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Mystery/Thriller Book ReviewsPage Two of TwoFever Cell by Leonard GoldbergSignet, August, 2003Paperback, 367 pages ISBN: 0451210549 Ordering information: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk 
A suspected terrorist is found murdered in
a restroom at LAX. Forensic pathologist Dr.
Joanna Blalock performs an autopsy on the
suspected terrorist; shortly afterwards Blalock
is sent to a nearby hospital when an ambulance
delivers a patient with smallpox symptoms.
Blalock and her coworkers are forced
into quarantine when they confirm it really is the
deadly smallpox virus. This news sends the FBI and
CDC into action, as well. As Blalock
watches her co-workers perish horribly from smallpox
inside the quarantine. she wonders if she herself will survive.
At the same time the government needs her to
figure out what the terrorists are planning do with
the smallpox. Is there a connection with the autopsy
patient found at LAX? Can they stop this small
outbreak from spreading?
In Fever Cell, Leonard Goldberg provides a plausible terrorism scenario that is probably causing many sleepness nights for Homeland Defense workers. Goldberg does a superb job of explaining the medical science behind the disease; he fictionalizes smallpox's deadly potential in a similar way that Richard Preston told of its danger in the frightening nonfiction book, The Demon in the Freezer. Both books offer a wake-up call about the dangers of smallpox and how devestating it could be if it winds up in the hands of Islamic militants. Goldberg's characters Joanna Blalock and Lt. Jake Sinclair are sincere and believable, adding to the suspense of the novel. Fever Cell is a great read which will suit both medical suspense and thriller readers. A Path of Shadows by Lauren HaneyAvon, October, 2003Paperback, 302 pages ISBN: 0060521902 Ordering information: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk 
Lieutenant Bak, head of the Medjay police, is excited about his
new posting to Northern Egypt with his trusted company of men.
But before he can leave for his
new posting, he gets saddled with an unwanted investigation into
the disappearance of a young explorer named Minnakht. Minnakht
set out on a journey in the vast Egyptian desert to find his fortune.
His guide returned, he did not. Now Minnakht's influential
father demands an investigation. Bak, with several of his
trusted policemen, heads into the desert with Minnakht's
former guide, Senna. They join forces with another caravan,
but murder seems to dog the expedition.
Bak will have to use all his wits to solve the mystery of the missing
explorer -- and make it out of the desert alive.
Ancient Egypt comes alive in this well-crafted mystery from author Laura Haney. Haney presents us with an ancient Egypt with all its imperfections: the heat of the desert, the smell in the streets and the cruelty of the life of the poor. But she also presents us with the exotic: Queen Maatkare Hatshepsut's turquoise mines and stark beauty of the moonlit desert in which assassins hide. Bak has a logical mind, and mystery lovers will enjoy his thought processes as he follows the clues to the disappearance. Tightly plotted, with believable characters and a leisurely pace, A Path of Shadows is a satisfying and interesting read for historical mystery fans. Mystery/Thriller Reviews Page One | Page Two Click Here to Return to the Book Reviews Index ** To visit the archives of mystery books reviewed in The IWJ, please click here. |