
Overall, I loved the story.
This is a medical pandemic story that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I really liked Alana, she was professional, but still human. I thought Nico was a tool though, not really worthy of the pages devoted to him. Byron was unexpectedly my fav male character, although Claudio deserved more page time.
Reading the diary portions was very interesting. I liked the peek into the older story, and found the switches between modern and older times to be handled quite well.
Overall, I loved the story.
November 8, 2023
Kalla is quickly becoming a new favourite writer to me. He is being compared to Michael Crichton; he's a practicing doctor in British Columbia who just happens to write fantastic medical mystery/thrillers. The problem is, he is more than a little scary as he deals with some issues that could easily be true or based on truth or possible in the future.
Well written and researched, this book deals with the plague in modern times, and also in ancient times. Same disease, different approaches in dealing with it.
Religious issues are also a prevailing factor, and some romance is thrown in for good measure.
The more of Kalla I read, the more I like his work.
Well written and researched, this book deals with the plague in modern times, and also in ancient times. Same disease, different approaches in dealing with it.
Religious issues are also a prevailing factor, and some romance is thrown in for good measure.
The more of Kalla I read, the more I like his work.
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