The Cobra Event

Rating:
Summary: This'll scare the you-know-what out of you
Review: Mr. Preston knows his stuff. While the events in THE COBRA EVENT are fictional, they're based on fact. But never mind that! This is a top-notch thriller. The look into the mind of a bio-terrorist is staggering; there's little more terrifying than a psychotic who has strong logic and reasoning abilities.

I also highly recommend THE HOT ZONE, also by Mr. Preston. It's a factual account that reads like fiction.

Rating:
Summary: Utterly Nonsensical
Review: Biological terrorism is a serious topic; Richard Preston appears to be a very poor, sensationalist writer with little technical expertise. The combination of the two is thoroughly underwhelming. The only really interesting information in this book is about Soviet & US biowarfare programs, and that is also available in a much better (and slightly less sensational) article previously published by Preston in which he interviews two former bioweaponeers. (I think it was Ken Alibek and Bill Patrick -- I got deja vu when I read the book b/c I had already read the article.) Find a copy of the article in your local library and forget this book.

I read this book about 4 years ago while researching terrorism and bioterrorism (I had no choice; I was TOLD to read it). The crude reality of recent bioterrorism (i.e. anthrax in Fall of 2001) only heightens the lunacy of the book's plot.

If you really want information about biowarfare, read one of the many fine nonfiction books, for gods' sakes! If you want to read some good fiction, stay away from this book, I don't think it qualifies. If you want to frighten yourself into becoming a 24/7 gas mask-wearing, shotgun-toting, paranoid looney, then this is the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: If you are intelligent, this book will scare you
Review: WOW, that was heavy and after having read "Germs" and many other similar books and having kept up to date on recent scientific findings, I realize how serious and realistic this book is. It is time for all of America to wake up and realize, how important it is to pay attention to where all these scientists who practic this line of work are and exactly what they are doing and why. Also which nations are experimenting and trying to perfect such bio weapons. This book is intense, it is realistic and it scared... me. Perhaps some reading it may not, be scared, but if you have half a brain you will have to really stop and think about how serious these issues are.

Rating:
Summary: Simply the Best Sci-Fi
Review: Preston always fascinates me and the Cobra Event is no exception. An antiseptic look at an autopsy without missing a beat. My favorite book in over 3 years. I cannot wait for his next thriller.

RX Horatio

Rating:
Summary: Read "The Hot Zone" if you are pressed for time
Review: Let me start out by saying that I first read "The Hot Zone" by this author so my view of the book is based on the impression I had of the author and what this book would deliver. There are a ton of reviews here that cover what the book is about so I will not go into that depth. What I would say is that this is an above average book with an interesting story, good characters and a quick read. I was disappointed because I found that "The Hot Zone" held my interest and had more tension then this book. If you have read this or are going to I would highly recommend "The Hot Zone", it is heads and tails better this "The Cobra Event".

Rating:
Summary: Compelling, gruesome, and ultimately disappointing
Review: I was very excited about this book after reading Preston's nonfiction, The Hot Zone. But the excessive gruesomeness made it less thrilling than stomach-turning, and made me want to avoid any future notels by Preston.

Rating:
Summary: A lot like Robin Cook
Review: A well written biotechnology thriller along the lines of Robin Cook's "Vector."

Rating:
Summary: Good Scary Thriller
Review: This is a good scary thriller -- especially given what's going on in the real world now. Mr. Preston also gives uss information about how biological weapons are created and work. His story is believable and you care about the characters. I'd like to read another novel with Austen and Hopkins.

Rating:
Summary: The Cobra Event is THE BEST BOOK EVER!!!
Review: The Cobra Event is one of those books that you can never seem to put down. The first time I read it I was so intrigued that I stayed up all night- literally- to read it. And then, as if that weren't enough, I read it the next night again! The book keeps you on the edge of your seat and guessing from page one! If I had any impact on your purcahses I would say- and this is a quote- "Buy this book before you buy groceries for the week!" and, I mean that!

Rating:
Summary: Well paced, credible, and horrifying....
Review: This review is for those people in the buying public who, like me, might find this book a bit over-the-top. No offence meant to the book by that, it's intended to be shocking. By very virtue of its topic matter, it is going to be a difficult read at times. It might not be for everyone though, so do remember to read the pages on offer. Apart from that, I have only to mention that the book is paced well, the characterisation isn't perfect, but I have read a lot worse, and it's written quite satisfactorily, with a lot of good plot elements to keep the pages turning.

If you like the intro pages, you will like the book.