Customer Reviews

Exposed

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This well researched mystery is so believable that it scared me into finishing it as soon as I woke up in the morning after starting it very late one night. The characters are interesting and Maggie, the main character. is authentic, flaws and all, like a beloved relative who can aggravate the socks off you but you love her anyway. The story is relevant because it is taken from the headlines we have become too familiar with, the human "monsters" that prey on and destroy their vicitims and their families. A medical mystery wrapped in an FBI murder case basted with probability and research makes this a wonderful feast for the reader. I enjoyed this book immensly despite it scaring me half to death at times.

This is the second Alex Kava novel I've read and I just loved it! I read the entire book in about a day and a half...I just couldn't put it down! If you like James Patterson, you will like Alex Kava. The chapters are short, the print is large and well spaced, and the writing style is an easy read. The storyline of Exposed was fantastic...a real page turner! Highly recommend.

Kava's sixth Agent Maggie O'Dell ("A Necessary Evil") thriller opens with her and her boss/mentor Assistant Director Cunningham investigating a bomb threat, which turns out to be a trap, sacrificing innocents to expose the agents to a deadly virus.

Maggie and Cunningham are clapped into The Slammer, a top-secret military medical isolation facility, which is about as sterile and intimidating as you might expect. We know it's Ebola before army doctor Colonel Benjamin Platt confirms it and we know it's already too late for Platt's boss' ruthless and pragmatic solution to the problem (which will strike most readers as cold-blooded political overkill).

Kava increases the sense of doom and horror by clueing the reader well ahead of the investigators. She switches point of view among Maggie, her partner Tully on the outside (whose troublesome teen daughter made him late for work that fateful day), Platt's feverish attempts to save everyone, the killer (actually the killer's assistant killer), and the intended victims, so we know that virus-laced packages have gone out to selected targets around the country and the clock is ticking down.

How and why the mastermind chooses his targets are chosen is a puzzle that entertains Artie, the mostly obedient killer's assistant, a crime buff who notes parallels with sensational crimes from the past and implements a few new parallels himself.

Colonel Platt is a tough, upstanding and sympathetic addition to the series who shows signs of being a keeper. The army facility is chillingly well done and the terror scenario is frighteningly easy to accept - particularly given all the allusions to successful past crimes, like the Tylenol tampering and the anthrax cases.

Fans and newcomers alike will enjoy Kava's usual mix of thrills, FBI profiling and procedure, gory details, personal complications and the headline-inspired plotting.

When I was offered this book on amazon's Vine program, I grabbed it, as the author's name seemed familiar - a good clue that it would be a book that I might like, if I'd read something by her before.

Once I got it and started reading, I remembered the first book of the series. It was NOT at all my favorite, and I hadn't ever picked up another by the author since.

The writing is, as someone else mentioned, spare, which I do appreciate. I prefer concise writing to a bunch of unnecessary flowery description and detail that loses my interest and basically just annoys me.

But I don't love the disjointed style here - the story is interwoven between at least 4 different locations and "main" characters, and it just kept losing my attention. I would start to get into the plot, and the next chapter would suddenly be a third person (thank goodness, at least it's not first person) account of someone in a completely different locale, no one I'd heard of yet, sure that I'd figure out how they're related, but not really caring, and interrupting my flow.

I wrote a review of the first of her novels, and I just went and re-read it. I stand by it, but the thing that bothered me most about the first in the series was something I didn't even mention in the review. The author is a former advertising exec, as I recall. The hardest thing for me is that people usually write "what they know" and I have to wonder what she knows about the Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI. I'm sure there was plenty of research done, but even the first chapter of this book - without trying to give much away - makes me wonder how much the profilers REALLY would go out to deal with a crisis situation - I thought that profilers worked a little more in the office, creating, well, profiles. Not so much going out to deal with explosions or whatnot... Maybe I'm wrong, but that perception colors my whole willing suspension of disbelief, and I can't get past it in some ways.

I was also a little disappointed in the fact that I apparently much smarter than the scientists as far as knowing what they were dealing with right away.

But, it's not horrible. It works as a stand alone, which is always nice. As I said, I read the first book, but nothing between there and here, but I didn't feel lost. I appreciate the plot without liking the chapter styles, if you will. And if you've been a loyal follower of Maggie, obviously this is not something you'd want to miss.

I'm sure it's a personal thing, but I think I would have given this 4 stars if the book was written less as a "surprise link" kind of thing and more in the traditional plotting style.

This is my first Alex Kava, just read cover to cover on a transcontinental flight. It won't be my last encounter with her and Maggie O'Dell.

As an inveterate reader of mysteries and suspense novels I look for an engaging plot, compelling characters, good insight on police or other relevant procedure and a real sense of time and place. One gets all that from Ian Rankin, P.D.James, Michael Connelly, Peter Robinson, Lee Child, Elizabeth George and many others on my growing list of favorites. Happily, one gets it from Alex Kava as well.

Straight off, let me say that Exposed is engaging and downright scary, a proverbial page turner. Its not just because of the bio-terrorism/medical plot, but because of a spider's web of horrific happenings stitched together in a truly diabolical tale cemented by more than mere references to mass murderers admired by the book's frightening killer.

Along the way, one learns about federal anti-biological warfare strategies, tactics, and technologies, and there is the usual inter-agency suspicion an bureaucratic in-fighting now common in books of this sort. O'Dell, an FBI profiler, is compelling because she is not only trying to figure out who wants to introduce a rare and horrifically dangerous strain of Ebola to a carefully selected set of victims, but is herself victimized, becoming more than a good detective -- she's a person we would all hate to be.

Ok, the crime is solved, the world is saved (for now) and we're reminded that satanic forces can exist in the most common of places, and for the most ordinary of reasons. At least if one has a slightly sick mind. Maggie and her close colleagues save the day, do some good bonding and remind us of the risks that many of our public servants take, often with other worthy government folks, in this case from the CDC.

This all said, I came away not entirely satisfied with how this one played out. Kava is a very spare writer. Her prose is clear, lean and direct. None of the heavy characterizations and deep personal feelings one would get from Ian Rankin, a Deborah Crombie or even Patricia Cornwell, who comes to mind as one reads Kava. The end result, for me at least, was a conclusion that seemed more clever than profound, and though certainly pretty enthralling (yes, Maggie survives), not entirely rooted deeply in the overall development of the book's characterizations -- if logical in terms of plot. This all said, though Maggie is divorced, looking for meaning in relationships and needs a good dog, she doesn't quite wallow in the alienation and cynicism of her male counterparts in today's detective/suspense genre. As a middle aged male reviewer I was relieved by that and happy that I finished up as my flight hit the ground. A very good read, especially on a plane packed to the gills and filled with wheezing, sneezing and possibly flu-laden passengers....

I have read a few Alex Kava novels in my time, however, I have to say that Exposed is fast becoming my favorite.

First off, I love, love novels that feature some kind of isolation (snowstorm, infection, etc) it always gives me the impression that the storyline just got creepier and it seems there are always more possibilities in these type of plots.

Well Exposed took that exact premise and turned itself into a first class thriller. This novel features a strong and captivating main character who will find herself exposed to the deadly virus Ebola. While she is in isolation, her friends on the outside try to track down the origin and the mastermind behind the exposure.

There are lots and lots of cool twists and turns in this one and I loved the fact that I just could not quite figure out the whole thing - I always felt as though the author was two steps ahead of me - while at the same time, giving me just enough information and pacing the storyline just perfectly to keep me hooked.

Really enjoyed this fast paced novel. Full of all the best things in a thriller. Loved all the science and intrigue. Had me up all night to finish this one. This was my first Alex Kava novel but it won't be the last.
Hot Zone revisited for sure...... If you like to be surprised and kept on the edge while reading this is the book for you. After I finished it and she saw that I wouldn't put it down, my sister grabbed it and she loved it too.
So 2 Big Thumbs UP from us.

It isn't so much the actual acts of terrorism that makes Exposed by Alex Kava so chilling! It was, more, that the story setting was so real and vivid! A game of chance used to cover the personal actions of one man to murder those he hated! Innocent victims!

It was a routine morning and Maggie and other FBI agents were gathered to enjoy the doughnuts that were sitting waiting to be consumed. Maggie O'Dell was about to take her second bit when her boss, Assistant Director Cunningham stopped her. He pointed to a white envelope at the bottom of the box! The first thought: anthrax. Then other options were explored. "Mr. F.B.I. Man" was written in block print on its front. Inside, the note directed them: "There will be a crash today..."

Maggie's partner Tully was late so O'Dell and Cunningham teamed to get to the given address, but it was not the place they had expected. It was a private home in a quiet neighborhood. They thought it was a mistake, especially when a young girl answered the door. Asking for her mother, they realized that the child looked neglected and was able to convince her, Mary Louise, that they were here to help her mother...

Maggie whispered they had four minutes left. But it wasn't a bomb or explosives. They reached the bedroom where there was lots of visible blood surrounding Mary Louise's mother. Maggie announced the situation; they needed a hazmat team. Mary Louise vomited and her mother was..."crashing..." Vomit and spittle flew everywhere--it had begun.

I was thoroughly caught up within this story by the time I had read this far! If you're into forensic...anything...like I am, then reading and learning more about what happens to individuals who are exposed to some form of biological terrorism will find you as enthralled as I was. Both Maggie and Cunningham were exposed from the minute little Mary Louise had spewed vomit! The first thing that happened was, ironically, they were immediately sent to "the slammer." The story then follows the activities of Maggie, even though quarantined, and other agents as they try to find who is responsible for what has happened.

There is an interesting little twist when the "employee" of the guilty party decides to be more creative than instructed in his delivery methods! This man had been reading true crime since he was little and he now used all the knowledge he had gained to copy those evil men who he had so long admired! The front cover excerpt from a forensic psychologist says it all: "Alex Kava knows the psychology of evil."

I'm not quite sure why so many of us enjoy reading psychological suspense. For me, I think, it has to do with the constant reaffirmation of good over evil. Indeed Kava has created a strong female heroine that I quickly grew to admire. Certainly Maggie O'Dell novels have been added to my must-read list! Check Out Exposed by Alex Kava--her latest is certainly a winner!

G. A. Bixler

I had read and liked most of the previous Maggie O'Dell books, but my interest had petered out and I hadn't been paying much attention to them the past year or two. When Amazon Vine made the latest installment available for review, I thought it was worth a quick read. I was right.

"Exposed" is a very tightly written, nicely done bio-thriller. The series' main characters are somewhat in the background -- making room for a lot of procedural detail around the handling and detection of dangerous viruses. This is interesting in its own right, but there's precious little character development.

Yes, as others have pointed out, it's easy to pick out the bad guy, and (perhaps) for those who have read the earlier books, the characters have become a bit tiresome. But I was able to knock the book out in a short evening, appreciated the tight writing, and was suitably entertained. Why not five stars? I think the author has been coasting, and needs to shake things up a bit to rekindle interest in her characters. Maybe she is letting them rest for a bit, and they'll come roaring back in her next book. I sure do hope so!

Bottom line: decent read, but I'd either get the Kindle version -- or wait for the paperback.

FBI Profiler Maggie O'Dell and her boss, Assistant Director Cunningham have been summoned to a potential bomb threat only to find something more deadly. Apparently, there is a mad man with an agenda who has decided to release a very nasty strain of Ebola. As the story unfolds, you quickly learn that all is not as it seems. While the story is fast paced (written in a style similar to James Patterson, short concise chapters) there are some holes in the storyline that remain unanswered. And while there is also a lot of buildup about who is responsible for these deeds and why, but I think it will be obvious, just follow the clues. While some things were under-explained (if that is a word), there were some things that were over explained. Although I understand why (and you will too), there was a lot of discussion about Maggie's partner, Tully. We learn that his wife has divorced him, his daughter is going through that typical "my father isn't cool" phase, and he thinks he may have found love again (with Maggie's friend), but there are a lot of things unexplained too and it isn't until you get to the end that you understand the relevance of the love letters. Unfortunately, I think that it ended abruptly and when he finally discovers the culprit of the deeds, it is a little "too" quick.

Although I am sure that there will be another book in the series, I thought that there were a few too many plots left unresolved (Maggie's relationships, Platt, the killer, etc). And I am not so sure that this is a stand alone novel. Did I enjoy it? Yes. It was entertaining and while I felt some things should have been addressed, I did enjoy the way Alex Kava wove the present tale (Ebola revenge plot), with several well known "domestic terrorism" cases (i.e., Tylenol tampering, Unibomber and DC Sniper cases).