Germ (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this doorstopper of a sophomore suspense novel, Liparulo (Comes aHorseman) explores the grim possibilities of germ warfare with an interesting twist: this Ebola virus can seek and destroy specific individuals by matching their DNA. Ten thousand people are on the list for infection, and it's up to special agent Julia Matheson to stop the horrific drama that's about to unfold. As she tracks the source of the virus, she finds a touch of romance with physician Dr. Allen Parker, who, with Julia, is fleeing a seemingly invincible assassin. Multiple changes of perspective are challenging, and the reader may have to work hard to maintain the thread of the story. Although there are more than the requisite number of shootouts with the bad guys, hand-to-hand combat episodes, bloody injuries and chase scenes, this is less gruesome than Liparulo's debut. A tighter page count, however, would have enhanced the pacing, and faith readers will be surprised that there's not much of a nod toward them, except for the character of Stephen Parker, a congenial, larger-than-life pastor with a tragic past. Yet Liparulo's dialogue is smooth and competent, and he throws in just enough twists to keep the pages turning. Plenty of technical details, especially in gathering and communicating information, help differentiate this story from the run-of-the-mill thriller. (Nov.)
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Product Description

If you breathe...It will find you.

The list of 10,000 names was created for maximum devastation. Business leaders, housewives, politicians, celebrities, janitors, children. None of them is aware of what is about to happen--but all will be part of the most frightening brand of warfare the world has ever known.

The germ--an advanced form of the Ebola virus--has been genetically engineered to infect only those people whose DNA matches the codes embedded within it. Those whose DNA is not a match simply catch a cold. But those who are a match experience a far worse fate. Within days, their internal organs liquify.

Death is the only escape.

The release of the virus will usher in a new era of power where countries are left without defense. Where a single person--or millions--could be killed with perfect accuracy and zero collateral damage. Where your own DNA works against you.

The time isn't coming. It is now. Pray the assassins get you first.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (October 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785261788
• ISBN-13: 978-0785261780
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #457,464 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Non-stop Action!, October 16, 2006

By	Gina L. Holmes "www.noveljourney.blogspot.com" (VA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Plenty of books are claimed to be "thrillers". Once you read Liparulo's work, the difference between a suspense and a true thriller becomes clear.

Germ starts at warp speed and doesn't slow down longer than it takes the reader to refuel for the next lap.

Robert's prose in the first chapters are what I love about his writing. He has a literary bent that few thriller writers do. After the first chapters, the action continues to pick up and his writing moves into less literary and more unobtrusive, which serves the story well.

This book had unique, believable characters who were layered and likeable. The writing was top notch and the action moved along so quickly I had to take breaks, just to catch my breath and process it all.

In short, this novel read like an action movie, which is apparently a good thing, since I believe it's being made into one. Though not as gruesome as Liparulo's first novel, Comes A Horseman, it does contain a good amount of violence in the form of shootouts and fist-fights.

Germ is a great choice for thriller lovers and most especially for men as it isn't weighed down with a lot of romance or mushy gushy feelings and deep self-exploration. This stays true to its genre.

If you're not afraid to be scared sick, pick up this germ, er, gem.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathless and Panting, November 7, 2006

By	Eric Wilson "novelist" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

Liparulo's debut novel, "Comes a Horseman," snared the attention of numerous readers and garnered rave reviews. Fast pacing and interesting villains propelled the story toward a satisfying climax. With the release of "Germ," he makes a convincing argument for the title of Suspense Thriller King.

Imagine an all-to-believable future in which DNA-specific biochemical warfare can pinpoint its targets, in which the most deadly weapon on earth can become personal. This is the concept behind Liparulo's "Germ." With a gruesome opening scene, he gives readers cause for concern. Then, with barely a second's pause, he dives into a story that moves once again with flawless pacing.

We follow the fates of three people--a female FBI agent, and two estranged brothers. Although the plot's speed allows little time for character development, Liparulo manages to make us care for these people and their individual pasts. There are hints of romance, of personal conflict, but they are secondary issues to the race-against-time. Already, the germ has been released, targeting ten thousand individuals. This is big-screen material, made-for-Hollywood stuff, and yet it still races along with a beating human heart.

In the past year or so, Westbow Press has published three novels revolving around this theme of biochemical warfare, all with historical basis in WWII. Whereas Ted Dekker's "Black" was more suspense/fantasy, and Tim Downs' "Plague Maker" dealt with an isolated attack on NYC, Robert Liparulo's story aims for the destruction of mankind. This is more than an entertaining book; it's a warning against the dangers of mixing impersonal science and very personal human motives, such as revenge.

In the end, Liparulo leaves us breathless. And panting for more.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, December 31, 2006

By	David Brollier "sonburst" (Huguenot, NY) - See all my reviews

GERM, by Robert Liparulo begins with a scene so graphic and repulsive it's almost enough to stop a reader then and there. However, after this the action not only picks up, but increases to a maddening pace, leveling off briefly only so the reader can catch their breath.

It's that kind of a novel, one that drives you into places you do not wish to go, ensnaring you with its charm, brilliance, intensity and a balanced tension that, to me, is the mark of a truly great writer. You know these characters, maybe by different names, but you've met them before. Liparulo is not satisfied with merely describing them physically, but gives you insights into their psyche.

GERM is more about us than about a deadly virus. Hidden like the virus he's written about is a truth about ourselves, our weaknesses, our evil desires, more deadly than any physical virus. Perhaps that's the point of this story. We can be the deadliest virus on the planet...or by God's grace, it's cure. - David Brollier (Author of THE 3RD COVENANT)