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Luke Carlton #3
Outbreak
Deep within the Arctic Circle, three scientists from the UK's Arctic Research Station trudge through a blizzard in search of shelter. They see a cabin ahead. It appears abandoned. No lights. No snowmobile outside. But as they push open the door, the smell hits them. Rank and foetid: there's something bad inside.
Then movement. A man lies slumped, his face disfigured by livid pustules. Blood runs from his nostrils; his chest glistens blackly. The team's medic, Dr Sheila Mackenzie, pushes forward to examine him when the convulsions start. Blood, bile and mucus spray into the air. The doctor knows it's too late - she's been contaminated . . .
Within hours, a full-scale operation to contain this contagion is underway. Samples are rushed to the laboratories at Porton Down on high alert. What they discover changes everything. Supported by phone and data intercepts, British Intelligence reaches a terrifying conclusion: that Russia has been developing a new generation of bio-weapons.
Dispatched to investigate, MI6 operative Luke Carlton finds himself on a serpentine trail of lies and deception. From a mysterious factory in Lithuania, via arrest and imprisonment, and ultimately back to Britain, he discovers that they've been looking in the wrong place all along . . .
Then movement. A man lies slumped, his face disfigured by livid pustules. Blood runs from his nostrils; his chest glistens blackly. The team's medic, Dr Sheila Mackenzie, pushes forward to examine him when the convulsions start. Blood, bile and mucus spray into the air. The doctor knows it's too late - she's been contaminated . . .
Within hours, a full-scale operation to contain this contagion is underway. Samples are rushed to the laboratories at Porton Down on high alert. What they discover changes everything. Supported by phone and data intercepts, British Intelligence reaches a terrifying conclusion: that Russia has been developing a new generation of bio-weapons.
Dispatched to investigate, MI6 operative Luke Carlton finds himself on a serpentine trail of lies and deception. From a mysterious factory in Lithuania, via arrest and imprisonment, and ultimately back to Britain, he discovers that they've been looking in the wrong place all along . . .
446 pages, Paperback
First published May 27, 2021
275 people are currently reading
639 people want to read
About the author
Frank Gardner
7 books115 followersBBC’s fulltime Security Correspondent reporting on events from Afghanistan to piracy off the Somali coast to Arctic challenges. Shot 6 times at close range while on assignment in Saudi Arabia in 2004, left severely wounded and dependant on a wheelchair. Awarded an OBE by HM The Queen in 2005. Author of 2 bestselling books ‘Blood and Sand’ describing his Middle East experiences and ‘Far Horizons’ describing unusual journeys to unusual places. Married with 2 children, lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
May 26, 2021
I am one of those people who can’t get enough of stories like this. Even in the midst of a pandemic, I’ll happily sign myself up for a shitload of bloody and/or oozing orifices with a large side of international conspiracy. What I’m saying is ... I had to try this.
And I was disappointed. While the story is decent enough, the patchy writing and weird structure works against it, being both distracting and unnecessary.
It opens well (you can’t knock someone dying horrifically in the first few chapters) and the blurb sounds really fun. Even though I quickly realised it had really short POV passages that jump around more than I usually like, I thought it held some promise, and I can put up with that technique as a means of building tension, even if I prefer it to come from the writing rather than artificial cliffhangers.
Then the author started shoehorning in way too much information. You can’t have the immediacy of rapid POV switches and then load up the sections with meetings, someone’s romantic life, every acronym known to mankind (which you then have to explain), references to each and every terror or bio attack we’ve seen in the modern world, more meetings, the kind of dialogue you’d see in a cheesy 80s thriller, and a ton of repetition. Hardly anything actually happens in the book. Apart from of meetings. Lots of discussions about what should be done or about how terrible the outbreak will be. There’s a distinct lack of action for a book being touted as ‘an explosive thriller’.
Maybe it’ll work in the market it’s aimed for, but unless you’re really desperate, I wouldn’t recommend it.
ARC via Netgalley
And I was disappointed. While the story is decent enough, the patchy writing and weird structure works against it, being both distracting and unnecessary.
It opens well (you can’t knock someone dying horrifically in the first few chapters) and the blurb sounds really fun. Even though I quickly realised it had really short POV passages that jump around more than I usually like, I thought it held some promise, and I can put up with that technique as a means of building tension, even if I prefer it to come from the writing rather than artificial cliffhangers.
Then the author started shoehorning in way too much information. You can’t have the immediacy of rapid POV switches and then load up the sections with meetings, someone’s romantic life, every acronym known to mankind (which you then have to explain), references to each and every terror or bio attack we’ve seen in the modern world, more meetings, the kind of dialogue you’d see in a cheesy 80s thriller, and a ton of repetition. Hardly anything actually happens in the book. Apart from of meetings. Lots of discussions about what should be done or about how terrible the outbreak will be. There’s a distinct lack of action for a book being touted as ‘an explosive thriller’.
Maybe it’ll work in the market it’s aimed for, but unless you’re really desperate, I wouldn’t recommend it.
ARC via Netgalley
May 1, 2021
This one looked right up my street. Fantastic cover. Arctic setting. An out break of a virus. Heck we even have a gruesome death in the opening pages. Here we go I thought.
Not so unfortunately. Despite being about a potential outbreak of a deadly virus, not a lot actually happens. There are lots of meetings, lots of acronyms that have to be explained (which became extremely tedious), an agent that must be the most incompetent agent that ever existed, making one stupid decision after another and a story that never fulfilled its opening set up and promise.
The dialogue is extremely cheesy at times, there’s a romantic side story shoe horned in that feels extremely clumsy and the whole thing was just extremely underwhelming.
A shame. It has some good ideas but the direction chosen by the author and the poor writing overall made this a no no for me unfortunately.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
Not so unfortunately. Despite being about a potential outbreak of a deadly virus, not a lot actually happens. There are lots of meetings, lots of acronyms that have to be explained (which became extremely tedious), an agent that must be the most incompetent agent that ever existed, making one stupid decision after another and a story that never fulfilled its opening set up and promise.
The dialogue is extremely cheesy at times, there’s a romantic side story shoe horned in that feels extremely clumsy and the whole thing was just extremely underwhelming.
A shame. It has some good ideas but the direction chosen by the author and the poor writing overall made this a no no for me unfortunately.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
May 17, 2021
I was attracted to this by the premise and the setting in the Arctic and the opening was indeed enticing! But after that my interest was lost, mostly because not a lot happens, there are some very dim characters making unbelievable decisions and because bubonic plague seemed a strange choice of disease to pick, considering that it still exists today and can be treated with antibiotics. It's set after the Covid Pandemic so the references to that were interesting. But all in all rather disappointing.
May 29, 2021
I was quite excited when I read the the description for an audio book written by Frank Gardner and narrated by Jonathan Keeble and was very happy to be approved to listen to it.
"Deep within the Arctic Circle, three scientists from the UK's Arctic Research Station trudge through a blizzard in search of shelter. They see a cabin ahead. It appears abandoned. No lights. No snowmobile outside. But as they push open the door, the smell hits them. Rank and foetid: there's something bad inside...."
I believe this is the third book with the character Luke Carlton, but it doesn't matter if you haven't read the others as this book can easily be read and picked up without the need to read the other two prior to this so works extremely well as a standalone,
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, with many references to current or recent world pandemic and other outbreaks etc. and felt it was very well researched. Great audio book.
Thank you to Penguin Random House UK Audio, Netgalley and Transworld Digital for the opportunity to review this audio book.
"Deep within the Arctic Circle, three scientists from the UK's Arctic Research Station trudge through a blizzard in search of shelter. They see a cabin ahead. It appears abandoned. No lights. No snowmobile outside. But as they push open the door, the smell hits them. Rank and foetid: there's something bad inside...."
I believe this is the third book with the character Luke Carlton, but it doesn't matter if you haven't read the others as this book can easily be read and picked up without the need to read the other two prior to this so works extremely well as a standalone,
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, with many references to current or recent world pandemic and other outbreaks etc. and felt it was very well researched. Great audio book.
Thank you to Penguin Random House UK Audio, Netgalley and Transworld Digital for the opportunity to review this audio book.
May 6, 2021
I know this book is a thriller but it’s not my usual kind of thriller. It is a type of book that I enjoy; I just don’t read enough of them. So I was super excited to get the chance to add this book to my read list. Thank you to @FrankRGardner and @TransworldBooks for this advanced audio copy of Outbreak in return for an honest review. Outbreak is due to be published on 27th May 2021 and you can get a copy here.
Description 🔖
Three scientists from the UK are battling a blizzard deep in the Arctic Circle but when they spot an abandoned cabin ahead they start to feel some relief. As they enter the cabin they immediately realise that something is very wrong. A severely sick man is in the cabin and when the team medic approaches him to help she quickly figures out that whatever this man is suffering from is very dangerous and very contagious.
Within hours, UK government and bodies are working to try and contain the disease and investigate its origin. Intelligence concludes that this is a terrifying man made bio weapon created to cause destruction. Luke Carlton from the MI6 is assigned to work on the case and is thrown into danger every which way, but is he looking in the right places?
General Thoughts 🤔
As soon as I started this book I knew I was going to like it. It’s packed with action, tension and it’s so fast paced. I don’t know what it is about intelligence operatives and covert missions but I find them really exciting and Outbreak did not disappoint on that front. It was thrillingly nail biting and I was so invested.
Only a week or so ago I was wondering whether or not books set in the present day or future would reference COVID-19. I feel like they have to right? I know it’s fiction but it’s such a big thing that has happened I expected it to start popping up in stories. Although this book is not about COVID-19, I thought that it was referenced just the right amount.
Characters 👭👫👬
I did not realise that this is not the first book from Frank Gardner about Luke Carlton but now that I do, I want to read more. I loved him as a character; flaws and all. I like my heroes to be a little rough around the edges and I got that impression of him. Not scared to break a rule here and there in order to get to a result.
She wasn’t a huge part of the storyline, but for some reason, Luke’s girlfriend irritated me a little. I thought she was a little bit of a nag but then I may have missed some of the history about their relationship that has skewed my opinion of her.
Writing Style ✍🏽
I really liked the way that this book was written. Short and snappy chapters kept me engaged and gripped and I loved some of the cliff hangers. I did get a little confused at times as the chapters jumped locations a lot and I lost track of what was happening where geographically.
I listened to the audiobook and the narration was great. It was dramatic in all of the right places and I’m not ashamed to admit that there were moments where I shouted back at the voice reading me the story as though I was cast into the story.
Conclusion & Scoring 🎖
I thought that this was a really good action thriller and I was even a little bit disappointed that it was over once I was finished. I thought it was a bit of a cross between I Am Pilgrim and the Robert Galbraith series so if you like either of those I would recommend that you give this a try.
Description 🔖
Three scientists from the UK are battling a blizzard deep in the Arctic Circle but when they spot an abandoned cabin ahead they start to feel some relief. As they enter the cabin they immediately realise that something is very wrong. A severely sick man is in the cabin and when the team medic approaches him to help she quickly figures out that whatever this man is suffering from is very dangerous and very contagious.
Within hours, UK government and bodies are working to try and contain the disease and investigate its origin. Intelligence concludes that this is a terrifying man made bio weapon created to cause destruction. Luke Carlton from the MI6 is assigned to work on the case and is thrown into danger every which way, but is he looking in the right places?
General Thoughts 🤔
As soon as I started this book I knew I was going to like it. It’s packed with action, tension and it’s so fast paced. I don’t know what it is about intelligence operatives and covert missions but I find them really exciting and Outbreak did not disappoint on that front. It was thrillingly nail biting and I was so invested.
Only a week or so ago I was wondering whether or not books set in the present day or future would reference COVID-19. I feel like they have to right? I know it’s fiction but it’s such a big thing that has happened I expected it to start popping up in stories. Although this book is not about COVID-19, I thought that it was referenced just the right amount.
Characters 👭👫👬
I did not realise that this is not the first book from Frank Gardner about Luke Carlton but now that I do, I want to read more. I loved him as a character; flaws and all. I like my heroes to be a little rough around the edges and I got that impression of him. Not scared to break a rule here and there in order to get to a result.
She wasn’t a huge part of the storyline, but for some reason, Luke’s girlfriend irritated me a little. I thought she was a little bit of a nag but then I may have missed some of the history about their relationship that has skewed my opinion of her.
Writing Style ✍🏽
I really liked the way that this book was written. Short and snappy chapters kept me engaged and gripped and I loved some of the cliff hangers. I did get a little confused at times as the chapters jumped locations a lot and I lost track of what was happening where geographically.
I listened to the audiobook and the narration was great. It was dramatic in all of the right places and I’m not ashamed to admit that there were moments where I shouted back at the voice reading me the story as though I was cast into the story.
Conclusion & Scoring 🎖
I thought that this was a really good action thriller and I was even a little bit disappointed that it was over once I was finished. I thought it was a bit of a cross between I Am Pilgrim and the Robert Galbraith series so if you like either of those I would recommend that you give this a try.
May 5, 2021
I enjoyed this one, for me the right blend of “tip of the spear” action and the background stuff that enables it, just the way Tom Clancy balanced his books.
Written after Covid, this relates to a bioweapon that could be even more deadly. An infected body in the Arctic leads to a race against time. MI6 agent Luke Carlton is brought in for the initial investigation and continues to be the lead guy as the action moves around the world. Who is responsible and why? Are the Russians helping or hindering, the answers might determine if Carlton lives or dies.
As I said, I enjoyed this. I enjoyed that it wasn’t just an agent plane hopping from one gun fight to another and that we got more under the skin of the intelligence services. Possibly my favourite of the books so far, not just because it was topical but because it all clicked together rather well. The author has the experience and knows his stuff and it all clearly shows.
Written after Covid, this relates to a bioweapon that could be even more deadly. An infected body in the Arctic leads to a race against time. MI6 agent Luke Carlton is brought in for the initial investigation and continues to be the lead guy as the action moves around the world. Who is responsible and why? Are the Russians helping or hindering, the answers might determine if Carlton lives or dies.
As I said, I enjoyed this. I enjoyed that it wasn’t just an agent plane hopping from one gun fight to another and that we got more under the skin of the intelligence services. Possibly my favourite of the books so far, not just because it was topical but because it all clicked together rather well. The author has the experience and knows his stuff and it all clearly shows.
May 28, 2021
When I saw that this was written by Frank Gardner, who I have always admired then I saw it narrated by Johnathan Keeble, well, I was sold. I really enjoyed this spook story, it had me hooked and I found myself listening to it in the early hours as I needed to know what was happening to Luke! Great research by the author which made it sound all very realistic. Highly recommended.
February 4, 2024
Fast paced thriller, spoilt by a predictable tame ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2021
Ok, confession time - I was ready to hate this book before I'd read a single page. Why? because the topic - a deadly virus about the spread around the world - I'm simply not ready for this sort of thing and so I suspect are many others. Why then did I read on? - and I hope Frank Gardner is reading this - is that I had very much enjoyed his previous two Luke Carlton novels and I'm a loyal reader. Fortunately this book is much more enjoyable the I feared and is another thoroughly riveting thriller. This is not another pandemic story of the sort we know too well, but a novel of deranged scientists, competing spy agencies and agents with complicated personal lives, all set against a desperate race against time. The story starts in Norway and moves between Lithuania, Russia and the UK, with Luke Carlton moving rapidly between them with barely time to sleep between terrifying encounters. The story starts at 50 mph and quickly accelerates to about 1,00o mph for the final 100 pages or so, which I read in about a single breath (honest).
I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to Luke Carlton's next outing!
I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to Luke Carlton's next outing!
July 10, 2022
Did not like at all, felt poorly researched and unrealistic
September 30, 2021
When I first picked up this book, I was sold on the idea that it would be a freaky, wintery thriller set in an isolated cabin, where a terrible killer virus had been unleashed. And, it was... For the first few chapters. Sadly, after that, it just became a pretty standard police thriller.
Don't get me wrong, this book is fantastic escapist fun, and some scenes really did delivery the creepiness I was after, it's just, I was sold on something more weighted towards a horror experience. My low rating doesn't mean that this is a bad book, it's just a case of the book not being for me.
Don't get me wrong, this book is fantastic escapist fun, and some scenes really did delivery the creepiness I was after, it's just, I was sold on something more weighted towards a horror experience. My low rating doesn't mean that this is a bad book, it's just a case of the book not being for me.
May 7, 2022
A tense thriller concerning bioweapons and a potential pandemic. I thought this was well written, with multiple points of view being told, and an exciting / nerve-wracking read.
I see it's the third book in a series but this didn't affect my enjoyment. I'll be looking for the rest of the series now though!
I see it's the third book in a series but this didn't affect my enjoyment. I'll be looking for the rest of the series now though!
September 4, 2022
I loved this book. I loved how it was written. I loved how the chapters were broken down amongst the players, the locations. Each short chapter flowed one after another like a good action thriller should. The short chapters also allowed me to read the book and no lose my spot or interest thru distractions. I mostly read during lulls at work to pass the time and the way this book was constructed was simply perfect.
The author clearly has some background or done plenty of research in order to write this work. It was not so far fetched that it was hard to follow or believe. Also, the setting of the book with reference to relevant current events made it even more plausible!
And the epilogue! Oh boy!
The author clearly has some background or done plenty of research in order to write this work. It was not so far fetched that it was hard to follow or believe. Also, the setting of the book with reference to relevant current events made it even more plausible!
And the epilogue! Oh boy!
July 21, 2021
Best of the series so far.
October 31, 2021
Did not finish. Didn't even make it halfway. My first book by this author.
Book started well, but the girlfriend was super annoying, the main character flat, and the meetings boring.
Book started well, but the girlfriend was super annoying, the main character flat, and the meetings boring.
July 31, 2023
Yet another brilliant adventure story from Frank Gardner and it seems I must wait until next year to get book 4 :(
July 8, 2021
Our hero, MI6 agent Luke Carlton, is still a bit wet around the ears when it comes to working as an operative. He has experience in warzones around the world in the armed forces, but the delicate business of intelligence gathering and acting upon it is a steep learning curve. One of the things I liked about the character is we get to hear his innermost thoughts. You come to appreciate the stresses and strains of existing in a constant state of readiness. Luke doesn’t get much opportunity to think when he is in the field. He has to make decisions based on information that evolves minute by minute. The best thing is that his decisions aren’t always the right ones. At times you see flashes of uncertainty in Luke and I love that. A character that succeeds in everything they do does have a tendency to become stale rather quickly.
The last thriller I read earlier in the year was The Two Lost Mountains by Matthew Reilly, and Outbreak couldn’t be more different. Events certainly aren’t anywhere near as over the top as Reilly’s Hollywood blockbuster-esque explosion-fests which makes for a pleasant change. Don’t get me wrong, I like a death-defying last-minute escape as much as the next person, but Gardner’s writing replaces that with gritty realism and adds a growing tension in a subtler manner. Gardner’s protagonist is far more grounded, more human.
This is the first thriller that I’ve read that exists in a post-pandemic version of our world and it’s interesting to note how the author has incorporated events into the narrative. Just casual nods here and there but you can definitely feel its presence. This makes Outbreak feel more than a little topical and all too familiar. I kept thinking I could easily be hearing elements of this story on the news.
There were moments in that plot where I was also reminded of The Tiptoe Boys by Ken Follett, which in turn reminded me of the eighties classic action movie Who Dares Wins. Outbreak treads similar ground which I admit I was entirely happy about as The Tiptoe Boys has long been a personal favourite.
I’ve not read any of the other Luke Carlton novels, but based on my enjoyment of Outbreak I need to remedy this oversight immediately. Crisis and Ultimatum need to be added to my ever-expanding list of thrillers I really do need to catch up on. This novel is the sort of superior thriller escapism I love to get caught up in.
The last thriller I read earlier in the year was The Two Lost Mountains by Matthew Reilly, and Outbreak couldn’t be more different. Events certainly aren’t anywhere near as over the top as Reilly’s Hollywood blockbuster-esque explosion-fests which makes for a pleasant change. Don’t get me wrong, I like a death-defying last-minute escape as much as the next person, but Gardner’s writing replaces that with gritty realism and adds a growing tension in a subtler manner. Gardner’s protagonist is far more grounded, more human.
This is the first thriller that I’ve read that exists in a post-pandemic version of our world and it’s interesting to note how the author has incorporated events into the narrative. Just casual nods here and there but you can definitely feel its presence. This makes Outbreak feel more than a little topical and all too familiar. I kept thinking I could easily be hearing elements of this story on the news.
There were moments in that plot where I was also reminded of The Tiptoe Boys by Ken Follett, which in turn reminded me of the eighties classic action movie Who Dares Wins. Outbreak treads similar ground which I admit I was entirely happy about as The Tiptoe Boys has long been a personal favourite.
I’ve not read any of the other Luke Carlton novels, but based on my enjoyment of Outbreak I need to remedy this oversight immediately. Crisis and Ultimatum need to be added to my ever-expanding list of thrillers I really do need to catch up on. This novel is the sort of superior thriller escapism I love to get caught up in.
May 16, 2021
Amazing to read that Frank Gardner started writing Outbreak before we found ourselves in the throes of a real life pandemic. Somewhat prescient readers may think. Outbreak is a further outing for M16 operative Luke Carlton though this was the first for me. Thrillers are my favourite genre and the plot is tremendous involving a deadly pathogen and the race against time to prevent it being unleashed on an unsuspecting public which is still recovering from COVID 19 upending their lives.
For me though the writing is so pedantic and repetitive. It began to amuse me that, aside from Luke, every other character’s name was written/narrated in full (first name and surname) every time. Furthermore every character, and there are so many, had to have his or her credentials explained almost every time they reappeared. I lost a lot of patience with this. The many female characters are very one dimensional. In contrast the men’s physical appearances are so well described alongside their mannerisms and clothes. Most of the women just pursed their lips endlessly.
I struggled with the narrator. His Luke Carlton voice was very Grant Mitchell (EastEnders), the Norwegians, Lithuanians and Russians very similar (think Sergei the meerkat) and the women were frankly odd. Given that there were so many women in the story I would have loved to have heard a woman read those roles.
I suspect this book will appeal to men primarily as the violence is quite graphic and there are lengthy descriptions of guns and vehicles.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the audiobook.
For me though the writing is so pedantic and repetitive. It began to amuse me that, aside from Luke, every other character’s name was written/narrated in full (first name and surname) every time. Furthermore every character, and there are so many, had to have his or her credentials explained almost every time they reappeared. I lost a lot of patience with this. The many female characters are very one dimensional. In contrast the men’s physical appearances are so well described alongside their mannerisms and clothes. Most of the women just pursed their lips endlessly.
I struggled with the narrator. His Luke Carlton voice was very Grant Mitchell (EastEnders), the Norwegians, Lithuanians and Russians very similar (think Sergei the meerkat) and the women were frankly odd. Given that there were so many women in the story I would have loved to have heard a woman read those roles.
I suspect this book will appeal to men primarily as the violence is quite graphic and there are lengthy descriptions of guns and vehicles.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the audiobook.
January 8, 2022
4.5 stars (wish goodreads did half stars).
An espionage thriller, not my normal thriller but with the same title as my all time favourite file (yes I'm that old and sad) I had to read it. Loads of military and secret service acronyms that once you get used to don't distract from the story. If you enjoyed the sky TV series alias you'll like this. POV changes a lot and again takes some getting your head round but I work perfectly, that along side the short chapters keeps the pressure on. Times running out, only an few days have past yet 100s of Miles travelled. Gandener really keeps the pace up throughout the book.
I've not read the 1st 2 luke Charlton books, but after this I'm going to hunt them out.
An espionage thriller, not my normal thriller but with the same title as my all time favourite file (yes I'm that old and sad) I had to read it. Loads of military and secret service acronyms that once you get used to don't distract from the story. If you enjoyed the sky TV series alias you'll like this. POV changes a lot and again takes some getting your head round but I work perfectly, that along side the short chapters keeps the pressure on. Times running out, only an few days have past yet 100s of Miles travelled. Gandener really keeps the pace up throughout the book.
I've not read the 1st 2 luke Charlton books, but after this I'm going to hunt them out.
July 2, 2021
I loved the synopsis of this book, right up my street!
Unfortunately I just couldn't get along with it, I persevered but I found the endless meetings and trying to remember which cabinet minister was which, and the many many acronyms, gave me a headache!
I totally get that these are needed but it became so incredibly detailed that I found it quite hard to
become absorbed in the story as I kept re reading paragraphs to remember who was who.
I found Luke sadly quite irritating as he was forever bemoaning how 'old' he felt in various settings, hes only in his 30s!
The premise of the book is very good, as is the writing, it is just incredibly detailed and intense and I found my attention wondering.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Unfortunately I just couldn't get along with it, I persevered but I found the endless meetings and trying to remember which cabinet minister was which, and the many many acronyms, gave me a headache!
I totally get that these are needed but it became so incredibly detailed that I found it quite hard to
become absorbed in the story as I kept re reading paragraphs to remember who was who.
I found Luke sadly quite irritating as he was forever bemoaning how 'old' he felt in various settings, hes only in his 30s!
The premise of the book is very good, as is the writing, it is just incredibly detailed and intense and I found my attention wondering.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
February 10, 2023
When a deadly virus is discovered in the Arctic Circle, MI6 agent Luke Carlton is sent to investigate. It's thought that Russia has been developing a new bio-weapon. What follows is a cat and mouse race against time to prevent a global pandemic.
Outbreak is the third book in the Luke Carlton series but the first that I've read. It worked well as a standalone and whilst I enjoyed it, it wasn't quite what I expected. There was too much chatter around tables in meetings and not enough action to totally capture my full attention. Also, an abundance of acronyms weighed it down (a case of "oh no, here comes another one!"); yes, explanations were given but was it all really necessary? I thought the writing (minus acronyms) was excellent and characters skilfully brought to life. However, I found them a little too clichéd.
Overall it was an enjoyable read but I do think a few tweaks here and there would elevate it to the next level.
Outbreak is the third book in the Luke Carlton series but the first that I've read. It worked well as a standalone and whilst I enjoyed it, it wasn't quite what I expected. There was too much chatter around tables in meetings and not enough action to totally capture my full attention. Also, an abundance of acronyms weighed it down (a case of "oh no, here comes another one!"); yes, explanations were given but was it all really necessary? I thought the writing (minus acronyms) was excellent and characters skilfully brought to life. However, I found them a little too clichéd.
Overall it was an enjoyable read but I do think a few tweaks here and there would elevate it to the next level.
October 11, 2024
Not me LOVING a spy thriller. This was so far out of what I normally read that I think my slump is cured. Book 3 but worked brilliant as a standalone! Gonna have to go back and read all the others even though this is totally not what I expected. Loved it
July 10, 2022
Story 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love when an author takes real history (those poisonings) and makes it even more terrifying.
If you enjoyed the movie Outbreak you will enjoy this pandemic book.
I love when an author takes real history (those poisonings) and makes it even more terrifying.
If you enjoyed the movie Outbreak you will enjoy this pandemic book.
April 22, 2024
Too soon 🫣
July 30, 2025
Basically DNF. Skimmed from about midway.
It started out so promising, gave a real Dan Brown vibes but make it plague, you know? And then it was just a never ending barrage of information. Pointless information, politics, travels, talking, agents, talking, politics. Ugh. And it never picked up again.
Extremely disappointing.
It started out so promising, gave a real Dan Brown vibes but make it plague, you know? And then it was just a never ending barrage of information. Pointless information, politics, travels, talking, agents, talking, politics. Ugh. And it never picked up again.
Extremely disappointing.
July 29, 2021
My first from this author, definately won't be the last, a gripping rollercoaster of a read, and in the current situation a little too close to home, very enjoyable!
February 7, 2024
Not my favourite Luke Carlton book. Would have preferred more arctic scenes to London and Essex. Took me a while to get through it. And I didn’t buy in to his love for Elise. But also, when is the next book coming…… 😱
November 29, 2021
A difficult book to read as it resembled close to what happened in the pandemic, and having lost people I knew, I took a long time to finish this. Overall an okay read.
August 29, 2022
Excellent read.
Set post Covid, right up until the final page the plot thickens!
Set post Covid, right up until the final page the plot thickens!
May 13, 2022
I will be honest, I got this book for the deadly virus bits, rather than the espionage stuff, I had not read either of the previous Luke Carlton thrillers. I loved the more medico/scientific parts of the book and whizzed through the first half of the book really quickly. I got very bogged down with the thriller side of the book though, thus the 3 stars. If you like thrillers I would say go for it, with the proviso that the main protagonist is a bit of a softy and not as hard bitten as I would have liked him. I do not usually do spoilers but I will say that I found his rekindling of his relationship with his rather unlovely girlfriend a bit too much.
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