by Scott Sigler
First published 2008
Perry Dawsey can locate infected people before they turn into killers. The former football star carries deep psychological wounds from his own battle with the mysterious pathogen that transforms ordinary Americans into homicidal maniacs. CIA veteran Dew Phillips needs Perry's unique ability to track the disease, but Perry remains violent and unstable. Epidemiologist Margaret Montoya searches desperately for a cure as the pathogen reveals disturbing signs of intelligence. The organism adapts to every countermeasure and employs sophisticated tactics that suggest alien control rather than natural evolution. Working in secret, this small team has managed to contain the outbreak so far. Now the disease becomes contagious, spreading from person to person with deadly speed. Humanity faces extinction within hours as the president considers nuclear options. New enemies emerge to complicate the crisis, including an unexpected threat that may prove more dangerous than the original pathogen. Perry, Dew, and Margaret must forge an effective partnership despite their personal demons and the mounting pressure of a countdown to global annihilation.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, action, apocalyptic
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, unlikely-allies
Setting: CIA, United States
Period: Contemporary
438 pages · Hardcover · Crown
Content warnings: body-horror, graphic-violence, medical-trauma