Rating: 
Summary: Enthralling!
Review: Alice Austen, M.D., is an Epidemic Intelligence Officer for the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia. When she is sent to New York City to investigate several unusual deaths, she hopes to follow in the footsteps of other epidemiologists, who have solved the causes of mysterious disease outbreaks in the past. Little does she know, however, that this unusual (and deadly) disease is going to take her a good deal farther than she ever hoped...or feared. There are a number of nations and companies that are working on using genetic manipulation to make dreadfully dangerous diseases, and one of their biologists has decided that it is now time to deploy one of these horrific viruses.This book, by the author of The Hot Zone and The Demon in the Freezer, is absolutely enthralling, keeping you on the edge of your seat, throughout this roller coaster of a book! The author may perhaps paint too frightening a picture of the potential of biological warfare, but he does go a long way toward explaining the job being done by UN inspectors in Iraq, and what has the United States government so frightened. So, if you are interested in bioterrorism, or just want to read a really good thriller, then I highly recommend this book to you.
Rating: 
Summary: great blend of science - fact and fiction
Review: It's interesting to read this book in the aftermath of the most recent war in Iraq and all the news about WMD. The Cobra Event was written before biological weapons were in the news regularly, and the descriptions of UN weapons inspection teams and biological weapons programs in Iraq and the former Soviet Union are compelling. This book is about a biological weapon, but not in the way that you might think. It provides a suspenseful tale of high-stakes investigation that quickly runs "hot" in the biological sense. Preston does a nice job of incorporating scientific detail throughout but explaining it as he goes along, making it interesting for the scientific-minded yet understandable for the general reader too. There is some gory detail in the first third of the book, but it's not included just for the sake of gore; it's there to underscore the reality of nasty viruses, the type of deaths they can cause, and what goes on in an autopsy. The final chapter is a nice touch and a great way to conclude the book.
Rating:
Summary: Not perfect, but accomplishes its intent brilliantly.
Review: I've studied and written papers in bioweapons area, and Preston does a good job. This is a book with a mission to educate the public in a non-academic way. It succeeds brilliantly, covering all the bases very well. I did not find any incorrect information in the whole book. It is quite difficult to write a deliberately educational thriller that contains precise information but doesn't actually give a real would be perp a decent recipe. Preston does that brilliantly. This is why I give the book 5 stars. This is a warning book. It should get you off your behind talking to your congress person and senator. There is nothing more dangerous in the world today than this possibility. There are critical holes in this story, which the average reader is quite unlikely to notice. Those holes are intentional and, since only one thing stands between us and this sort of thing - ignorance - Preston deserves kudos for that. Maybe I'll write a book in this genre. Problem is, each time I come up with a plot line, it's too revealing.
Rating:
Summary: All the "symptoms" of a good book but not quite there
Review: Richard Preston knows how to make readers uncomfortable. He needs to spend more time getting his characters to be believable. In the Cobra Event, Preston describes the search for an "unsub" or unidentified subject who wants to spread a terrible disease throughout New York and the world for some vague, ill defined reason. Coincidence plays too big a role in this novel, and although there aren't any real loose ends, too many events seen contrived and coincidental, or just too easily resolved. In particular, I thought that finding the bio-research facility and the suspect's apartment more suited to a 30 minute TV drama than a serious novel. Most of the characters are about as well developed as those on sit-com. The more factual parts of the book, the autopsy in particular, were well written and frightening in their own way. Even with cutting edge biotechnology as a primary focus, the writing was never too difficult to follow. This is a book that is topical, informative and just well enough written so that a reader wouldn't be embarassed to recommed it to friends. It does, however fall far short of being good literature and more closely resembles a first draft of a screenplay for the film industry.
Rating: 
Summary: Decent read
Review: Richard Preston, along with his brother Doug (wrote THE RELIC), are both vying to become the new Michael Crichtons. Not only do they each write the sort of techno/science-minded thrillers that Crichton is so famous for, but they both do it in a way that clearly beckons to Hollywood -- "make this into a movie!" (which is all Crichton seems to do today). When an author writes like this, the result can be mixed. In this instance, COBRA EVENT has a very gripping premise, marred somewhat by so-so writing, paper-thin characters, stock villians, and cliched action sequences -- yet somehow, it does all add up to a fairly entertaining read. That's because Preston has hit on an undeniably gripping subject -- bioterrorism -- and so long as he sticks to the basics, he can't go wrong. I would hope for his next fictional effort, he delve a little more into his characters, and not present events in such an obvious Hollywood 3-act structure. I can't help but wonder if after his last book (the non-fiction CRISIS IN THE HOT ZONE) fell apart as a movie and was beaten by the more epic OUTBREAK, if Preston didn't just say "screw it, I'll give 'em what they want!" As a result, COBRA EVENT tends to feel like it's just a tease, or warm-up (or novel length treatment!) for the inevitable $80 million dollar movie for summer '99. (Just the same, here's hoping he can get director Ridley Scott, who was supposed to do the movie version of HOT ZONE, back into the mix and helm this one.)
Rating:
Summary: stunning
Review: What a novel for these bioterror-anxious times! The factual information was very good; I looked up things as I read to flesh out the truth of them, and Preston did a fabulous job of using this information to weave his novel. The plot is plausible -- and horrifying! I did think the last scenes were a little over the top, but overall enjoyed the book immensely, couldn't put it down. It would make a great thriller movie.
Rating:
Summary: A Hot Thriller
Review: A little history of why I read this book first. An acquaintance mentioned it was a good read to me early last week. Within twenty-four hours while reading "The Age of Sacred Terror", the authors (Daniel Benjamin and Steven Simon) mentioned that "The Cobra Event" had made a big impression on President Clinton, inspiring him to call for bioweapon attack response preparations. I figured this was syncrhonicity so I bought it and started reading. I have to say, I could not put it down. I don't know anything about bio-weapons or related disciplines but this is an outstanding and frightening thriller. It is pretty gory at points but is nevertheless absolutely fascinating and enthralling. If you enjoy fast-paced detective/forensic thrillers like "Red Dragon" or Tom Clancy novels, I definitely recommend this book. I was pretty nervous heading into the Metro Center station in DC the day after finishing this book!
Rating: 
Summary: Good Plot but just didn't deliver
Review: I really liked the premise for this book, but as I got into it, it just felt weak. Although I thought the overall story was interesting, the execution was not compelling. I found myself, many times, getting bored after just a few pages. I know I'm against the opinion of the masses here, but this book just wasn't that much fun to read.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Book, good mix of fact and suspense
Review: This was a fantastic book. Richard Preston did an even better jobe than in the Hot Zone, and wrote a wonderful suspense novel. The graphic scenes that he adds in the book make it very intesting and easy, though not always pleasant, to imagine. The book starts out so well, and doesn't let down, staying interesting and exciting the whole book, as you don't ever know what is going on or who will die next. By using a lot of facts, and doing lots of research on biological weapons, and the such, he was successful in creating a very real life fiction story of some unsuspecting, seemingly unrelated vicims of a horrific crime. It was so real, it makes you really think that it is possible, and could really happen, and with biological warfare on the rise in today's world, seems like a very relevent topic. He even adds a little humor, and emotion to the drama and suspense that makes for an overall good book.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Fascinating
Review: Richard Preston hits the mark again. Although, in my opinion, not as quickly paced as The Hot Zone, this novel is every bit just as thrilling and exciting. It is one of my favorite to date. If you are looking for a good book, read this one!!!
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