Plague [Paperback]

Gary Birken (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 3, 2002

At Franklin Hospital, a disease is reaching terrifying proportions. One by one, the patients of pediatrician Annick Clement are dying. Tracing it to a killer virus, she's made a chilling discovery: it's the work of a bioterrorist possessed by a diabolic compulsion to kill.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The subtitle of this middling medical thriller overstates its case; readers expecting an epidemic on the scale of The Hot Zone will be disappointed by the body count here, but the sheer variety of germs may appease virus fans. When several children die of mysterious but virulent diseases and no one, not even the CDC, considers the matter seriously, beautiful and brilliant Dr. Annick Clement investigates with the help of senior fellow Mac Eastwick, her thinly sketched love interest. Before long, Annick begins to suspect that a bioterrorist may be orchestrating the unusual deaths, but she needs more evidence to prove her theory. Birken's second novel (after Final Diagnosis) reflects his obvious medical expertise, but the often clunky prose and too-literal descriptions hamper the story ("Mac glanced over, noticed a small stool and took a seat. `I'll just grab a seat over here,' he said, more to himself than Annick"). All of the characters are underdeveloped, and the relationship between Annick and Mac is so hasty it's possible to miss it until they wake up together halfway through the book. Once the FBI gets involved, the action heats up. Ultimately, however, diehard biothriller fans will be disappointed by Birken's tired take on a timely but familiar topic.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (December 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425187071
• ISBN-13: 978-0425187074
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,201,276 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars All the cliches are here, March 18, 2009

By 

Woodlandtrails - See all my reviews

This review is from: Plague (Paperback)

All the cliches are here. Rich people looking "down" on the not so rich. Doctors looking "down" on lowly lab techs. Spoiled rotten rich daddy's girl who got him to pay for her education up though and including supporting her as a resident physician, Annick acts patronizingly as she is only looking out for you aka Bill O'Rielly.

Annick has no worries or debts so she can afford to be magnanimous. She even flies to France on the weekends via daddy's private jet when she wants to get away from it all and once in while invites a "poor" physician in training along and then she and daddy secretly smirk at him as he takes in the personal jets and opulent hotels and apartments.

The reader gets the feeling Annick even feels smarter than the administrative staff of the hospital because her father could buy it.

If the author had Grady kill Annick instead of those children, I would have given this book a 5.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars laughable, April 21, 2004

By 

Dianna Creech (Vallejo, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Plague (Paperback)

What is it with doctors and lawyers who write thrillers with heroes in their own professions? They're all incredibly attractive, brilliant and adored by all - even when they aren't particularly nice to the numerous people they consider their inferiors. This is yet another example of wishful thinking, and an extremely poorly written one at that. The characters are all cardboard cut-outs and the plot strains credulity.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Medical Thriller, December 9, 2002

By 

"chillnbillian84" (Jacksonville, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Plague (Paperback)

I though this book was amazing. It is definately one of the best medical thrillers I have read in a while. I have read Dr. Birken's novels in the past and this one was just as good as the rest. I recomend this book to anybody who enjoys medical thrillers or just reading in general.