Exposed

Maggie O'Dell #6

by Alex Kava

Veteran FBI profiler Maggie O'Dell and Assistant Director Cunningham believed the threat targeted Quantico. It targeted them.A deadly virus--virtually undetectable until it causes death from a million internal cuts. The victims appear random, but Maggie wonders if vengeance isn't the guiding hand.

An aficionado of contemporary killers, using bits and pieces from their crimes--the Beltway Sniper's phrases, the Unabomber's clues, the Anthrax Killer's delivery.

Maggie knows dangerous minds, but she must tackle this new opponent from within a biosafety isolation ward--while waiting to see if death is already multiplying inside her body. She just fears her last case might end with the most intelligent killer she's ever faced escalating from murder...to epidemic.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Fiction, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Murder Mystery

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Alex Kava is the New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling author of twenty-three novels, including the award-winning Ryder Creed K-9 mystery thrillers and the international bestselling Maggie O’Dell series. She is the recipient of two Nebraska Book Awards, the Florida Book Award and the Mari Sandoz Award. Published in thirty-seven countries, her novels have sold over seven million copies and have made the bestseller lists across the world. When she’s not writing, Kava enjoys spending time with her pack of three Westies and one Jack Russell terrorist. They definitely are not as well-behaved as Ryder Creed’s dogs.

Reviews

[Nikola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gdyby to była moja pierwsza książka Alex Kavy to w życiu nie sięgnęłabym po kolejne. Mam wrażenie, że jest pokracznie napisana (lub przetłumaczona), strasznie chaotyczna i brakuje jej tego czegoś co mają wszystkie inne książki Kavy.

[Phrynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the sixth Maggie O'Dell novel and probably the best so far. It was a very quick, easy read and certainly held my attention all the way through.
I still dislike the author's habit of pausing in the middle of events to tell us unimportant details about her character's thoughts or past lives. However she did reduce this somewhat in this particular book.
Maggie also seems to be getting a grip on life now and managed to come up with some actual constructive detective work. I do wish she would for once work out who the killer is and go to deal with him rather than accidentally falling into his deadly clutches and having to be saved each time. Shades of Kay Scarpetta.
I almost gave it four stars - but not quite.

[Jonetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Behavioral Science Unit (BSU) receives a cryptic note in a box of doughnuts that leads them to a biohazard scene. What happens next is truly chilling and represents only the beginning of terrible assaults involving a deadly virus.

This is the best story in the series to date with Maggie and Tully doing some serious profiling. We learn a lot more about Tully's history and there are a few shocking events before the end. I really liked how true life events were woven into this fictional tale, which only helped to heighten the tension and fear.

I enjoyed this installment, even though there are some heartbreaking moments. This is the first book where Maggie showed some profiling chops and used them. Now, if she'd only learn to wait for her partner!

[Marnie (Enchanted Bibliophile) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent and well researched book. Especially with the Ebola outbreak that happened just now; again! Will people ever learn?

[Scott A. Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems like I’ve been picking virus books lately... O’Dell and Tully were solid as always but I was surprised to see one of the crew lost. I’m not sure what’s going on with a couple others, one old and one new but that’s Kava doing a good job.

I enjoyed the way she included real events in this fictional story, it was a nice touch. This one really was different from the books and villains before it. Can’t wait to see where Kava takes them next. Wow. This is book 100 for the year. COVID-19 needs to be sorted for so many reasons.

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars

Maggie O'Dell is back in a chilling and terrifying story of bioterrorism in the 6th book in the series.

When Maggie and her team arrive at FBI offices in Quantico, Virginia to investigate the exposure to a deadly and unknown virus of two people, she and her boss, the FBI’s Assistant Directorate placed in quarantine when they are exposed to the virus as well.

What happens next is a nerve-jangling and frightening time for the two, as they battle to finding the culprit and a treatment to save their lives.

The plot contains twists and turns and some shocking and surprises revelations.

The character development continues at a good pace and we are learning more about Maggie and Tully's past history.

We do get a quick sight of Sheriff Nick Morelli, who was first introduced as Maggie's love interest in A Perfect Evil, the 1st book in the series. A new and very interesting character is introduced , who may be Maggie's new love interest..

This is, for me, the best book so far in the series.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this 6th book in the Maggie O'Dell series

[Martine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Kathrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nachdem ich nun 6 Bände in der Maggie O'Dell Serie gelesen habe, kann ich sagen, dass ich die Erzählweise sowie die Figuren echt schätze. Teilweise finde ich die Gewaltschilderungen unnötig brutal, aber ich verschmerze das. Mehr beeindruckt mich, dass ich Band 1 vor 9 Jahren gelesen habe und immer noch Gefallen an der Serie finde.

Ich hoffe einfach mal, dass nicht eine wieder eine Ewigkeit vergeht bevor ich mit dem nächsten Band weitermache.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alex kava continues to disappoint with the Maggie O Dell series. Maggie's love life is the most pathetic and annoying point of this series. I have read other series where the protagonist has a new love interest in every book and that is absolutely fine. But what I hate about this series so far is that Maggie not only has a new love interest introduced in almost every book, but has her old love interests follow around her, stalk her and how their mind rambles about how beautiful and special she is. You either have one love interest per book or have a constant one in the entire series (like Eve Dallas and Roarke). But at this rate, she might as well maintain a Harem. The story plots are pretty boring and with every proceeding book, her profiler elements in the story are reducing as well. Gonna stop reading this series and author with this book as I personally feel it is a waste of time.

[Karen Jarvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, although a little close to home at the moment! Lockdown book 22

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The FBI receives a mysterious note stating that there will be a crash today. FBI profiler Maggie O'Dell and Assistant Director Kyle Cunningham hurry to a family home to find a little girl left on her own...her mother in bed, deathly ill. Maggie soon discovers that they have been exposed to a virus; Something that could kill many people if left unchecked. Put in quarantine, Maggie discovers that the perpetrator has left clues that tie to some of the FBI's biggest cases, including the Anthrax murders, the Tylenol poisonings, and the Beltway Snipers.

This is the 6th book in the Maggie O'Dell series. The storyline certainly kept me interested. Both Maggie and Tully got to do their profiling which helped solve the mystery. I had a problem with the way Maggie handled one piece of evidence. If this were a real case, she would most likely be fired. It really threw me out of the story for a while. My rating: 4 Stars.

[Aleksandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Miku · Rating 3 out of 5]

Szósty tom z Maggie O’Dell tym razem skupi się na zagrożeniu z którym bardzo ciężko walczyć, budzi strach i może narobić wiele szkód w bardzo krótkim czasie. Kiedy do Akademii FBI przyjeżdża paczka z pączkami to nikt nie spodziewa się, że na jej dnie będzie list od terrorysty z informacją o planowanym zamachu. Maggie, Cunningham oraz reszta zespołu jadą na wskazane miejsce i odkrywają, że adresat listu puścił w obieg wirusa powodujący silne krwawienie oraz bolesną śmierć. Osoby, które miały styczność z wirusem zostają przetransportowane do wojskowego instytutu badawczego i mogą wyłącznie na odległość starać się pomóc innym w rozwiązaniu sprawy.

Ten tom uznaję za gorszy od pozostałych tylko i wyłącznie z jednego powodu - za mało jest Maggie O'Dell. Agentka do zadań specjalnych zostaje wyłączona oraz zamknięta w izolacji, a tym samym fabuła musowo skupia się na wielu innych postaciach związanych z badaniem chorób zakaźnych czy wyznaczonych funkcjonariuszach prowadzących śledztwo. Ponadto, kiedy fabuła krąży wokół czegoś takiego jak wirus oraz roznoszenie choroby to zabrakło mi tego czegoś, że kogoś ścigamy, są sekcje zwłok, użycie broni, mamy pościgi, krwawe prezenty dla prowadzących śledztwo, bezpośrednie zagrożenie życia. Tutaj mamy izolatki, szpital, laboratorium, przykutych do łóżka pacjentów oraz leczenie. Nadal czułam się zaangażowana w tę serię, a ta książka była dla mnie świetną rozrywką. Przeczytałam tę pozycję w bardzo krótkim czasie, bo trudno było mi się oderwać. Jednak to jest moja 7 przeczytana książka autorki i wiem co potrafi zaserwować czytelnikowi.

Przy tym tomie zostawiam 2,5 gwiazdki.

[Feyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 🌟
Wow. Absolut beklemmend, vor allem wenn man die aktuelle Situation bedenkt. Ein Killer, der ein Virus verbreitet um zu töten und dieses Virus verbreitet sich in einem Teil der Welt aktuell (wie auch zu der Zeit, zu der das Buch entstand)... Schon sehr harter Tobak, zumindest für mich.
Insgesamt las es sich für mich sehr anders als die übrigen Bücher der Reihe, aber wieder sehr gut. Ich freue mich schon sehr auf die nächste Geschichte um Maggie.

[Linda Branham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Maggie O'dell. Gwen asks Maggie to check on a patient who seems to be missing. The person attended a fueral in Connecticut and has not been heard from since. While searching for the missing patient, barrels filled with bodies are uncovered

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! Quite probably my favorite book this year. A real page turner. Great series.

[Anke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prima los te lezen deel van deze serie.
Heel goed boek en heel actueel….

[BeverlyB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nail biter to the end.

[Tay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite O'Dell book but still enjoyable.

[Meghan Geary · Rating 3 out of 5]

You’d think a book about virus epidemics would be anathema at this point, but alas, I’m still a sucker for a good outbreak thriller.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The person sharing these books with me gave me this one out of order. I can tell I missed out on a couple of things referenced about Maggie and Tully's personal lives, but mostly it's OK to read this out of order.

This one was super interesting and didn't have a dull moment. One of the best of this series! Instead of just a serial killer, there is also a killer virus involved.

[Zyffyr · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5-5 Stars ✨ for suspense and enjoyment

My thoughts, short and sweet: I thought this was great as I’ve come to expect from Alex Kava. Definitely my favorite in the Maggie O’Dell series. Go into it blind. You won’t be able to put it down!

(I do miss the dogs I enjoy in the Ryder Creed series.)

I hope for more of both…….soon.

Highly recommended.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exposed
4 Stars

Synopsis:
An act of terrorism or a personal vendetta…
On a seemingly routine morning at the FBI behavioral sciences unit, agent Maggie O’Dell and her superior find a threat hidden in the doughnut box and are subsequently exposed to a deadly virus. Is this the work of a fanatic or someone with a grudge? How many will die before Maggie and her partner uncover the truth?

Review:
A thrilling premise delivered with style. A little different from the other books in the series, Exposure is more of a medical thriller than a serial killer novel. The plot is reminiscent of the 1995 film “Outbreak” with Dustin Hoffman, Morgan Freeman and Rene Russo in which a diseased monkey is smuggled into the US and ends up infecting a small town.

Characterization is definitely Kava's strong suit and she doesn't disappoint with the revelations about Tully's past. Maggie, on the other hand, is still a strong and intelligent heroine but does not seem able to learn from her mistakes either personally or professionally. The secondary characters are also well-developed and clever hints are included in the details so that the careful reader can work out the nature of the threat and the identity of the villain, whose motivation turns out to be very intriguing.

In general, the book is well written and I particularly enjoyed the true crime trivia interspersed throughout. Nevertheless, there are moments, particularly in the first half, where the plot lags and the suspense is lacking; it ultimately picks up and progresses rapidly in the second half and from then on becomes “unputdownable”. It must be noted that the story relies heavily on information provided in earlier installments and as such this is not the book to read if you are new to the Maggie O’Dell series.

The surprises in this book should make the next one even more interesting.

[Aneca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been following Kava’s Maggie O’Dell series from book 1 and I am happy to say that this sixth installment is one of the best I read.

Maggie and her boss receive an anonymous letter that leads them to a house where a woman if dying with a contagious disease. They all have to be quarantined and soon the virus threatening them has a name: Ebola Zaire. One of the deadliest viruses around.


Not only that but also several people across the country are receiving money packages infected with the virus. While some of the top officials are worried about keeping the disease a secret, others are trying to discover who is behind this horrifying attack. Maggie O’Dell is closed up in her quarantine room waiting for the symptoms to appear, or not, and the only thing she can do is a web search trying to make some sense of what clues they have.

Kava is very good at keeping the suspense, not only we are curious to know who the bad guy is but we are waiting to see who else is going to be infected and if Maggie and the little girl are doomed too. In fact, she writes it in a way that new characters are constantly appearing as possible victims. What we don’t know is why so seemingly unrelated people are all being targeted. The book is very fast paced and an absolute page-turner.

Taking center stage beside O’Dell, Kava introduces another interesting character who may, or may not, be a love interest. In addition, for anyone who is curious we do have a glimpse of Nick Morrelli in this one.

I really enjoyed the book and found it very refreshing because it was so different to have the main character closed in a room for most of the action. And I liked the idea of the bioterrorism threat as a plot device.

Grade: 5/5

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 out of 5 stars Maggie O'Dell enters the Hot Zone in this new thriller by Alex Kava..., January 10, 2009

This review is from: Exposed (Maggie O'Dell) (Hardcover)

This was an entertaining biomedical thriller. It had enough science to inform a reader about the resultant disease and the ease of transmission of a lethal virus (Ebola Zaire) and an adequate amount of suspense to keep me guessing as to the identity and motivations of the criminal mastermind behind the devious plot. I find books about epidemics and potential biological threats interesting and thought-provoking.

Rather than give another synopsis of the story, suffice to say that the killer in EXPOSED leads partners O'Dell and Tully to a well-crafted conclusion. The author provides us with a plausible scenario and a caution that just one vindictive nut can do horrible evil using a weapon known in some circles as the "slatewiper" because of its lethal nature.

I am not completely familiar with the long term development of the characters in the series, but I think this book could stand alone given that enough background is included to give a general impression of Maggie and Tully, a bit about their past personal lives, and hints of past cases and situations they've dealt with in prior books.

Recommended if you're in the mood for a biological/medical suspense novel that is fast paced and easy on the science.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex Kava has written a number of thriller novels. Exposed is the sixth book in Kava's FBI profiler Maggie O'Dell series.

In this sixth installment of the Maggie O'Dell series, FBI expert-profiler Maggie is tracking down a killer who indirectly murders others using a strain of the Ebola virus. Maggie's latest case is extraordinary because she tracks the killer while being confined in a private lock-down cell - after already having been exposed to the virus.


Exposed is quick, fast-paced, and unquestionably suspenseful. Although each chapter is short, all have an impacting ending that will keep you fully rapt and turning the pages like an addict.

Kava keeps Maggie busy in all her novels - but the unique concept of having her track a killer while in solitary confinement is a fun, novel spin. Also enjoyable is the returning cast of supporting characters who help Maggie solve her latest case. Just like thriller masterminds Jeffery Deaver and Lee Child, Kava uses several red herrings to throw readers off the killer's path. In fact, the foe in Exposed uses such genius and strategic methods to target victims that even seasoned readers will be surprised and entertained.

For more book reviews, please visit http://dreamworldbooks.com.

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this one interesting, mostly because of the past crimes that came into play. I was a kid when a lot of them happened, I can remember them happening and it seemed to "change" things.

Maggie's role in this one was intriguing, mostly because she was so isolated, forcing her to come to some hard realities that she was really alone. It will be interesting to see if she makes any changes in her life.

Tully was more front and center in this book by default. I liked how he worked through things. Even better was how Emma playing, how she was able to bring the events of the past into play. I guessed pretty quickly who the letters weren't from. Knowing what I know now I really hate the ex, she didn't come off looking good at all. The only good thing is that Emma knows more what her mother is like.

[Elvan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be my favourite Maggie O'Dell of the series. I enjoyed the fast pace of this well researched novel. She keeps the reader guessing and once again she threw enough bad guys in the air that I was not sure who the real psycho was until the last few chapters.
I was happy to see O'Dell and Tully get the chance to use their profiler skills to solve the mystery, even if that resolution comes a bit late. Too often these two key characters are reacting to events around them instead of acting on what their profiles reveal about the killers. Nice to see them earning their salaries.
I was also impressed at Kava's skill at drawing fully formed minor characters and storylines in such a short novel.

Excellent read.

[Marca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie O’Dell an FBI agent finds herself exposed to a deadly Ebola-like virus. The virus is being spread by an evil avenger. Mags finds herself quarantined and drives herself crazy. She apparently has some medical training, and her knowledge makes her situation scarier. Her partner R.J. Tully works outside the quarantine to find the killer. Clever mystery with twists and turns that keep one guessing til near the end. Maggie was kind of annoying, but she was also locked up for most of the book. I’d read another.