by Brad Taylor
Part of Pike Logan, book 4
First published 2013
A genetically modified H5N1 virus has been stolen by a rogue nation angry about nuclear sanctions. Their weapon of choice is a Black Widow, one of the deadly Chechen female suicide bombers with the highest kill rates among terrorist groups. The plan is simple and terrifying: infect her with the virus, send her to detonate in an American crowd, and let her body spray the pathogen to start a global pandemic. Taskforce operative Pike Logan and his partner Jennifer Cahill race across Southeast Asia tracking the threat. This extra-legal counterterrorism unit operates outside normal channels, but they may be the only ones who can stop a biological catastrophe. As they close in on their target, Logan discovers the true enemy might not be who they expected. The mission becomes a desperate fight against time, science, and shadowy corporate interests that blur the lines between state-sponsored terror and private profit.
Genres: science-fiction, military-fiction, adventure, crime, thriller, action, espionage, political-thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, race-against-time, rogue-nation
Setting: America, Southeast Asia
Period: 21st-century
400 pages · Hardcover · Dutton
Content warnings: violence