The Eleventh Plague

Rating:
Summary: Could Someone Actually Do This?
Review: Authors John Marr and John Baldwin have a disclaimer in this novel that this is'nt a how-to-do-it book on bioweapons. Nevertheless, the disturbing thing is that the ideas contained here would be very easy to put into actual practice. A lone scientist, somewhat crazy by thinking that god is talking to him and directing him to loose the Biblical plagues onto humanity, is the villain, one sick person indeed. Some of the deadly agents used are mycotoxins, ergot toxins, anthrax, Rift Valley fever, and several others. A scientist working with ProMED, virologist Jack Bryne, with help from others, discovers the Biblical plague connection and tries to track down the terrorist. Most of the book was mildly interesting, although I thought the novel was a bit too lengthy. Character development and plot layout were fair. To me this novel was barely worth reading, there are much better novels out there.

Rating:
Summary: A for subject matter-F for writing/editing
Review: Interesting subject matter but the many editorial/writing flaws in the book kept detracting from the story. I got worried when there was a date/time error in the first few pages of the book and the problem continued throughout. I don't mind flashbacks to earlier dates if the characters don't know on that earlier date what they had found out 2 weeks later according to the book's timeline.

There was other incorrect information in there such as the young Jewish boy saying he got hooked up to the Library of Congess to search Grateful Med. Grateful Med is provided by the National Library of Medicine. It made me wonder what other errors I wasn't aware of in some of the scientific/technical aspects of the plagues.

Despite my frustration with the authors/editors not catching some of the inconsistencies, I managed to finish the book because the subject matter interested me. However if you want to read books along this subject line, I'd have to recommend "The Hot Zone" or "The Cobra Event", "And the Band Played On" or several other books (some fiction & nonfiction like those mentioned above)before recommending this one. It was a struggle to stick with it even though the characters were fairly well developed and the concept was intriguing.

Rating:
Summary: Modern Day Nightmare
Review: The Eleventh Plague deals with the 10 plagues of Exodus. While visiting a zoo, a young boy finds a water pistol and shoots water at a teen girl then he shoots some water into his mouth. Shortly after, both die of a disease thought to be nonexistent in the United States. In Kentucky, thoroughbreds at the Churchill Downs are dying of a virus that cannot be identified, even by the most expert veterinarians. Called in to help is famed virologist Jack Bryne. He soon discovers that the two events are not only connected, they are deliberate acts. Soon Bryne's worldwide medical computer network ProMED is hacked into by the person who is responsible for the recent outbreaks. This unknown person has very dangerous knowledge of toxins and an obsession with biblical retribution. Bryne, now a suspect, must convince the FBI of his innocence and plead with them to help him catch this madman before it's too late.
I've read a lot of books that deal with biological warfare/terrorism and this book has to be one of the best. The Cobra Event by Richard Preston was my favorite but The Eleventh Plague is 10 times better.
Don't read this book when you're eating or about to eat. Some sections of the book were so vivid and repulsive that I thought I would be sick.