Review: Ambitious, finely executed bio-thriller
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 9, 2013
This is Russell Blake at his best. A perfect blending of Ludlum-esque international conspiracy, "The Firm" like intrigue and Crichton-level biomedical detail. Nobody can take a conspiracy theory and spin it into a convincing, high stakes "cat and mouse" game like Blake. If you think Upon a Pale Horse is just "another medical thriller," you couldn't be more sorely mistaken.Blake's ambitious, finely executed story pits a resourceful attorney, Jeffrey Rutherford, against a ruthless cabal, in a race against time to stop a jaw-dropping plot to unleash the apocalypse and cleanse the world. The background conspiracy fueling Blake's plot is exquisitely (and frighteningly) weaved, leaving the reader with a well-founded sense of urgency and dread. Tightly staged across two continents, Rutherford's plight will keep you affixed to the screen, as David takes on Goliath in an unforgettable end game.The intrigue, deception, and twists alone are well worth the price of admission, along with a blistering plot; but as an author well versed in bioweapons, virology and pandemic research, I have to give Blake credit for doing his homework. His pandemic information is accurate, accessible and damn scary...his scenario will leave you sleepless, wondering what lurks around the next corner. Trust me, if Blake's instincts are correct, you don't want to know.