Customer Reviews

Deadly Exposure

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I liked this book more that the other people who reviewed it, it moved along quickly and was never dull.

My biggest problem with the book was, you pretty much had an idea who was good (and therefore lives) and who was bad (and therefore dies)about 1/2 way thru. Stuck right to the formula on that, and just about everyone met their "deserved" end.

One other reviewer called Dr. Goldberg's books a guilty pleasure and I much agree. Light reading but fun.

There is an ancient (dinosaur-age) bacterium on the loose. Well, okay, it's mostly trapped inside an iceberg along with some Cretaceous shrubbery (please don't ask how this came about), but fortunately for the plot, it doesn't stay trapped in there for long! Loose, this bacterium infects human tissues most avidly, with deadly results. In addition, the bacterium produces a toxin that is, surprise, more immediately lethal than the infection. All this takes place mostly on a ship. Aboard the ship there is also a murderer. Meanwhile on shore a pandemic is brewing, starring a bacterium that is closely related, but not identical, to the venerable bug back on the ship. Or in the iceberg. Wherever. Coincidence? I think not. People on the ship begin dying of infections, if they aren't murdered first. Sometimes they have sex (infectious, natch). Then a storm brings other icebergs to batter the ship. A devastating fire breaks out. There is an earthquake, and a tsunami. The captured, infectious iceberg escapes and bashes about the ship seeking gory revenge. Our heroine assumes a leadership role. It was a dark and stormy night.

The cover of "Deadly Exposure" shows a biohazard symbol. Heed it.

If you don't take it too seriously, this book can be lots of fun. It's not deep and the characters do seem to be made of cardboard, but the plot is full of outrageous twists and turns that will keep you entertained. Think of this novel as a roller coaster - it's good for a quick thrill, but it probably won't leave any lasting memories.

As I've said in previous Joanna Blalock reviews, the books have been going downhill since the second one. I hope that this one is the bottom because I don't think it can get much worse. When I first started this series, it was taking me about 2 days to read a book. I had such a hard time with this one. The story line was long and drawn out. In this book Dr. Blalock is recruited by ETOX (Extraterrestrial Toxic Agent Team), founded in the 1960s to examine the possibility of life beyond Earth and its implications for astronauts and now concentrating on unusual occurrences of living organisms. Their current assignment is to deal with an iceberg carrying a deadly agent that causes the rapid demise of all who come in contact with it. Meanwhile, as handpicked scientists gather off the coast of Alaska on a floating laboratory, a deadly bacteria is causing an epidemic of global proportions. Torn between two medical emergencies, Blalock must use all her skills to combat both.

Synopsis: Joanna, a clone of Patricia Cromwell's pathologist Dr. Kay Scarpetta, joins a group of scientists aboard the Love Boat trying to defeat a virus from Jurassic Park, but instead get hit by a Titanic iceburg which turns their cruise into a Poseidon Adventure. If this plot sounds silly, it is. I could barely finish this book.

*spoilers*
This follows the typical "medical action" book where an evil greedy doctor causes havoc until he's caught.
Thankfully, this book is graced by the absence of Neanderthal hero Jake Sinclair. The plot involves the beautiful ever-youthful and desirable genius Joanna being whisked off to a naval ship off Alaska, where she investigates a mysterious illness coming from an iceberg containing a magnolia. As if that isn't enough, a repeat of the Poseidon Adventure is in the offing.

Bloopers and fractured history abound in this book.
While the Viet Cong committed atrocities, they were never reported to have severed the arms of an entire village's children because the children received American vaccines.
Potassium-argon dating is used to date MINERALS which have been melted in the past, and could not be used to date iridium dust from a meteor. When used on rocks, potassium-argon dating can be used back four billion years, not the "billion years" as Goldberg claims.

Twin scientists working together show up in this book, as another set of twin scientist coworkers will show up in Brainwaves.
The "space suits" used for contagious autopsies are NOT "identical to the ones used in space walks."
This book is not recommended.

Joanna Blalock must be really priveleged since she was chosen to be one of the leaders in the great expedition to the arctic circle area. She is an excellent pathologist, and was able to get to the bottom of a lot of these various sites!

She allowed Lori mckay to take over for her when she was gone away from the hospital, so that there would be no problems! Lori needed to conference about some problems like with the chinese baby!

To find out more about this great plot, you will have to read the booK!:)