Customer Reviews

Plaguemaker

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is my first book by Tim Downs, but it won't be my last. PLAGUE MAKER was a fabulous read! Totally engrossing, interesting detail into bioterrorism and a wonderfully flawed hero and heroine. Even the secondary characters were fully developed and almost stole the show. I expected a great thriller, but got so much more with the way he superbly wove in the theme of the importance of forgiveness.

Since the debut of Tim Downs' Bug Man books ("ShooFly Pie" and "Chop Shop"), I've eagerly awaiting anything else of his. He's shown a penchant for creating memorable characters, then wrapping them into a plot that involves creepy-crawlies.

"Plague Maker" continues this trend, with a story of plague-carrying fleas and a sardonic hero. Although Nick Polchak (the Bug Man) makes a humorous cameo appearance, the story revolves around two older men with long-standing grudges, and the angry FBI agent, Nathan Donovan. Slowly, Donovan unravels the motives of these older men and uncovers a monstrous threat against the United States. Flashbacks are used effectively, and the story gallops along to a high-seas finale.

A few weeks ago I finished another thriller that's been featured in bookstores across the country. That book was titled "The Faithful Spy." As I read Tim Downs' "Plague Maker," I found myself comparing the two. They both feature terrorist attacks planned against the US; they both show intensive research and narrative skill; they both wrap big ideas around likeable, believable characters.

Downs' book is equal to the other book on every level, but exceeds it in moments of comic relief, and in the portrayal of vengeance and forgiveness. "Plague Maker" is never preachy or pedantic, but it uses nicely the motif of the plague--and the plague of hatred and bitterness that plagues us all on some level. Once again, Downs' proves to be a master of character and suspense.

This is the first book that I have read by Tim Downs and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has action, suspense, humor, wit and emotion. A great combo to me!

One thing that I particularly enjoyed was Mr. Downs ability to tell the story and not resort to sex and cursing. I am no prude and I know how to skim past stuff that is offensive to me, however, I did find it refreshing to not have to worry about it.

Overall a very fun and engaging read! Check it out!

FBI counterterrorism agent Nathan Donovan has seen it all. Assassinations, bomb removals, hostage situations. Yet his Marine days and sixteen weeks at Quantico did nothing to prepare him for watching his son die. Plagued with guilt he can't admit, Nathan pours himself into his work. Then the JTTF (Joint Terrorism Task Force) is called to a not-so-typical murder at an art gallery, and Nathan's thrust into a deadly cat-and-mouse game involving fleas, fireworks, bubonic plague, and Sato Matsushita, a revenge-filled bioweapons scientist.

Nathan reluctantly joins forces with an elderly Chinese British citizen named Li who seems to know more about the investigation than the FBI does. Is his narrative about Sato Matsushita true? Can Li be trusted? Even more reluctantly, Nathan is forced to work with his ex-wife Macy, an expert in the psychology of terrorism. The trio gradually piece together the picture of a man with a personal vendetta against the U.S.--a vendetta born on a day few can forget: August 6, 1945-the bombing of Hiroshima.

When the FBI discovers a ship possibly carrying Matsushita and a lethal strain of bubonic plague is nearing New York Harbor, the JTTF frantically searches for a way to stop it. Soon they realize there's only one option. They must board the ship. And there's no man more qualified for that job than Nathan Donovan. Can they intercept it before time runs out?

Tim Downs has penned a straight-from-the-headlines thriller in Plague Maker. And while the story is primarily Nathan's, Downs also weaves flashbacks involving Sato Matsushita and Li throughout the novel. Time jumps have the potential to drag a plot, but in this case they embellish it, giving readers key characterization scenes which take place in 1940's Asia and help us understand why and how the present day storyline is important.

Readers of Downs' previous books Shoofly Pie and Chop Shop (labeled "The Bugman novels" and featuring forensic entomologist Nick Polchak) will be pleased to see Nick again as he makes a cameo to dish out entomological details in his usual dry, humorous fashion. But Plague Maker is bigger and better than either of the Bugman novels. Downs has mastered the art of including enough details to teach without bogging down the story, and he hasn't neglected his trademark wit, either. And unlike the Bugman novels, Plague Maker's spiritual message is clear, though definitely not overdone.

Devoid of many thriller nuances like cardboard personalities and limited characterization, Plague Maker is a novel that can proudly be shelved beside any featuring Crichton or Clancy-and hold it's own.

--Reviewed by C.J. Darlington for Infuze Magazine

Tim Downs has once again taken the mundane and spun a story of terrorism sure to capture your imagination. This is one of the most unique books I've read in quite a while.

It started with a homicide - unusual only because of thousands of fleas exterminated in the room where the corpse was found. FBI agent Nathan Donovan, stationed in New York City with the Joint Terrorism Task Force, is called in because these particular fleas - found only in the Orient - can carry bubonic plague.

A refined 80-year-old Chinese gentleman offers a theory for the purpose behind the fleas' presence in a NYC apartment, but his decades-old story holds little hard evidence. To help confirm his story, the FBI calls in Dr. Macy Monroe, a professor and government consultant who specializes in the psychology of terrorism - and who just happens to be Donovan's ex.

As the two form a hostile truce, Li's story continues to build credibility. Heart-rending tales produced by the horror of World War II become known as Li focuses his quest on the one man who has hurt him most and now has the power to kill millions. A race against time begins, and Donovan and Macy can no longer ignore the tragedy that tore them apart.

This book has it all - rising suspense, layered characters, thrilling action, and a powerful message. The result is a tale more memorable than a typical bioterrorism novel, one that probes deeply into characters and their motivations, making them integral to the plot rather than just along for the ride. Fans of Down's `Bug Man' novels will enjoy Nick Polchak's brief appearance. This novel has wide appeal - readers from open-minded teens to thrill-seeking grandparents can enjoy the book at different levels. -- Katie Hart, Christian Book Previews.com

I purchased this book because I love Nick Polchak and I found out he was in it. He is. But his appearance is a mere sliver. But, within a few pages, I got sucked into the story of biological warfare and psychological effects and horror of war. Nathan Donovan is the classic, tortured FBI agent who is forced to work with his ex-wife and an unusual British fellow with knowledge that turns the head of authorities, and flip-flops the heart of any who know the damage that could be done with something as small as a...well, flea.

Donovan learns more than he bargained for from his new British friend. And in the process finds the courage to do what he needs to do.

Nick or not this is a fascinating book. As long as Tim Downs keeps writing, I'm pretty sure I'll keep buying them.

After reading Tim Downs' Ends of the Earth, I knew I had to immerse myself in his character, Dr. Nick Polchak, and I requested a couple of older books in the series. Plaguemaker is a "disappointment" to those searching for the Bug Man, but it introduces the reader to two excellent characters, FBI Agent Nathan Donovan and his ex-wife, Dr. Macy Monroe, that make an appearance in Ends of the Earth. A very satisfying, thrilling novel with Christian undertones, which are presented with such a light hand that the reader may not recognize the themes.

A murder. Not all that unusual in New York City, however the scene is different. Around the victim are fleas, lots and lots of dead fleas. But they aren't native to New York, these are Oriental rat fleas, excellent carriers of bubonic plague. And they are dead, exterminated after the killing. After a press conference, FBI Agent Nathan Donovan receives a call from a Mr. Li, who saw the article in the newspaper. The story that Li tells is unbelievable, a tale that spans sixty years, as Li has tracked one man, whom many think is dead. But the fleas are a calling card of sorts, and Li is convinced that this man intends to unleash a horrific plague upon the United States.

For those that are looking for Nick Polchak, Bug Man, he makes an early, hilarious cameo. However, the story does not need his wit or wisdom, it has Donovan, Monroe, and Li. But mostly Li, an eighty year old Chinese man, educated in England. He imparts wisdom, sometimes the results are very uncomfortable, however it is a joy to view the reactions of Donovan and Monroe to his thoughts. Through Li, author Tim Downs takes his time bringing the reader to the present, as Li recounts his life and that of the individual bent on unleashing a plague upon America. Further, Li is used to help Donovan and Monroe to confront painful memories, which only adds to the storyline. A realistic plot, characters that well drawn and believable, top rate dialog, and a rewarding finish add up to an outstanding novel. Plaguemaker, while not a Bug Man novel, stands on its own as another excellent effort from author Tim Downs.

Disclosure:
Obtained from: Library
Payment: Borrowed

The best thing about The Plague Maker is its premise. The worst thing is its execution.

The premise: A terrorist plot to attack the United States with bubonic plague is discovered. Anyone who knows me long enough knows I'm a sucker for anything to do with plague. I'm just morbid that way. This means it's a foregone conclusion I'll pick up any book, whether fiction or non-fiction, that deals with that particular disease. (I'm the same way with Jack the Ripper, but that's another story.)

So, ah, execution: standard issue stock characters speaking standard issue stock dialogue, racial and sociological stereotypes galore, with just enough science in the creation of the plague and its intended method of infection and just enough intrigue in the back story of the terrorist and his pursuer to keep me interested. Barely. Hardly the best thriller I've ever read, but serviceable enough to while away a few hours on a Saturday afternoon.

FBI agent Nathan Donovan, divorced, angry and self-professedly fearless, is one of four main characters in Tim Downs's Plague Maker who are coping, each quite differently, with the effects of grief. The relationship between Donovan and his ex-wife Macy Monroe, an expert in terrorist psychology and hostage negotiation, was sundered by the death of their four-year-old son, a recent loss. But the two old men we encounter in Downs' story have been living with their grief for some sixty years. The enigmatic Li is an English-educated Chinese man who offers Donovan information pertinent to a recent murder in a TriBeCa loft: the murder scene was noteworthy for the vast numbers of exterminated fleas found on and around the victim. Li believes the crime is related to World War II-era germ warfare experimentation--the Mengele-esque work of Japan's infamous Unit 731--conducted in part by Li's personal nemesis, Sato Matsushita.

Downs's story of a post-9/11 terror attack on New York is gripping and all too believable--at least to this average reader who is unfamiliar with the logistical difficulties inherent in breeding fleas and weaponizing the bubonic plague. The book is also studded with engaging dialogue and some superb descriptive passages: "His face was long and drawn, and it widened at the bottom, where great sagging jowls bagged around his neck. It gave him the overall appearance of a melting candle, drooping under its own weight, as if at any moment his face might ooze over his collar and onto the desk." The writing is good, the characters well-developed--though one can argue that Li is too much the quintessential wise man to be quite credible--but mostly Plague Maker a ripping good story that you'll stay up too late to finish.

Debra Hamel -- author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in ancient Greece (Yale University Press, 2003)