melaniesreads's review
4.0
With a very ominous start of a lost family who accidentally cross the border and enter the US illegally from Canada you know things are all about to go horribly wrong. And boy do they, after being held in a detention centre they die from a mysterious illness and it’s spreading.
But have no fear as Jake is sent to the rescue, ex military and ex police he’s been in limbo since the death of his wife and with medical professor Eliza as his trusty sidekick this unknown disease doesn’t stand a chance.
I loved this partnership and may just have a little bit of a book crush on Jake. He has a likeable vulnerability and just the right amount of wit and gut instinct to make him a hero to cheer on. Eliza was smart and serious which is really what you want from a medical expert but it’s the chemistry between the two of them that is delivered so well.
I very much felt that this was a good vs evil book and funnily enough it’s not the disease that’s evil. Quelle surprise! I rarely read action thrillers, I’m normally more psychological suspense but after reading this I think I need to change that. I loved the faster pace and explosive plot but it still managed to hold the detective story close to its heart which I think is really important.
This was my first book from this author so I really look forward to seeing where things head in the next book. Maybe Jake will come and save a book blogger in England, a girl can dream.
But have no fear as Jake is sent to the rescue, ex military and ex police he’s been in limbo since the death of his wife and with medical professor Eliza as his trusty sidekick this unknown disease doesn’t stand a chance.
I loved this partnership and may just have a little bit of a book crush on Jake. He has a likeable vulnerability and just the right amount of wit and gut instinct to make him a hero to cheer on. Eliza was smart and serious which is really what you want from a medical expert but it’s the chemistry between the two of them that is delivered so well.
I very much felt that this was a good vs evil book and funnily enough it’s not the disease that’s evil. Quelle surprise! I rarely read action thrillers, I’m normally more psychological suspense but after reading this I think I need to change that. I loved the faster pace and explosive plot but it still managed to hold the detective story close to its heart which I think is really important.
This was my first book from this author so I really look forward to seeing where things head in the next book. Maybe Jake will come and save a book blogger in England, a girl can dream.
bookanonjeff's review
5.0
More Police Procedural Than Apocalyptic. This was a strong book in a police procedural vein that opened up the possibility of looking at a more apocalyptic scenario. If you go into this one expecting a truer Apocalypse threat ala Brett Battles' PROJECT EDEN or Michael Laurence's EXTINCTION AGENDA series... you're going to be disappointed. But if you're looking for a more police/ detective story that happens to include *elements* of Apocalyptic threat, you've found an *amazing* book that is *exactly* what you're looking for. This was my first from this author, and will not be my last. I'm truly looking forward to the next Jack Parker book at minimum. :) Very much recommended.
emmaikonge's review
2.0
Honestly I got tired trying to get through this book. The plot was interesting but the story itself was long and repetitive.
Plot: Good cop wife dies as a result of his police department and is recruited by ICE head to investigate breakout of parasite infection in ICE facilities. Joins forces with lady parasitologist and former partner who is dirty in investigating "pandemic"
Triggers: none
Opinion: oh my goodness the number of times the writer repeated the qualities on Jake Became disgusting. I was so sick about hearing jakes merits and his efforts to always go by the book that to be honest I skimmed over the last few pages. I was so glad it was over. I didn't really feel the characters and it felt like reading more about Jake's merits and hots for Eliza than really trying to be a thriller.
Plot: Good cop wife dies as a result of his police department and is recruited by ICE head to investigate breakout of parasite infection in ICE facilities. Joins forces with lady parasitologist and former partner who is dirty in investigating "pandemic"
Triggers: none
Opinion: oh my goodness the number of times the writer repeated the qualities on Jake Became disgusting. I was so sick about hearing jakes merits and his efforts to always go by the book that to be honest I skimmed over the last few pages. I was so glad it was over. I didn't really feel the characters and it felt like reading more about Jake's merits and hots for Eliza than really trying to be a thriller.
eikonge's review
2.0
Honestly I got tired trying to get through this book. The plot was interesting but the story itself was long and repetitive.
Plot: Good cop wife dies as a result of his police department and is recruited by ICE head to investigate breakout of parasite infection in ICE facilities. Joins forces with lady parasitologist and former partner who is dirty in investigating "pandemic"
Triggers: none
Opinion: oh my goodness the number of times the writer repeated the qualities on Jake Became disgusting. I was so sick about hearing jakes merits and his efforts to always go by the book that to be honest I skimmed over the last few pages. I was so glad it was over. I didn't really feel the characters and it felt like reading more about Jake's merits and hots for Eliza than really trying to be a thriller.
Plot: Good cop wife dies as a result of his police department and is recruited by ICE head to investigate breakout of parasite infection in ICE facilities. Joins forces with lady parasitologist and former partner who is dirty in investigating "pandemic"
Triggers: none
Opinion: oh my goodness the number of times the writer repeated the qualities on Jake Became disgusting. I was so sick about hearing jakes merits and his efforts to always go by the book that to be honest I skimmed over the last few pages. I was so glad it was over. I didn't really feel the characters and it felt like reading more about Jake's merits and hots for Eliza than really trying to be a thriller.
thereadingchemist's review
3.0
There’s honestly nothing like reading a book about a deadly parasite during the COVID pandemic of 2020.
A young family from England take a wrong turn in Canada, which accidentally lands them on US territory. When both parents end up dying in the detention center of some unknown infection shortly after arrival. Derek Briggs, the director of ICE, needs to sort this out quickly so he hires ex-military and ex-Boston PD detective Jake Parker to find the source of infection and stop it before it becomes an epidemic. With his former partner Beau Shaw and scientific expert Dr. Eliza Mendoza in tow, these three are racing the clock to stop the spread before the body count starts racking up.
I definitely went into this story because of the epidemic side of things. As a scientist, I can’t get enough of plot lines that dive into epidemics/pandemics/outbreaks. That being said, while the deadly parasite is integral to this storyline, this story also heavily focuses on the police procedural side of things while delving into topics such as politics, immigration, systemic racism, and white privilege. I think the author addresses these issues with grace, but I definitely found myself feeling on edge for some of these since they really hit home for me.
As far as character development goes, we get a lot of insight into Jake, Beau, and Eliza. I really enjoyed Jake and Beau’s partnership as well as the mutual respect they have for one another. I definitely admired Eliza as a female Ph.D scientist who is willing to get her hands dirty in order to use science to solve problems. I will say that I wasn’t so keen on the romantic exploration between Jake and Eliza. I would have much preferred a purely platonic relationship.
Overall, I think this is an interesting story, and I think it will really resonate with a lot of readers.
Sidenote: I know this is super pedantic, but it’s bothering me since it’s in the title. A pandemic is an outbreak of a disease across the world. An epidemic is the outbreak of a disease that is localized to a particular area. This book takes place in the US. This story is about an epidemic NOT a pandemic.
Thank you to Bookouture for the blog tour invite and for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
A young family from England take a wrong turn in Canada, which accidentally lands them on US territory. When both parents end up dying in the detention center of some unknown infection shortly after arrival. Derek Briggs, the director of ICE, needs to sort this out quickly so he hires ex-military and ex-Boston PD detective Jake Parker to find the source of infection and stop it before it becomes an epidemic. With his former partner Beau Shaw and scientific expert Dr. Eliza Mendoza in tow, these three are racing the clock to stop the spread before the body count starts racking up.
I definitely went into this story because of the epidemic side of things. As a scientist, I can’t get enough of plot lines that dive into epidemics/pandemics/outbreaks. That being said, while the deadly parasite is integral to this storyline, this story also heavily focuses on the police procedural side of things while delving into topics such as politics, immigration, systemic racism, and white privilege. I think the author addresses these issues with grace, but I definitely found myself feeling on edge for some of these since they really hit home for me.
As far as character development goes, we get a lot of insight into Jake, Beau, and Eliza. I really enjoyed Jake and Beau’s partnership as well as the mutual respect they have for one another. I definitely admired Eliza as a female Ph.D scientist who is willing to get her hands dirty in order to use science to solve problems. I will say that I wasn’t so keen on the romantic exploration between Jake and Eliza. I would have much preferred a purely platonic relationship.
Overall, I think this is an interesting story, and I think it will really resonate with a lot of readers.
Sidenote: I know this is super pedantic, but it’s bothering me since it’s in the title. A pandemic is an outbreak of a disease across the world. An epidemic is the outbreak of a disease that is localized to a particular area. This book takes place in the US. This story is about an epidemic NOT a pandemic.
Thank you to Bookouture for the blog tour invite and for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
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