Pandemic, the first book in The Extinction Files by A.G. Riddle is, to borrow from Dr Who, a timey wimey, twisty, wisty (OK, made that last part up), humdinger of a tale about the outbreak of a global haemorrhagic disease and, not only it’s catastrophic consequences, but its terrible origins.
When an old submarine containing evidence of suspicious experiments is found deep beneath the ocean, its discovery unleashes a shocking chain of events that drag epidemiologist, Peyton Shaw, and her crew to Africa and the outbreak of the deadliest virus known the man.
In Berlin, Desmond Hughes awakes to find himself bloodied and bruised, a dead man in his motel room and the police at his door. Only problem is, he has no memory of who he is, who the corpse might be and why not only the authorities are after him, but why he has a message to warn Peyton Shaw.
Thus begins a deadly race against time and a mysterious group whose plans spell both doom and salvation for the entire world…
Fast-paced, well-written with a good mix of back story (some reviewers have found this took from the tale. On the contrary, I really enjoyed various characters histories and getting a bigger context for their motivation), history and plot twists to keep a reader engrossed. There’s been criticism of the use of coincidence, particularly in the latter part of the novel. I didn’t mind this as it’s clearly indicative of a larger plot that has been in the making – in terms of the narrative arc and world of the story – for decades, if not centuries. I am hoping it will all be explained in the next books, which I look forward to reading.
A good action, adventure, eschatological novel with a hefty dose of suspense.
this is my favourite in the DCI Ryan series. Starting where Angel finished, it’s to news that the notorious psychopath, The Hacker, has escaped prison. There can be only one reason for this, apart from unleashing his brutality upon more brunette women, and that’s to bring Ryan, the man who put him behind bars, to his knees.
mysteries I’ve read and proves what a consistently strong series and masterful writer Indridason is.
In this novel, Backman introduces the reader to the almost preternaturally bright, precocious and quite lovable seven year-old Elsa. Bullied at school, aware of her differences and trying to pretend her clever and busy mother’s pregnancy to her new and perfect boyfriend aren’t bothering her, Elsa is a child that arouses passionate responses in those who meet her – and, if she doesn’t right away, she ensures they soon will. The reason for her quirkiness, intelligence and strong awareness of what constitutes social justice becomes apparent almost immediately. Not only is Elsa equipped with a great mind and wonderful imagination, both are fiercely and lovingly cultivated by her outrageous and smart grandmother.
