A gripping tale of bioterrorism that stunningly portrays the dangers of biological warfare in ways nonfiction never could. A story of personal courage in the face of terror and of lost love found. Mohammed Ali Osman is a bitter Iraqi scientist full of hatred for America. He breeds a deadly form of anthrax, which he calls The Medusa Strain, and a diabolical means to initiate the epidemic in the U.S. For Gil Martin, a divorced, burned out L.A. physician, Medusa sparks a lust for life and work again. And he is forced into contact with his ex-wife Tara, a top-notch CDC epidemiologist. Feelings both thought long dead are rekindled. The epidemic spreads. Not even the First Family is immune. Dave Gardner, America's premier anthrax researcher, devises a bioweapon to counter Medusa. But how to use it? The sudden illness of Gil and Tara's daughter Cassie provides an unexpected clue on how to halt the epidemic. If it can be tested and developed in time. . .
Chris Holmes: Biographical Sketch
Website: www.chrisholmesmd.com
Chris Holmes is a pediatrician and epidemiologist. He holds a B.A. in History from the University of California, Riverside; an M.D. from the University of Cincinnati; and an M.Sc. in Public Health from the University of Utah. He has authored over fifteen professional articles in peer-reviewed journals on topics as diverse as pediatrics, occupational medicine, biomedical ethics, and the history of medicine.
Chris has four published books:
The Medusa Strain (Durban House, 2002), a gripping novel that protrays the dangers of biological terrorism in ways non-fiction never could.
Spores, Plagues and History: The Story of Anthrax (Durban House, 2003), a non-fiction work which traces anthrax epidemics and bioterrorism from the time of Moses to Saddam Hussein.
The Garden of Evil (Durban House, 2005), a novel highlighting the threat of food-borne bioterrorism. Using cutting edge science, the terrorist finds a way to incorporate a deadly poison directly into growing vegetables, then serve them up in a prepared dish. Five die, twenty-six become ill from the attack.
Blood on the Tartan (Highland Press, 2007), an historical novel set in the Highlands of mid-nineteenth century Scotland; a tale of the Highland Clearances, an ugly time in Scottish history when the land was cleared of people to make room for sheep; and of one courageous woman's struggle to preserve her land, her rights and her heritage.
The Mosquito Tapes, Chris's latest work, is a CSI-type forensic mystery about a man, a woman and a mosquito. And a couple of dead bodies! The book will be released June, 2009 (Highland Press).
