大滅絕首部曲・感染

The Extinction Files #1

by A.G. Riddle, 傑瑞·李鐸

一場逃無可逃、攸關存亡的戰爭，沒有人能是局外人！

★美國亞馬遜百大名家、暢銷科幻系列「亞特蘭提斯進化三部曲」作者，又一醫療科幻驚悚傑作！
★橫掃美亞三大科幻排行榜冠軍，作品總銷量突破 4,000,000 冊！
★作品翻譯成24種語言發行全球，近3000位讀者星級好評！

【各界驚豔推薦】
生物人類學教授　王道還｜瑞典皇家理工學院物理系博士 余海峯｜
名人書房主持人　詹慶齡｜馬偕紀念醫院兒科住院醫師　戴裕霖｜
作家　譚劍

【英國衛報大讚】
本書之精湛出彩，有如閱讀暢銷大師丹．布朗與麥可．克萊頓的傑作！

一項籌謀千年之久的祕密計畫，
一個野心無比龐大的黑暗組織，
即將引爆一場沒有極限、無法談和的死生之戰……

DAY 1：320人感染，0人死亡
非洲肯亞衛生部緊急行動中心，接獲曼德拉醫院通報疑似伊波拉病毒變異疫情，美國疾病控制與預防中心及世界衛生組織，迅速派出由佩彤．蕭醫師主導的醫療團隊前往調查；她到了當地不久，卻隨即被莫名集團擄走！

DAY 5：5千萬人感染，1萬2千人死亡
全球公衛網發布猛烈廣泛性流感分支新變種警訊，呼籲各國提高警覺追蹤。而戴斯蒙．休斯全身痛楚地在囚室中醒來，他不知道自己是誰，也不知道為何身在此處，眼前只見一個!

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Audiobook, Post Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Mystery

480 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 5, 2017

About the author

A.G. Riddle spent ten years starting internet companies before retiring to pursue his true passion: writing fiction.

His debut novel, The Atlantis Gene, is the first book in The Origin Mystery, the trilogy that has sold a million copies in the US, is being translated into 19 languages, and is in development at CBS Films to be a major motion picture. The trilogy will be in bookstores (in hardcover and paperback) around the world in 2015.

His recently released fourth novel, Departure, follows the survivors of a flight that takes off in 2014 and crash-lands in a changed world. The hardcover will be published by HarperCollins in the fall of 2015, and 20th Century Fox is developing the novel for a feature film.

Riddle grew up in a small town in the US (Boiling Springs, North Carolina) and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill. During his sophomore year of college, he started his first company with a childhood friend. He currently lives in Florida with his wife, who endures his various idiosyncrasies in return for being the first to read his new novels.

No matter where he is, or what's going on, he tries his best to set aside time every day to answer emails and messages from readers. You can reach him at: ag@agriddle.com


** For a sneak peek at new novels, free stories, and more, join the email list at:
www.agriddle.com/email


If you don't want to miss any Riddle news, you can:

Like the A.G. Riddle Facebook page:
facebook.com/agriddle

Follow A.G. Riddle on Twitter:
twitter.com/riddlist


For more, please visit:
AGRiddle.com

* * *

Reviews

[Vannetta Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved, loved, loved the first 3/4 of this book.
(sigh)
The last quarter was quite complicated, overly complicated. The plot seemed a stretch, there were SCORES of coincidences that I still can't explain, and I just wanted it to be over.
But that first 3/4 was excellent!

Note: Some language.

[Felipe Macia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Do you like books where the author doesn't even know what he's getting at? Do you like books probably written by the author's understudy after skimming his first book for a semblance of his style? Do you like books without character continuity? And do you enjoy a good eye-roll while reading...? If so, this is the book for you!

I really wanted to like this. i enjoyed the Atlantis series as a fun and easy to read trilogy, with a cool sci fi element, not a mindbender like The Three Body Problem (if you want a good read, read those). but silly and fun, and Departure was fun and what not. both kept my attention and were exciting...

this one though ... i just thought SOMETHING interesting was coming... i kept waiting for anything exciting. even the action was ridiculous and stale. maybe a tie in to why we are even reading this story... half way in you are willing to accept some of the action as mere fun easy storytelling... anything to take you aware from the romantic nonsense that makes no sense and doesnt work... "are you a male? and are you a female? are you in proximity to one another? BOOM ROMANCE!!! oh you dont believe it... ok... umm, next paragragh "and i thats when i knew ive ALWAYS loved her"... hmm thatll convince 'em".... 700 pages later my eyes hurt from rolling them so much.

the wild jumps to conclusion, the ridiculous coincidences... i get this is supposed to be a series, but even books in series' have some semblance of closure even though there are loose ends to be tied up in the subsequent books. (again, just go read the Three Body Trilogy) this one? nope! no answers. the whole "Looking Glass" contraption... it felt like 600 pages in, the author didnt even know what the hell he was getting it. vague allusions to something "greater than ourselves" - maybe if i write a few more pages ill figure out what hell this thing is and i can tell the reader - and that "only this ONE PERSON currently narrating can save the world", well until the next person who is narrating gets to the end of their chapter... with zero evidence and random statements that "tie it all together" - "and then it was all perfectly clear exactly what i needed to do, and that i was the only person in the world that could do it". SAD!

not only is this book, for what it is, entirely too long and scattered, it seems he just took his research from The Atlantis books and made another story, similar (plague, evil corps trying to take over the world but in their own precious conscious are saving humanity, origins of mankind, a scientist and one "super guy with lots of skills"), but not as good. SPOILERS AHEAD (although there are no spoilers bc nothing happens in this book) the allusion to the Gibraltar Trading Company, i thought was a cute nod to his previous books... no, given what we learn at the end with the human bones, its clear this one trick pony only wants to talk about this one specific tidbit of knowledge he learned a few years back. ANOTHER SPOILER - Peyton learns, in the span of like a day or 3, that everyone in her family has lied to her, they are not dead, and have been leading mystery lives without her included, are potentially evil maniacal earth killing monsters, or perhaps martyrs who abandoned her for her own good. Regardless, she doesn't know what the f is going on... yet... feels compelled to blindly trust any nonsense spewed from her "dead" dad, and her "dead" brother, and her mom who "wont tell her whats going on bc, THERES NO TIME" and bc the author doesnt know whats going on, and Peyton quote: "just won't budge another inch unless you tell her what this is about!! im serious this time, I wont budge and ill die here in this building unless u tell me right now mom and dead dad and dead brother and weird mystery lady who loves my evil dead brother. not another inch." Mom Says "this is bigger than you. not now. when youre ready ill tell you." Peyton: "okie dokie karaoke!! works for me!! Lets go Family!" #vom

As much as he tried to dive deep in to each character and build a narrative as to why they are, they sadly all fall very very flat. The reader just "doesnt care" about any of them, not to mention the more you read... the sillier it all is.

One last comment, which the editors should have noticed... it seems they pushed him too hard to get this book out so didnt bother with edits or narrative review in the last third. We start the book with chapters, and section of chapters, that have distinguishable narrative points of view. ie - now you're reading from X's perspective. now you're reading from Y's perspective. very clear who is "talking"... at the end, you have multiple points of view and perspectives within the same page, no separation, paragraph to paragraph. makes no sense. not to mention just mentioning random characters that have not been introduced before as we know who the f they are talking about...

oh ya... this is global pandemic spreading across the world, and for the most part the situation is changing on an hour by hour basis... but no mention as to flying times, and the total loss of a day from flying from UK to Australia then to wherever than to the Moon... boopadeeboop we're there!

done ranting. skip this one.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this large book started off like a racehorse! Great writing, characters, super interesting plot. It combines science with human emotion and lots of mysteries to keep you guessing. For the first 70% or so, I completely expected this book to finish as a 5 star read for me. Ended with only 3 ⭐️.

The conclusion wasn’t bad - it just wasn’t as thrilling as the beginning of the story led me to expect. I enjoy dystopian fiction a lot and this one is set in the present with a ton of realistic scenarios. There were just so many “surprising” plot twists and coincidences that the story became.... flat.

I plan to read the next book to see how it compares. Because this one really had a ton of potential!

[Matthieu · Rating 1 out of 5]

Is it a joke?

The beginning was excellent. We wonder what's happening and how they are going to fight against the flu (not a major spoiler). But little by little the book moves to high fantasy.

Ok, the flu is bio terrorism... why not.

First problem.... a doctor in Kenya who calculates temperatures in Fahrenheit... So ridiculous... So US centered.
Now the bug bad guys...
Unilimited money
A 2000 years conspiracy
A conspiracy so large that they penetrate all countries
A hidden island with a huge research lab
A nuclear (!!!) submarine owned by the conspiracy. In the 60'. Yeahhhhhh, come on!
Heroes moving in a Red Cross plane (!) from Easter Africa to Shetlands then deep in Russia. I was not aware that the Red Cross had planes with a B52 range.
And obviously anglo saxon countries fight back, but not France nor Greece...

and obviously the big bad government can't do anything intelligent save cutting communications and internet and giving power to an unlimited supply of morons

I'm willing to accept suspension of disbelief... But that!

Worst book of the year.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Timely

The author well researched the factual components of this novel. This is an all entailing story of the methods used when an outbreak begins, how it's kept from becoming a Panademic; and handled once it does. The story plot is exciting and action packed. The characters discover they all have been involved in one another's lives at some point. There is a lot of mystery surrounding the key elements to get to the last piece of the puzzle and then what? The ending is just the beginning. I've already bought the final book in this series, that's how much I like it!

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

"You know what would be great? We have two strong female protagonists and one smart, rich, and strong male. Now let's have them fight and argue over him at critical points in the plot when they should be focusing on the fact that a WORLDWIDE PLAGUE HAS KILLED LITERALLY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AND THEYRE SUPPOSED TO BE STOPPING IT. Yes, this is perfect. Oh, and let's give him amnesia and he only remembers being in love with one of the women."

[Lily Malone · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at about 60%.
Sorry, I can't do anymore... I am so tired of the extended chapter after chapter flashbacks for all characters.
I'm enjoying the current storyline enough to give 2 stars - the Pandemic - the various flights/treatments/rescues etc. The opening was great with Desmond in the hotel room etc. That part of the story has great pace and action. But chasing through the complicated flashback memories (and they're loooonnnnggg) to find the secret to this 'labyrinth' etc, that's done it for me. I'm skimming all that just to get back to the current-day action.
I can't go on... too many books waiting to be read.
Good luck Peyton & Des. Hope you save the world!

[Zach Sheffler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has something of an identity crisis. The first two-thirds chronicles the apocalypse unfolding over the course of a week. The last third reads like a pretty good Dan Brown book. Now, both of these things are fine. I like ice cream, and I like onions. But I don't like onions on my ice cream so much.

I read this at an incredibly leisurely pace, partly because the book was good, but not so excellent that I couldn't put it down. In retrospect, I think that helped my perception because the tonal shift was less jarring.

So, prospective reader, should you read this? Eh, maybe. I'm probably not going to read Genome when it releases, but I'm also not angry at myself for reading this book instead of something else. I wouldn't say the back nine of the book is terrible as so many other reviewers do, but I would warn that it strains credulity more than a little. (The reviewer hastens to add that complaining about that in a book about an unstoppable super-pandemic is kind of rich, though)

Now, if you've read the book or are going to skip it, I'll now gripe about my pet peeves for the next 2,000 words:

There are a couple tropes that this book hits on that irritate me to the point of yelling into a review that nobody but me several years down the road are going to notice. In no particular order:

The whole world revolves around the cast for some reason - The fact that Orson and William knew each other was tossed out fairly blithely and had no downstream effects whatsoever. This would have been a funny easter egg if not for the fact that all of the major players were densely interconnected for some reason. Every "shocking" moment was the revelation that a villain was actually a hero's family tie in some way.

The mega-conspiracy - Thousands of people managed to keep an island secret while still procuring - among other things - missile-defense systems, some absurd amount of computing power, military-grade weapons, and submarines? North Korea can't build most of that shit and they don't even have to try and hide it.

Omnipotent narrator, except when it's inconvenient - Look, I'm not a creative writing teacher, nor do (or will) I write books myself. But it drives me crazy when authors give unfettered access into someone's mind for 95% of the time, but then withhold some key bit of information to ratchet up suspense. This isn't Red Rising-level, but still, come on.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for "plague kills the world" books and this was just what I was craving. Tons of adventure, engaging characters, a fast pace and a plague that kills the world! Couldn't ask for more from a good p/a. This one sped along and I just didn't want to put it down.

The narration by Eduardo Ballerini is spectacular. His command of accents is impressive.

[SVETLANA · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was published in 2017, two years before the COVID pandemic started, and events in the book have some similarities with what happened in real life. In the book, events take a more dramatic turn, but this is due to the fiction style.

The book is a bit hard to read and the final was a bit too confusing and the people in it were too connected with each other.

In the beginning, I was planning to read both books from the Extinction Files series, but the first book was already too much for me.

[*Stani* · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a 5 star read in some parts, and some barely made it to 1 for me.

Overall, 2.5 stars. I gave it 3 since I liked that there were multiple strong female characters (and not just 1) throughout the book.

There is no question that A.G. Riddle is an excellent writer. He is engaging, entertaining and I could tell he researched the heck out of each and every topic relevant to this book. But some parts suffered the "over-research" in my opinion.

I understand that being authentic in your book is a must, but also reading full chapters, where people talk in military code is definitely not my cup of tea.

I am fascinated by diseases, contagious pathogens, viruses, bacteria - it's all my jam. I wish there was more of that in a book that is called Pandemic.

The book started well (although I am wary of books which start with people with amnesia, wake up with no memory of who they are and try to 'retrace' their steps in order to remember what has happened to them and why). Just like time travel, it often serves as a cheap gimmick or a crutch.

Here it surprisingly serves a purpose, but I feel like this book takes too long for me to actually care why.

Yes, this book is long. There are many characters to know and to track their whereabouts. I feel like the author spends too much time to try to explains everyone’s back story and everyone's motives. There are backstories within backstories and sometimes it did get a little tedious.

But all the main characters are well fleshed out, which was rather nice.

The first half of a book was really engaging, but the second half I really struggled with.

The second half of the book had nothing to do with infectious diseases, but was all about family drama, with plot that would put ‘A days of our lives’ to shame and at times a some ideas so far fetched that you really have suspend all your beliefs. Suddenly everyone is related to everybody in some way or another and it’s a bit too much.

Also, not resolving the main plot irked me quite a bit, leaving it at a cliffhanger. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind cliffhangers, but leaving a major plot point opened felt like I was being tricked – almost forcing me to read the next one, if I wanted to find out the “secret of humanity”. That does not make a good cliffhanger, but rather makes me not want to do anything with the rest of the story.

I will leave this series well alone for now.

Final verdict: good writing, great beginning that goes downhill as the story progresses. Too long and I didn’t feel like I got enough answers out of the book to really wanting to continue with the next.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love pandemic stories. That Steven Soderbergh movie Contagion that came out a few years ago? I loved that movie. There's something about worldwide panic with brave scientists racing to help prevent global catastrophe that puts a big grin on my face. So regardless of the trashy aroma around A.G. Riddle and his work, I picked this audiobook up on the cheap, thinking, "How can I go wrong? Pandemic premises garner two stars just for starters."

And things began promisingly. We had Kenya. We had bats. We had brave rural doctors overwhelmed with cases. We had brave CDC doctors rushing to help. We had a mysterious illness with a high lethality.

But then, much like the patients in this story who seem fine at first (just a slight cold) but after a few days start bleeding out the ears, this book begins to head over the cliff into willful inanity. Be warned that the disease combatting that thrills me so peters out midway through the novel and gets replaced with romance - "Will the boy I used to care so much for (who happens to have lost all memory of our relationship) finally realize his love for me? I mean, like, after he remembers me?" Just as an aside, the character of Peyton, who supposedly is this fantastic and heroic leader of the CDC at story's beginning, devolves into this mush-mouthed adolescent - something I hate HATE relating to female characters in the hands of male authors. Believe it or not, Mr. Riddle, women aren't incessantly stewing over their relationship status in the middle of global crises. And then by the end of the story, we have something akin to "This Is Your Life!" with one ridiculous unearned revelation after another turning the whole thing into a soap opera with Bobby stepping out of the shower and surprising Pam (Dallas reference). It becomes quite comical. It makes the plot to Book of Henry seem reasonable. In fact, I think the only way I was able to make it through this story was the excellent voice of Edoardo Ballerini, who bravely tackles all this nonsense with unerring aplomb. I love his "NPR Noah Adams" voice and remember fondly how wonderful he has been with previous books like "Speaks the Nightbird," whose sequels I have waiting to listen to some day. Edoardo, they damn well better have paid you double your rate for this one.

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was equal parts exciting and boring as all get out.
I wouldn't have felt lost at all if this had been trimmed by 150+ pages.
I still want to find out what happens, but not sure I want to do that much "skimming".

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was AMAZING. I did find some parts near the beginning a little boring. But I am glad I stuck with it!

[Shane Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. Starting on book 2 tonight!

[MacWithBooksonMountains Marcus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quote: Day 5: 900 million infected, 180,000 dead - Day 7: 2 billion infected 800,000 dead - Day 9: 3.8 billion infected 1,600,000 dead
The numbers and chronological progress tells it all, this is NOT a novel where the threat of pandemic is narrowly avoided at the last moment. A. G. Riddle goes no holds barred to justify an ominous title such as Pandemic. The first in the series of the “Extinction Files” , Pandemic has a mysterious illuminati-type organisation sworn to save a world perceived to need saving, no matter how high the cost and no matter the how evil the means. For hundreds of years satisfied to pull the strings from the background, their Machiavellian puppet mastery takes to the stage as they unleash the eponymous pandemic upon the world. The only man that can stop them was once a member of said organisation and thus must serve as our protagonist. In the usual manner, I shall examine this character in detail.
Desmond Hughes, at least initially, reminded me of a James Bond, which anybody who knows me will attest to is not a portent for a positive review. However, progressing into the novel I found Desmond to be infinitely more intriguing and likable than the rather bland, flat character of a 007 with his clinically implanted behavior and lackluster catchphrases.

What the author did especially well is his description of Desmond’s childhood that makes it clear that his smarts and physical strength were hard-earned, that he is no Superman and his childhood did break something inside which needed fixing.
Orphaned Desmond spends his formative years with his uncle Orwell who himself traumatized by a non-described event, unwillingly stunts the boys emotional growth. In the end Orville, at least partly, redeems himself by means of a last letter where he reveals some positive emotions towards Desmond. In a general sense, their relationship is akin to one described in a Johnny Cash song "A boy named Sue" which is all about preparation for the perceived hard life with induced and quite artificial hardships becoming a self-fulfilling and rather sad promise.
As part of the flashbacks that Desmond has of his earlier life we are introduced to the world of Silicon Valley’s internet startup culture; here A. G. Riddle’s utilization of his own real life experiences as a one time internet startup are to the benefit of the reader.
All in all Desmond is the author’s best character, and it is just as well as this character drives the story. There are many more quasi main characters including an Aussie antagonist whose spoken voice may be convincingly “Down Under” accented and appearance scary, if a bit cliched (massively scarred) but makes otherwise for a rather uninspiring adversary of our protagonist, mind you scourge of the civilized world. Some characters are merely underperforming - their appearance annoying; a few even superfluous - competing for verbal space that they needn’t even inhabit. In sum, none of them is nearly as well-rounded and believable as Desmond.
Nothing as bad as a dealbreaker, though. A.G. Riddle is a solid writer, he clearly knows his craft. His prose serves the type of fiction he writes well and he knows how to build up a puzzling mystery as the story progresses along that keeps you guessing to (almost) the very end. 😷

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: medical procedures, plague, murder, shitty parenting, gun violence, death of a parent, death of a sibling, bushfire, fire and burns, explosions, I think there was other stuff but it's late and I'm tired and my list is on a post-it note upstairs I'll edit this list later okay bye.

3.5 stars.

I saw this at Dymocks in the city several weeks ago and was like "OMG YES GIVE IT TO MEEEEEEEE" because I'm trash for medical thriller-y things. HOWEVER. It was $35.00 at Dymocks so hahahahahahahaha nope.

Thankfully, the Kindle edition was like $6, so...good thing I didn't spend $35?

I was hooked in the early stages of this. It was cutting between a plague breaking out in Kenya, a guy who wakes up in Berlin with amnesia next to a dead body, and a woman who works for the CDC prepping her team to head to Kenya. And it was great.

But the more the story went on - and at 677 pages, it just. kept. going. on - the more it became an Evil Secret Society book and less a medical thriller. Which was a letdown for me.

Soooooooo basically I'm really glad I didn't pay $35 for it. Will I be reading the sequel? Eh. If it's also less than $10 on Kindle, maybe?? But at this stage, I'm pretty happy to leave it as a standalone.

[AudioBookReviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

My original Pandemic audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Pandemic is the first book in A. G. Riddle’s new Extinction Flies series of books.  The author is best known for his previous works involving The Origin Mystery series (Atlantis Gene); a series I own but have not yet listened too.  I found this book difficult to review because it really depends on your expectations of books belonging to this genre.  Hopefully this review helps you to better decide if this is the right book for you or not.  It is a rather long book, so this review may be longer also.

I will say, I enjoyed the book’s narration performed by Edoardo Ballerini and for a book of this size there were very few audio related issues; discussed later in the review.  If mystery and suspense is a genre you gravitate towards, and if you are a person who enjoys deeply-written stories having complex characters, multiple plot lines, and numerous flash-backs, I believe you will find this story hits all these qualities.  Being it is the first book in the series, it is understandable that this book is used to setup the background details on an unraveling bigger story.  As a stand-alone book, it is enjoyable if not somewhat long.  However, I believe all the details the author sets up in this book will only enhance what is to follow in the rest of the series.

Many reviewers have complained that this book could have been half its size and still told the same story.  Let me say that in a generation where microwave or instant gratification literature is mandated, I think the author did a much better job of allowing the reader to marinate or stew on the text by making the book as large and ambitious as this one is.  Because this book is only the first in a series, I would not recommend it for those who do not like waiting for the next to come out, this is the only one currently available on Audible at the time of this review.  This book ends with a rather large cliffhanger, so if you do not like that in a series, wait before grabbing it until more are released.

Let me say the book is big, and I mean 696 pages (or nearly 19 hours of audio) big.  Could the book have been smaller and still told the same story, in some ways yes; but we do not know the author’s intentions and how the events in this book potentially affect all future books.  It is not a quick read, or a book for those who are seeking a light thriller to compete in a single setting.  Not at all.  This book is complex in its development of both plot and characters.  It is how a story is to be told, and not just something thrown together for a quick dollar.  It makes me think of the difference between a fast-food hamburger compared to a filet minion.  If you are simply looking to eat only hamburgers, this book is not for you.  Instead, if you like richer and finer stories, you may want to give this one a try.  I found it interesting to see how all over the place other reviews are on this book.  You either love it or hate it, it seems.  Sometimes that is a good thing and shows that this book resonates with some readers but not others.  I liked that the author both opens and closes the book with scenes of intense action and drama.  The whole book is not all action, as some may desire, but there is a good amount keeping the story flowing.

I want to say that this genre of book (world pandemics) is not my preferred one, but I found that I enjoy the complexity and believability because much of what is covered in the book is something that could happen; even today.  The book contained a fair amount of action, intrigue, and fear that kept me listening to the end.  As the book progresses, you begin to see how the characters and their involvement all converge giving you the “Ah ha” moment.  I liked the descriptive nature of the author’s writing along with what seems to be rather solid research of many topics.  The book includes computers, hacking, nanotechnology, viruses, genetics, pharmaceuticals, travel to distance word locations, and by the end; piles of dead bodies.   For a few of the more technical/computer aspects, I would have liked to seen the author provide more detail.  For many, you will also get a few laughs while listening by the author’s inclusion of “vintage” technology; Circuit City, Computer Shopper Magazine, and GeoCities.  The nostalgia alone kept me laughing and wanting more.

Pandemics can be complex, difficult and scary events which I’m not sure the book did enough to express.  The focus was mostly on the main characters and not as much on the world and its reaction to his devastating and earth-shattering event.  There were a few instances where rioting and body counts were mentioned, but often theses seemed to be less emphasized as I would have liked.  I cared about the story’s characters, but I also wanted to care for all those who were suffering not directly involved with the main event itself.  The book showed how information sharing and communication with the public can be difficult in a time like these.  Too much sharing of information could cause riots where not enough sharing permits the virus to spread.  Again, a very complicated and sensitive topic for such events.  I will say that the book always has you questioning what can and will be done next.

As stated earlier, the characters are complex and the author does a good job of telling their backstories using flashbacks, etc.  We really see who and what molded them into the people they became and why they were so focused or involved with the outbreak.  It may come as no surprise that most of these characters had experienced hard lives growing up.  Not only is there good dialogue and interaction, the book includes some light romance; including one scene that parents and younger readers may want to be aware of.  The scene is not used in a salacious way, but simply to show two of the characters growing closer in their focused goals.  You will be able to see how one’s priorities and desires change due to the virus occurrence.  I did want to also address a few who complained that the author placed references in the book to Audible, etc.  I myself did not see these as a blatant advertisement (which they may have been) as some suggested, but more meta for those who are listening to the book using Audible; I found it more humorous than anything else.

Edoardo Ballerini is not new to audiobook narration with over one-hundred and fifty other titles available (at the time of this review) on Audible; I have listened to a few of his other works.  The narrator did an excellent job narrating the multiple characters, accents, and genders.  Not once did I have an issue with his voicing of any of the characters.  Overall the audio was clean and professionally done.  I will continue to find other books by this narrator for future audiobooks.  Just as a side note, the book’s publisher is Audible Studios.  I mention this as I was a bit surprised to hear about ten places where the book’s audio appeared patched or plugged.  This may have been because the book was still being edited while the audiobook was in the production process.  I found the patches noticeable, but not enough to prevent someone from listening to the book.  Just be aware that you will know they are their when you listen.  Again, with this being a rather large book, one assumes a few audio plugs or other hiccups may be expected.

For younger readers or parents, let me say the author does an exception job of telling a story without having to throw in vulgar language.  I can say that I do not remember one vulgar word used while listening to the book; however, in a book this size, I may have missed one or two.  I can say the book contains far fewer uses of vulgar language than other books in the genre.  As mentioned above, there is a slight romantic scene with light sexual topics covered.  Nothing that would rank the book more than a PG-13 movie.

So, would I recommend this book?  I would to people who want a deep experience focused on the main plot and characters with little in the way of bigger picture.  I enjoyed the book, the technology, and the pace and will listen to the rest in the series when they become available.  If you are one who likes quick and concise stories, this book is not for you.

Audiobook was purchased for review by ABR.

[Майя Ставитская · Rating 4 out of 5]

Над пустотой
Во всем мире болезнь – единственный враг, перед которым сплачиваются люди всех рас и национальностей. Когда начинается пандемия, мы объединяемся вокруг одной задачи – выживания человечества как вида.
А. Дж. Риддл написал книгу как в высшей степени злободневную для мира в режиме пандемии, так и парадоксальным образом оптимистичную. Ну, хотя бы в части информированности, и готовности к добровольному затворничеству. Определенно, есть заслуга такого рода романов-катастроф во внедрении в коллективное бессознательное верных поведенческих паттернов для экстремальных ситуаций.

Вещи познаются в сравнении, а сравнивая реальность романа с действительностью, понимаешь, насколько все могло быть хуже. Вирус, который начинаясь как грипп, продолжается с симптоматикой лихорадки эбола, впервые зафиксирован в Африке на границе трех государств, в течение недели распространяется по миру. Заразность и уровень летальности чудовищные.

С болезнью самоотверженно сражаются медики, в книге много интересных и полезных, в свете нынешних событий, лайфхаков, которые можно брать на вооружение. Но читать стоит не только за тем. Это безумно интересно в части «про врачей», а есть еще история человека-загадки Хьюза. Которая поначалу кажется отвлекающей, но скоро захватывает, и уже к финалу первой части понимаешь, что встроена в умопомрачительно сложную интригу.

По мере того, как действие набирает обороты и добавляет масштабности, интрига закручивается, обретает конспирологические обертона, Авантюрной составляющей, как по мне, могло быть поменьше, а мир в состоянии пандемии хотелось бы увидеть более подробно прописанным. Однако некоторые параллели к сегодняшнему развитию ситуации выглядят пугающе очевидными.

Немалое достоинство книги – ее ненавязчивая энциклопедичность. Берется ли автор рассказывать о фондовых рынках и развитии индустрии стартапов или об эвакуации английских детей в годы Второй Мировой, или о работе эпидемиологов – у него выходит захватывающе интересно и подробно. Такого рода дополнений, органично вплавленных в действие, там много. Хороший роман: научит, развлечет, отвлечет и обнадежит.
Спросите любого эпидемиолога, и вы услышите: произойдет ли очередная глобальная пандемия – вовсе не вопрос. Вопрос – когда.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the way this one started.....mystery, amnesia, murder, illness. If that wasn't enough, it goes on to kidnapping, terrorism, tragic upbringings, miraculous survivals, imprisonment, and so very much more. I love a subplot or even a few, but this was completely overdone. It also felt like a character parade.

I listened to the audio and there were no audible markers to note a change of a first person POV or of a different time period. It was hard to keep all the stories and the characters straight. This wasn't my favorite. So 2 stars.

[Babbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This felt very much like a blend of The Bourne Identity, The Da Vinci Code, and Outbreak. An interesting take on a common book plot, with secret societies, missing memories, advanced technology, and of course a mysterious disease our main characters are attempting to cure.

I'm slightly biased as the first scenes we are shown are of our main character, Desmond, in Berlin, and I chose this as a vacation read while in Berlin, not realizing some of the plot is set there. Nothing says vacation like an end of the world story. There is obvious nods to other successful novels, including a brilliant badass waking up with no memories but somehow evading trained professionals. Unraveling what Desmond's role is in the current events, and helping him piece together his past was one of the more enjoyable portions of the book, and I wish it had a bit more focus on a specific theme instead of trying to be too many things at the same time.

"We are the enemy we face. The human race is on borrowed time. We are far too uncivilized to possess the weapons we do."

Our other main character is Dr. Peyton Shaw, a CDC physician who is in charge of a new disease outbreak in Kenya. Her character is likable, but also the stereotypical "smart and aloof" female lead. Most of her clinical actions are believable but her interactions with some of the other women are just irritating. Two strong (beautiful, because it only counts if both of them are hot) women bickering over a male in times of crisis is just so tired I can't even address it without rolling my eyes. Luckily this was a minimal insertion in an otherwise enjoyable story.

Major plot events and the reaction of the general public were too tidy to be realistic, and the story began to fracture in the last 1/4 of the book. There were some inconsistencies with the disease progression, which might have been explained by the confusing timeline we experience when switching between characters.

With all the slightly negative points I mentioned above, I still really enjoyed this book. It was the perfect equivalent of a "beach read" for a vacationing nerd. Having huge chunks of time stuck on planes and/or trains to read in large chunks also likely added to my enjoyment. Four stars is a little higher than I'll likely feel it deserves once the vacation induced euphoria wears off, but I'm going with it.

For those that it's important to know in advance, you can read this novel as a standalone and get enough answers to be satisfied, but it does continue. I'm not planning on picking up the second book in the series any time soon, but I liked it enough to continue eventually.

[Jan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book fell completely apart starting when Avery flew Peyton and Desmond to Scotland. I am 88% of the way through this book - Chapter 108! - and I still have no idea what Looking Glass is. And guess what - I don't care. I refuse to read another word. Instead, I am going to mock the ridiculousness:

1. Peyton's hair is brown. No, wait - it's black. Oh! Now it's brown. No - it's black!
2. There was no "disco" blaring out of bars in Hong Kong in 1965.
3. You are really willing to kill millions of people to create a world where no one looks askance at a child with burn scars? WHAT???!!!?!?
4. Scientists and intellectuals want to take over the world. Great. The people who are most removed from the real world, yet are convinced that they "know best" what I want!
5. Hannah brings back a video camera covered with blood. Why would it be covered with blood?
6. Three members of a village family survive. One is a 13 year old that miraculously understands English.
7. The MOTHER in the group of villagers abandons her children to strangers and sends them alone to Atlanta so she can hang with her new LOVE INTEREST. Really?
8. Why should I give a shit what is happening to Elliot and his family in the US?
9. Avery's eyes are green. No wait! They are blue-ish gray!
10. So when people from the CDC deploy to a hot zone, they immediately start banging each other?
11. Why did the Beagle sink? Why was someone looking for it? Why did Conner bomb the boat looking for it? WTF?
12. What is up with "the lack of space junk?"
13. Are we going to find out what William is really up to? Why did his wife run away and hide from him?
14. Desmond symbolically shoots the cure into Peyton's arm. Hmmm.
15. Why did we need to get dragged back to Australia and the refugee camp that Charlotte runs? What is the point here? I am totally not getting it.
16. Desmond: "Avery and I have to go to the Isle. The rest of you stay here."
William "I'm coming because I know the layout."
Peyton: "I'm coming because, because, ... BECAUSE!"
Charlotte: "I'm coming because I want to know why these evil people have been sending me money and supplies." (yeah - there's a reason for you. At least Peyton has a love interest in the whole thing.)

[Snigdha · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 60%

It started so good that I thought I am gonna get my next favourite sci-fi book, but then it became a bummer soon. It started with few very defined, interesting characters but then more characters came into picture and the story got more and more convoluted that a person who was reading it for leisure, got a headache by when he reached till the midway.
You can read if you can be patient with all the boring bits thrown in abundance in the middle, I stopped at 60% so can't say for sure if reaching the end was worth it.

[Mackey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so I'm late to the game when it comes to A.G. Riddle but I'm so glad to be here now. WOW. I had absolutely no idea Pandemic would be so interesting, so long or so freaking fantastic. It hasn't anything to do with the Covid pandemic but I think anyone who has survived one pandemic might enjoy reading a good thriller about another one, right? This has everything from espionage, conspiracy, medical thriller to a teeny of romance. And my god, I learned SO much! History, Geography, Government, Biology, Philosophy - this books has it all. LOVED it!! Next?

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this! Packed with intrigue, action and good characters, some of whom are given time to look back on their past in sections that I particularly liked. A long book but the pages flew through the fingers. A few too many coincidences but I'm very pleased to say that, although this is book 1 of a series, it didn't end on a cliffhanger. Worryingly, I caught a cold when I read this... Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Pandemic” a skilful blend of science and history that keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end, opens with the discovery of a sunken wreck that houses a scientific experiment that will “change man’s understanding of his existence”; an outbreak of an Ebola-like virus in Kenya where Peyton Shaw and her team are sent to trace its origin; and a man in Berlin whose searching for clues to his loss of memory.

Packed with conspiracies, intrigue, secrets and romance, the action heats up when Peyton Shaw and one of her team who responded to the outbreak of the baffling disease at the hospital in Mandera are kidnapped after an attack by armed men, while in Berlin Desmond Hughes the founder of Icarus Capital an investment firm, searches for answers not only to his loss of memory but the dead man found in his hotel room, as well as his connection to the mysterious pathogen that’s killing thousands globally.

Intensity and suspense quickly mount as the subplots weave together that have Shaw and Hughes accepting a dangerous mission to find a cure that a radical organization is using to blackmail the world into submitting to its authority. Twisting and turning the plot builds to a crescendo as Hughes resurrects memories from his past and Shaw discovers that members of her family may be implicated. Well-written and long in length with an intricate, well-researched plot, the story progresses smoothly to an explosive ending and a cliff-hanger that promises an exciting sequel.

Bringing the story to life are complex, realistic and compelling characters like thirty-eight- year-old Dr. Peyton Shaw a work-oriented epidemiologist at the CDC who’s humble, compassionate and a trustworthy leader. His body scarred, shattered by loss, remorseful and filled with guilt, Desmond Hughes is a survivor who’s highly intelligent, resourceful and shrewd. Together Shaw and Hughes ignite a romance thought long forgotten, although he’s also drawn to Avery a headstrong, secretive and skilled combatant who neither trust but seems to know him.

Darkly riveting as past and present collide and gripping in a struggle that has you wondering if humanity will survive, “Pandemic” is a thrill-ride that’s well worth taking.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phew I'm done!

Overall this was a pretty good book. The start was a little slow, we had way too much information on the epidemiology of pandemics etc and I don’t think it was necessary, not to say it wasn’t interesting it was, but I felt I was getting a little bogged down in lots of superfluous information. Having said that you can’t say it was a boring start either, as well as being educated in the science of pandemics we also had running parallel an exciting story line from the very start which was cleverly interlinked.

The further into the book you get the more curious and exciting it gets. After the first hundred or so pages I found this increasingly hard to put down. What started off feeling like it could be a long slog was suddenly an all absorbing story unravelling in front of me. This is not your average pandemic- it was dramatic and intriguing and we had evil baddies (that reminded me a little of cliched bond villain but I don’t mind)

I really enjoyed reading about the protagonist’s (Desmond’s) upbringing, you really feel like you get to know the characters in these books, I suppose the length of the book means we have more time to get to know them and they seem well rounded and I’m invested in them. Oh and they're likeable too for the most part, despite their faults.

I often find it is hard to keep up the level of interest and excitement in long books, it's difficult to get it right but this was a really good example of how it should be done, sure the beginning was a little slow but the extra pages allowed us a closer look at all the characters and provided more detail in the story and the history too. A well written and engaging book, don’t let the length of pages put you off like I almost did.

Summing up I’d say it was a real action and adventure story with a smidge of science/science fiction and I suppose horror in a way (but nothing very awful) and mystery, and all of it was really captivating. The more I read the better it got - it's pretty gripping stuff. A little far fetched at times but hey this is fiction.

I will give this a 4+/5 and I will be reading (the slightly shorter) sequel soon.

[Jrt6 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like some other reviewers have said I found the first two thirds of the book impossible to put down and by the end I was skipping paragraphs. The protagonist starts off with a Daniel Craig James Bond type character. Professional, reticent, and focused but by the end I felt like he was trying to be on Dr. Phil. The first part of the book goes to the extreme into how traumatic his childhood was and how that formed his personality and life but the remainder of the book he was anything other than a hard person. Not the slightest bit of moral ambiguity or flexibility. The interpersonal relationships between characters were cliche and repetitive to the point I was surprised there wasn't an illustration of a guy beating a dead horse.

Firearms and small unit tactics? If you've even played Rainbow Six you'll find the ones in the book so bad you'll want to throw it. A female character who is severely injured does things such as shoot three rifle armed spec ops types with her handgun from considerable distance. An eighty year old dude is room clearing and shwacking other commandos right and left.

The book has an excellent premise and the first half shows the author know how to do write a concise and coherent thriller. I don't know if it was his desire to appeal to different types of readers and wanting to make for a longer book but the end is a repetitive complicated mess. I really didn't care about the plague anymore because I just wanted to finish the book i put too much time into reading.

[Rina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I didn't think I would enjoy this book as much as I did! This was a classic sci-fi that was action-packed from beginning to end, with scientific topics covering biology, virology, technology, philosophy, and geography that span from Alaska to Australia.

The information 'treasure hunt' style reminded me of Dan Brown's book. The short chapters mostly ended in cliffhangers, making them effective page turners.

I was a bit nervous about the technology aspect of the story (my field!), as a lot of writers who wrote about technology without understanding the topic in depth could make cringe-worthy errors that would take me away from the story. But this book didn't do this mistake. It managed to mention the right details when it had to (the geo app, the types of programming languages that mattered for Silicon Valley) while keeping the rest vague enough (the 'controller' code, any bio-related code) to still work for the story.

The only minor 'complaint' I had was that some characters felt unnecessary for the overall story, and so their chapters only felt like fillers that didn't really add to the main plot. The book could be a bit shortened without these. Having said that, I'd be interested to see if they would matter in the next book. Off to book two now!

See my bookstagram review.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Endlos-Pandemie-Seifenoper
die noch nicht beendet ist. Es gibt einen weiteren Teil, den ich mir nicht antun werde.
Weitere 500 Seiten Endlosschleifenhandlung?
Nein, danke 🙌🏻
Wenn nochmals Stalingrad erwähnt wird, bekomme ich Ausschlag 🤪

This is an endless pandemic soap opera,
that hasn't ended yet. There is another part, but I won't do it to myself.
Another 500 pages of endless looping plot?
No, thanks.
If Stalingrad is mentioned even once more, I get a rash.