Review of The Virulence
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Emilia Carolina
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Review of The Virulence
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Virulence" by James C. Hendee.]
The thriller known as "The Virulence" by James C. Hendee can drive readers through a full range of emotions. I consumed this book throughout because I needed to finish reading until the last page.
Jason Stouter serves as the central character in this story after he leaves his position as an intelligence officer to escape a tragic event in his past. Billy suffers from an extremely rare blood disorder that will cause his death. Dr. Chance Bonnard presents himself to offer what appears to be a miraculous cure for the desperate situation. The desperation that Jason felt was matched by his absolute willingness to save his son. During their first meeting, Bonnard establishes the foundation for a multi-layered story that blends bioterrorism with political conflicts and personal conflicts of revenge.
The first images of Jason flying his hang glider above a moving train create an exhilarating start to the book, which establishes the fast movement of the subsequent story. Dr. Chance Bonnard contacts Jason to present a potential cure for beta-thalassemia affecting his son. The mysterious behavior and hidden cure details of Bonnard create an immediate warning signal. Graham Greene's opening quote, "In our hearts, there is a ruthless dictator, ready to contemplate the misery of a thousand strangers if it will ensure the happiness of the few we love," sets the stage for Jason's internal struggle about using dangerous biological weapons because it highlights his willingness to sacrifice many unknown people for the sake of his loved ones.
During the story, I developed doubts about the intentions of each character, starting from Jason up to himself. His devotion to his son remains clear, yet his agreement to support a dangerous scheme caused me to doubt his decision-making abilities. The plot gains more depth when the Dalton Gang appears as a group of renegade scientists. This bold yet horrifying scheme involves infecting conflicting leaders through a virus that the Dalton Gang can manage for peace. Jason entered a secluded room where Bonnard welcomed him to sit down. “Please, have a seat.” His gesture toward the opposite end of the table shows an alarming sense.
The Middle East becomes the setting while the author uses detailed descriptions to portray both the active markets of Jerusalem and peaceful desert environments. Jason faces relentless action during the story through constant surveillance evasion while fighting hand-to-hand and struggling with moral choices.
The pacing in some parts of the book appeared too fast-paced. The disclosure of Roxanne's genuine identity along with her Zufar connection appeared too sudden and abrupt for me. The book would have been stronger if the authors had expanded the development of character relationships throughout the story. The revelation near the end about Holz's extreme strategy to control the oil fields seemed forced and weakened the overall impact of what had already occurred in the story.
The book itself is good, minus a typo I noticed. On page 20, the word "onl0" instead of "only" is used. This error didn’t do too much damage to my reading experience, but it did interrupt the flow at that time.
"The Virulence" is a gripping thriller despite these minor flaws because I was engrossed in it from start to finish. The characters are well-rounded, the plot is made up, and the place is well-described. I stayed with the moral ambiguities explored in the book long after I put it down. I give the book 4 out of 5 stars. I deducted one star because of the occasionally rushed pace and minor editing errors. But when it comes to strengths over weaknesses, the book is much stronger, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good thriller.
******
The Virulence
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The thriller known as "The Virulence" by James C. Hendee can drive readers through a full range of emotions. I consumed this book throughout because I needed to finish reading until the last page.
Jason Stouter serves as the central character in this story after he leaves his position as an intelligence officer to escape a tragic event in his past. Billy suffers from an extremely rare blood disorder that will cause his death. Dr. Chance Bonnard presents himself to offer what appears to be a miraculous cure for the desperate situation. The desperation that Jason felt was matched by his absolute willingness to save his son. During their first meeting, Bonnard establishes the foundation for a multi-layered story that blends bioterrorism with political conflicts and personal conflicts of revenge.
The first images of Jason flying his hang glider above a moving train create an exhilarating start to the book, which establishes the fast movement of the subsequent story. Dr. Chance Bonnard contacts Jason to present a potential cure for beta-thalassemia affecting his son. The mysterious behavior and hidden cure details of Bonnard create an immediate warning signal. Graham Greene's opening quote, "In our hearts, there is a ruthless dictator, ready to contemplate the misery of a thousand strangers if it will ensure the happiness of the few we love," sets the stage for Jason's internal struggle about using dangerous biological weapons because it highlights his willingness to sacrifice many unknown people for the sake of his loved ones.
During the story, I developed doubts about the intentions of each character, starting from Jason up to himself. His devotion to his son remains clear, yet his agreement to support a dangerous scheme caused me to doubt his decision-making abilities. The plot gains more depth when the Dalton Gang appears as a group of renegade scientists. This bold yet horrifying scheme involves infecting conflicting leaders through a virus that the Dalton Gang can manage for peace. Jason entered a secluded room where Bonnard welcomed him to sit down. “Please, have a seat.” His gesture toward the opposite end of the table shows an alarming sense.
The Middle East becomes the setting while the author uses detailed descriptions to portray both the active markets of Jerusalem and peaceful desert environments. Jason faces relentless action during the story through constant surveillance evasion while fighting hand-to-hand and struggling with moral choices.
The pacing in some parts of the book appeared too fast-paced. The disclosure of Roxanne's genuine identity along with her Zufar connection appeared too sudden and abrupt for me. The book would have been stronger if the authors had expanded the development of character relationships throughout the story. The revelation near the end about Holz's extreme strategy to control the oil fields seemed forced and weakened the overall impact of what had already occurred in the story.
The book itself is good, minus a typo I noticed. On page 20, the word "onl0" instead of "only" is used. This error didn’t do too much damage to my reading experience, but it did interrupt the flow at that time.
"The Virulence" is a gripping thriller despite these minor flaws because I was engrossed in it from start to finish. The characters are well-rounded, the plot is made up, and the place is well-described. I stayed with the moral ambiguities explored in the book long after I put it down. I give the book 4 out of 5 stars. I deducted one star because of the occasionally rushed pace and minor editing errors. But when it comes to strengths over weaknesses, the book is much stronger, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good thriller.
******
The Virulence
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper
