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Patient Zero (Joe Ledger #1)

by Jonathan Maberry (Goodreads Author)

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 8,384 ratings · 862 reviews

When you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week there's either something wrong with your world or something wrong with your skills... and there's nothing wrong with Joe Ledger's skills. And that's both a good, and a bad thing. It's good because he's a Baltimore detective that has just been secretly recruited by the government to lead a new taskforce created to

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Paperback, 421 pages

Published March 3rd 2009 by St. Martin's Griffin

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Apr 27, 2012 Seak (Bryce L.) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio, 2012

Jonathan Maberry has made a name for himself writing horror, but more specifically writing about zombies. Going into Patient Zero, I knew it would contain zombies, but it could probably fit just as well under the label of "covert ops" or some such (not that this fantasy nerd knows anything past dragons and magic). It technically contains a form of "zombie," but it really isn't a zombie book.

The real threat in this book is terrorism. Joe Ledger, the series' eponymous hero and Baltimore detective...more Jonathan Maberry has made a name for himself writing horror, but more specifically writing about zombies. Going into Patient Zero, I knew it would contain zombies, but it could probably fit just as well under the label of "covert ops" or some such (not that this fantasy nerd knows anything past dragons and magic). It technically contains a form of "zombie," but it really isn't a zombie book.

The real threat in this book is terrorism. Joe Ledger, the series' eponymous hero and Baltimore detective, is recruited by a special, super secret task force, the Department of Military Sciences. The DMS is charged with taking out a group of terrorists with a bio-weapon that turns people essentially into zombies.

Maberry does a great job getting you right into Patient Zero. Ledger's right in the middle of the action, gets recruited, gets tested to see if he can cut it. I was sucked in fast, but it also got old fast for me.

I love a good zombie book as much as the next guy, but as I mentioned above, this wasn't really a zombie book and I found myself getting a bit bored. I really think it was me more than anything the author did, these types of books just aren't my cup-o-tea. I don't mind watching these types of movies, but I like reading more about the supernatural than espionage, etc, and there really wasn't a whole lot of supernatural going on here.

And maybe that's kudos to the author. He did a great job explaining the plague/zombie-making disease and maybe too good because it all made sense and it was more like preventing the spread of the mumps.

But, while I admit that these types of books aren't my favorite, I also had a hard time with the main character, Mr. Ledger. He's a tough-guy, a meat-head so to speak (so we probably wouldn't hang out anyway), but he grated on me after awhile. It's almost like he's constantly pissed, but that's not quite it. He's not quite griping either, but he's got this attitude quite frequently expressed such as "you're doing it all wrong."

While Joe Ledger plays a large role in Patient Zero, he maybe only takes up a little over 50% of the book. The rest is in Afghanistan with the terrorists and specifically Sebastian Gault, a billionaire who specializes in pharmaceuticals. While considered a philanthropist by the world, he really takes advantage of ailing countries rather than really helping them, so of course something like this is right for him.

The Afghanistan parts are where most of the twists and turns take place, but I still can't say I loved it all that much. I think I'm over the terrorists as the "bad guys" and while it really was the only thing that worked for the story (who else could pull off bio-weapons?) I'm done with them just like I'm done with the Germans and Russians (as bad guys not as characters).

I think a lot of people will enjoy this much more than I did and I can't say I didn't like it either, I just didn't love it. The twists and turns were great and I really didn't expect the ending where (view spoiler) It's just not my type of book. Recommended, but not necessarily as a zombie novel.

3 out of 5 Stars(less)

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Nov 16, 2011 Lou rated it 4 of 5 stars

With the protagonist Joe Ledger I am thinking of a blend of The characters James Bond, John Rambo and Jack Bauer from 24. The story actually is serving up a good slice of entertainment in the the hole that 24 and Jack Bauer no-more has left. It starts off the first half more of a cerebral approach of a thriller. Maberry writes with this story as if it has been ripped from today's headlines incorporating terrorism and political battles from across the shores. A good story that incorporates weaponry of a different strain using zombies. Love to see how Tv-series plays out. I am trying to work my way to the third installment King of Plagues. I need to eradicate Dragon factory next.

Sourced from http://us.macmillan.com/patientzero
When you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week there's either something wrong with your world or something wrong with your skills... and there's nothing wrong with Joe Ledger's skills. And that's both a good, and a bad thing. It's good because he's a Baltimore detective that has just been secretly recruited by the government to lead a new taskforce created to deal with the problems that Homeland Security can't handle. This rapid response group is called the Department of Military Sciences or the DMS for short. It's bad because his first mission is to help stop a group of terrorists from releasing a dreadful bio-weapon that can turn ordinary people into zombies. The fate of the world hangs in the balance....

Visit www.stmartins.com/jonathanmaberry to download the free short story COUNTDOWN
Click Hereto download the free short story COUNTDOWN
Why I Wrote Patient Zero
PATIENT ZERO ties together my love of classic horror, my love of thrillers, and my lifelong involvement with armed and unarmed combat. In Joe Ledger, I was able to create a hero who has a heart, high-end skills, and enough emotional baggage to open a luggage shop. M. J. Rose described him as a ‘hero with a heart’. The story also showcases some of my political views. I tend to be a bit to the left, but if it came down to saving my family or my country, I’d do whatever was necessary. I also believe that terrorism is an ideology rather than a nationality, a view that hasn’t always been represented by my country’s international policies.
I’m an avid reader of thrillers and horror, and I wrote PATIENT ZERO largely to please myself. I wanted to write exactly the kind of thriller that I would buy. I wanted complex characters, a conflicted protagonist, multi-dimensional villains, explorations of right and wrong, and lots of oddball (but frighteningly plausible) science.
I also wanted to create a series in which I could explore a lot of different directions. The first book has terrorists and zombies, but also hinged on a back-story of greed as the root of all evil. The follow-up, THE DRAGON FACTORY, allowed me to explore a different kind of evil (Nazi medical experiments, Eugenics Program, and ethnic genocide), wild science (transgenics and gene therapy), as well as to deconstruct how both heroes and villains can be killers.
It pleases me that advance reviews on PATIENT ZERO show that it appeals to a much broader audience than either thriller or horror fans. And it appeals to both sexes. Joe Ledger and his colleagues have become very real to me, and I think I’ve found the voice for a new kind of 21st Century thriller.
Jonathan Maberry praise
"I had a fine old time reading PATIENT ZERO. Jonathan Maberry has found a delightful voice for this adventure of Joe Ledger and his crew: while the action is heated, violent, and furious, the writing remains cool, steady, and low-key, framing all the wildness and exuberance in a calm rationality (given an almost comic edge) that renders it as palatable as your favorite flavor of ice cream. This is a lovely feat, and Maberry has written a memorable book." - Peter Straub

"Patient Zero is high-octane excitement from beginning to end, and the start of a fabulous new series. Joe Ledger and the DMS have my vote as the team to beat when combatting terrorist threats on a grand scale." - David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author of FIRST BLOOD and CREEPERS
"Scary, creepy, and gripping--PATIENT ZERO is 'Night of the Living Dead' meets Michael Crichton."--Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of Power Play
"A fast-paced, creepy thriller that as prickly as a hospital needle and sounds a little too convincing. This guy is good." --Joe R. Lansdale
"Brutal action, insanely intelligent, and so real that the hair on the back of your neck stands up!" -- L.A. Banks, The Vampire Huntress Legends Series, New York Times Best-selling Author
About the Author
Jonathan Maberry is the multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Ghost Road Blues (Pinnacle Books, 2006), first of a trilogy of thrillers with a supernatural bite. He is a professional writer and writing teacher and since 1979 has sold more than 1100 articles, seventeen nonfiction books, six novels, as well as short stories, poetry, song lyrics, video scripts, and two plays. In 2004, Jonathan was inducted into the International Martial Arts Hall of Fame largely because of his extensive writings in that field. View all my reviews

Jonathan Maberry at DragonCon 2009 talks zombies and Patient Zero
http://more2read.com/?p=1802

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Apr 02, 2013 The Itzel Library rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: All

Recommended to The Itzel Library by: Publisher

Shelves: 2011, cover-love, fantasy, fiction, fun, horror, humor, paranormal, scifi, society, thriller, suspense, to-review, urban-fantasy, zombies, top-10, adult, contemporary, couples, mistery, romance, rereading, violence, witches, perfect-heroe, kick-ass-heroe, unforgettable, joe-ledger

Reseña cortesía de TIL|The Itzel Library

5/5
AWESOME!!!

Con la narración en primera persona, Maberry nos permite conocer al policía-guerrero-asesino Joseph Edwin Ledger, un hombre que perdió a la mujer que amaba a manos de unos ladrones, un hecho que dejó una profunda huella en su corazón y su mente. Su padre y su hermano son detectives del departamento de policía de Baltimore, Joe fue a la academia de rangers y se graduó con honores; fue a la academia de policía donde no sólo demostró ser uno de l...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: zombies, horror, favorites

You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/10/...

“Patient Zero”,by Jonathan Maberry, follows smart-mouthed Baltimore cop Joe Ledger who, after joining a secret government agency, the Department of Military Science, or DMS, races to stop a plague from destroying the country, except this plague makes Ebola look like child’s play. This plague kills you, then re-animates you, zombie-style. Except the "zombies" in this book are not your traditional zombies. The “plague”, is,...more You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/10/...

“Patient Zero”,by Jonathan Maberry, follows smart-mouthed Baltimore cop Joe Ledger who, after joining a secret government agency, the Department of Military Science, or DMS, races to stop a plague from destroying the country, except this plague makes Ebola look like child’s play. This plague kills you, then re-animates you, zombie-style. Except the "zombies" in this book are not your traditional zombies. The “plague”, is, in fact, a bio-warfare virus unleashed by some of the most terrifying villains in recent thrillers.

Our hero, Ledger, is recruited into the DMS in strong-arm fashion, and is almost quite literally thrown into the fight with a team made up of men with various backgrounds. Unlike a lot of your heroes featured in modern thrillers, Ledger does not have a super secret military background, or even a long military career. In fact, his military career was quite short, however, what talents he does have, he has in spades. I’ll let you read the book to find out just how good he is at what he does.

If you've ever read any of Nelson DeMille's books featuring John Corey (Plum Island, Lion's Game, etc,), Joe Ledger will remind you of him very strongly. He's kind of a guy's guy and is very sarcastic (so you'll laugh a bit), and he gets the job done, very effectively. He kicks some pretty serious ass too, while remaining firmly in the White Hat category. Maberry has done extremely well in fleshing out his characters while simultaneously keeping the action going, which, to me, is not an easy thing to do. Ledger really struggles with the horror of what he's been thrust into, and I would hope anyone (even a kick-ass, tough guy) would.

What makes this book rise above the usual espionage/thriller novel, aside from the zombie aspect, so wildly popular right now, is its superb writing and nearly flawless pacing. Add to that villains that include a greedy billionaire; a modern day, psychotic, Mata Hari, and her equally psychotic, religious zealot husband; a mole, sent to infiltrate the good guys; plus a dash of romance, and you’ve got a book that knocks the genre on its ear and keeps you guessing (and up late) until the last pages.

I give “Patient Zero” an enthusiastic 5 out of 5 zombies, er, stars!(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Dec 12, 2010 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

How can a book about zombie terrorists be boring? I wrote a review here (an earlier book)where I noted that I can at times read at a fairly fast rate and I do that especially when I have a large number of library books waiting to be read. In that review I noted that sometimes I regretted it as there were/are times I'd like to linger over a book....this isn't one of those books.

The book caught my interest initially and I had hopes for it. It "was/is" another "zombies are caused by an infection th...more

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Feb 20, 2013 I, Curmudgeon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action-adventure, audio-book, espionage, group-read, into-the-breeches-again-dear-frien, series, suspense, thriller, colorful-supporting-characters, crime-action-adventure, recommended, good-read, science-fiction, strong-roles-for-female-characters

*** Note: this review follows a format intended for the "Group Read" in the Action/Adventure Afficionados discussion group. It may not conform to what your used to, but, it'll make sense... at least I hope it makes sense. End Note***

1. Did you feel that this was a good zombie novel?

Well, it’s a good book, it has Zombies in it, but it might be premature to call it a “Zombie Novel.” It was more action adventure with a risk of zombie apocalypse…and…it was a GOOD one.

2. Action scenes. How did they...more

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Nov 17, 2009 Steve rated it 2 of 5 stars

I usually steer clear of series fiction, but the Peter Straub blurb made me pick this one up. It's a fast-paced, somewhat cartoonish zombie-thriller involving Joe Ledger, the hard-boiled detective who is recruited by the super-super-ultra-secret Department of Military Sciences. There is plenty of action and the book is well-plotted (if by-the-numbers), but it does have a lot of howlers in it, particularly when protagonist Joe begins to feel patriotic or amorous. Joe can kill anyone, kick anyone'...more

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Feb 03, 2010 Miriam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Miriam by: First Reads

Shelves: adventure, science-fiction

What seems to be a straight-forward police raid quickly takes a turn for the bizarre when officer Joe Ledger is shown the man he killed in the raid, now reanimated as a zombie! The zombies is are not supernatural creatures but victims of a deliberately engineered virus which terrorists are testing for use on the populace. Ledger is recruited to a secret joint American and British effort to stop them.

This is an entertaining read with an interesting protagonist and plenty of action. Very short ch...more

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Mar 12, 2010 Rusty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: zombies, horror, fiction, read-in-2010, 2000, book-club-read, mid-atlantic, series, jonathan-maberry

This book is essentially an action thriller. There is a new global threat emerging involving terrorism, a multi-national corporation, biological weapons, and some zombies. Joe Ledger, while a bit short on military/law enforcement experience, is long on ass–kicking ability. So a secret government agency (the DMS) headed by one mysterious Mr. Church, recruits him to help combat the threat. As the DMS sends in Joe and his team to fight the zombies, they try to identify the bad guys and stop the spr...more

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Jan 26, 2009 The Crimson Fucker rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mucho-macho

Joe Ledger was sent to America to kick platypus ass and kill zombies!! And there ain’t no more platypuses on this continent! So watch it zombies cuz this “man” can kick the shit out of a room full of special forces members in less than 6 seconds!! Yes you read right! 6 seconds, he can make a last stand against dozens and dozens of zombies without even getting a scratch, this man is like the Chuck Norris of zombie slaying!! I swear to god I kept expecting him to grab a zombie by the arms rip em’...more

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Jan 15, 2009 Greg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, i-walked-with-a-zombie-rawr

Excusing all my derogatory comments about light / beach / vacation reading, I finally get it. If you have basically a cookie cutter action / thriller novel and it's about zombies I totally understand the appeal. If this had been merely about terrorists attacking America with some unstoppable hero going about shutting them down I'd think it was crap, but when the terrorists are spreading a zombie plague, now that I can get interested in and want to read. I'd probably still rather watch this as a...more

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Apr 10, 2009 Schnaucl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: april, fiction, horror, library, read_2009, series, zombies

Although this novel does involve zombies, it's much closer to a spy thriller than it is a typical post-apocalyptic zombie novel. The outbreaks are very isolated and contained rather than affecting the entire planet.

The zombies are made through a disease that was created as a bioweapon and each generation of the strain is more infectious than the last. Joe Ledger, a cop about to turn FBI, is recruited into a super secret branch of the government to head one of the teams trying to stop the terrori...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Markus rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, horror, zombies, action, joe-ledger

Another zombie book...but, still giving 3 and ½ stars.

In the Amazon buying suggestion style, 'you like 80's horror movies, and seem to have a disturbing obsession with same decade's action movies like Commando, First Blood, Road House and Die Hard...and also you like an un-realistic action tv-series like 24 so you might like Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry.' Indeed, i liked very much of this zombie action book which takes itself very seriously in a good way...like 24. A main character even ment...more

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Dec 27, 2009 Jason (FNORDinc) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, part-of-a-series, reviewed-on-fnordinc

its been about a month since i read this book. since i finished, i have stew over it and passed it on to at least two other people. i guess this means i need to write about it too, as i obviously enjoyed it.

ZOMBIES, but not your typical variety. There was no alien flyby or radiation leak that caused these undead to rise and eat flesh. At no point did hell fill up and the souls of the damned rise to retake the earth.

Patient Zero is pure science. science and violent horrific terrorism bent on dest...more its been about a month since i read this book. since i finished, i have stew over it and passed it on to at least two other people. i guess this means i need to write about it too, as i obviously enjoyed it.

ZOMBIES, but not your typical variety. There was no alien flyby or radiation leak that caused these undead to rise and eat flesh. At no point did hell fill up and the souls of the damned rise to retake the earth.

Patient Zero is pure science. science and violent horrific terrorism bent on destroying americans and all who stand beside them. terrorists have begun activating cells testing out a new bio weapon that kills and reanimates. Joe Ledger is brought into the mix to head up a team of black-ops that will attempt to save us all.

Book 1 in Jonathan Maberry’s new series is fuckin awesome. You dont pick it up expecting Hemingway, there is no desire to be reminded of The Great Gatsby or the Hours. you know what you are getting into from the first page. this is not to say that he is not a fine writer. just that he is alone the same lines as Duane Swierczynski (Author of The Blond and Severance Package) or Warren Ellis (author of Crooked Little Vein). The book is fast paced and brutal.

From the book’s summary:

When you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week there’s either something wrong with your world or something wrong with your skills… and there’s nothing wrong with Joe Ledger’s skills.

Joe Ledger, the heartbeat of the book, is a total badass and i hope to see him in a great number of future books. as it is now, it looks like book two of the Ledger tales is due out in 2010 and is titled “The Dragon Factory” genetics, nazi’s it should be a mess of awesomeness.

for anyone interested, the last page of “Patient Zero” advises that a short story is available for download by this author. it is essentially chapter -1 of this book. well worth reading. Available at the following location: www.stmartins.com/jonathanmaberry

In case St.Martin’s press decides to revoke the free access, there is a mirror of the PDF on my site:
Download: [follow link at top of review:]

- FNORDinc.com
http://www.fnordinc.com/2009/12-27/re...(less)

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Jan 07, 2013 Natalie (Mindful Musings) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Natalie (Mindful Musings) by: Felicia

Shelves: zombies, political-intrigue, science-fiction, nook, action-adventure, books-for-greg, male-mc

In a Sentence: This is my first Jonathan Maberry book, but it won't be my last.

My Thoughts

Patient Zero and I have a long, complicated history. (Just ask Christy from Christy's Love of Books). I originally started reading the book over the summer, but because of a slew of reasons (review books, social and familial obligations, graduate school orientation, teaching orientation, heck, even my mood), the poor thing got set aside over and over again. Let me make it clear from the star that this had...more In a Sentence: This is my first Jonathan Maberry book, but it won't be my last.

My Thoughts

Patient Zero and I have a long, complicated history. (Just ask Christy from Christy's Love of Books). I originally started reading the book over the summer, but because of a slew of reasons (review books, social and familial obligations, graduate school orientation, teaching orientation, heck, even my mood), the poor thing got set aside over and over again. Let me make it clear from the star that this had nothing to do with the book itself. As you'll see shortly, once I actually sat down and committed to reading it, I really enjoyed it! But for God knows why, it took me the LONGEST time to get around to that point. Finally, Christy and I made a bet. If I finished the book before the end of the year, she would buy me a book. If I didn't, I would buy her one. I'm happy to say that I finally cracked down and managed to finish Patient Zero before the end of 2012 (Barely. I read the last page on Christmas night).

Anyways, onto the book itself. The first thing I noticed about Patient Zero (other than the fact that it was about zombies!) was that it started off with a great quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: "A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer." Those who know me well can tell you I'm a sucker for a good quote, and it's one of the fastest ways to pull me into a book, so for me, leading with this one was a good choice. It was also a quote that set up the tone for the story and gave the reader a little peek at what was to come.

I also appreciated that, along with the zombies (which I love) Patient Zero also had a lot of appeal for fans of action and adventure or political intrigue. There were a decent amount of political and historical references throughout the book, but not enough to make the text seem obscure. Instead, it was more like a spattering of knowledge about American and Middle Easter politics that contributed to the overall storyline.

Joe Ledger was a great protagonist to follow. To put it frankly, he's quite the badass, but he has a lot of vulnerability to him hidden just beneath the surface. The development of Joe and the other characters in Patient Zero ensured that the book wasn't just a macho, kicking-ass-and-taking-names-while-blowing-up-some-zombies book. It wasn't just a bunch of cheap thrills and B-grade horror cliches. There was genuine fear, regret, and grief expressed over the terrible events that were unfolding and the consequences that were incurred as a result. And as much as I love the zombie genre as a whole, I think that failing to realistically represent the human side of the situation is one of it's biggest failings. It's also one of the reasons why I love shows like The Walking Dead (sweet baby Jesus I'm ready for some new episodes) and books like this one and Feed by Mira Grant.

However, in spite of all its seriousness, Maberry did a good job of providing comic relief in all the right places. One of my favorite instances of this is a quote that I've included below:

"I'm not sure I could trust a man who would bypass an Oreo in favor of vanilla wafers. It's a fundamental character flaw, possibly a sign of true evil" (20, NookBook).

Overall, I'm glad I had the chance to read Patient Zero, even if it took me so long to do so. I will definitely be continuing the series with The Dragon Factory, which I already have a copy of, thanks to Christy! If you're interested in this kind of book at all, I'd highly recommend giving it a shot!(less)

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Sep 01, 2011 Christina added it

Recommended to Christina by: Android's Dream (sci-fi/horror/fantasy book club at the Doylesto

Shelves: fiction, horror, crap-no-one-should-read

I have thoroughly enjoyed doing dramatic readings of the Joe Ledger chapters of this book in as gravelly a Christian-Bale-as-Batman voice as I can muster (which isn't all that gravelly, because I am, after all, a girl). This book lends itself perfectly to that kind of parody.

Because it is a parody.

A parody of a parody.

It's cliched in the worst possible of ways...

You've got main character/hero Joe Ledger who walks with a big stick and supposedly has a bigger dick. He's self-aware enough to know t...more

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Feb 28, 2011 M— rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

One and a half stars.

Didn't grab me; didn't enjoy it. Part of the reason for this might have been because of the first person narrative, which I typically find removing, but the larger reason is that I was never drawn into the world. I rather liked how Joe Ledger was introduced and I really liked how deftly Maberry penned the opening scenes that built up the reader's awareness of just how good of a cop/soldier Ledger was, but my interest in Ledger, and by extension my interest in this book, didn...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 19, 2012 Alondra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

4 Stars for being excellent zombie reading.

I have really done well, with picking great zombie stories this year. I think it is because the author is outstanding in his story-telling. The stories are plausible and the characters, actually quite believable.

I think I love Joe Ledger; I mean, I know he is a fictional character.. but... well, I love him. He is complex; but not a bastard, which is hard to find in a guy nowadays... hahahhaa..sorry.

Anyway; good guts and glory; with a great storyline. G...more

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 28, 2008 J.D. rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is pure, kick-ass fun. Joe Ledger's a great action hero, and the story zips along at a great clip. I read the whole thing with a big sloppy grin on my face. I highly recommend it.

7 likes · like · see review

Aug 04, 2011 Dalton Lynne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well, let me start off by saying that I didn't want to give this book a 4 star rating. I would have preferred something along the lines of 3.5 or 3.75. But because I don't think it deserves to be rated as low as a 3, I'm forced to rate it higher than I personally think it deserves.

I'll start off by talking about what I liked about the book - the plot and action were pretty well-developed, imo. There was certainly no amount of time that I was bored while listening to the events unfold. This would...more

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Apr 14, 2011 Molly Amory rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, and, horror

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Zombies! Kinda. Zombie plague anyway - close enough.

I really liked the main character - which was a good thing, as most of the book is in first person from his point of view. Joe Ledger is a cop recruited by a super-secret military organization to fight the most dangerous of terrorist threats - an oncoming zombie plague intended to destroy America (and pretty much everybody else who isn't one of the terrorists.)

There were many, many things I liked about it - the character voices, the wry humor,...more Zombies! Kinda. Zombie plague anyway - close enough.

I really liked the main character - which was a good thing, as most of the book is in first person from his point of view. Joe Ledger is a cop recruited by a super-secret military organization to fight the most dangerous of terrorist threats - an oncoming zombie plague intended to destroy America (and pretty much everybody else who isn't one of the terrorists.)

There were many, many things I liked about it - the character voices, the wry humor, the way the author managed to convey fresh tension and horror in the context of such a (let's be honest) played out monster threat. I also liked the relationship between the main character and his best friend/shrink, Rudy - it was very sweet and my fellow fans on GR will appreciate it for the same reasons I did. I liked that one of the characters was openly gay and it was never treated as a big deal or as a reason not to respect him, and that one of the people in charge on the good guys' side was a very competent woman (though it would be nice if she hadn't been the only soldier to break down crying in somebody's arms, and if this hadn't devolved into a traditional Romantic Moment, and if she hadn't had Tragic Kid Trauma in her past - would also be nice if someday male writers discovered that women can have pain in their pasts unrelated to dead babies. We DO have other interests, guys. Take note.)

I wasn't as fond of the fact that the Americans got to Fight Evil with sheer grit and bloody-minded patriotism, while the Scary Middle Eastern People were all frothing religious crazies bent on destroying the world for Allah. (There were a few American bad guys, but they were bad out of greed and mainly against ending the world via zombie plague.) At least one Non-Scary Middle Eastern good guy could have balanced out the problem and would have left me feeling better about enjoying the book. As it is, we have a bunch of Middle Eastern terrorists who are crazy and then crazier and then REALLY crazy, and then killed by the American good guys, and thus the day is saved. So two stars off for literary racial profiling, leaving only three for a fairly rocking zombie story.

I did really enjoy the story-telling and the writing was definitely above average for what is basically a B-grade horror flick waiting to happen (not a bad thing!) The main character is kind of a central-casting hard-boiled smart-mouthed bad-ass out of the John McLane mould, but I'm a big fan of John McLane, so I have no problem with that. He's also got a few surprisingly warm character traits that helped him rise above the type.

I've picked up the sequel, and the first in his previous trilogy - but I do hope their good guy/bad guy breakdown is based less on race and nationality than in this one.(less)

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Apr 29, 2013 Matt Gilliard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jonathan Mayberry's name has been popping up on my Twitter feed for months, so I decided to take a look at the first of his Joe Ledger series. Mayberry delivers a fast paced, high tension yarn with a memorable protagonist and a compelling supporting cast. Fans of World War Z and television's Burn Notice will likely find Patient Zero right up their alley.

Synopsis follows:

When you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week there's either something wrong with your world or something wrong w...more Jonathan Mayberry's name has been popping up on my Twitter feed for months, so I decided to take a look at the first of his Joe Ledger series. Mayberry delivers a fast paced, high tension yarn with a memorable protagonist and a compelling supporting cast. Fans of World War Z and television's Burn Notice will likely find Patient Zero right up their alley.

Synopsis follows:

When you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week there's either something wrong with your world or something wrong with your skills... and there's nothing wrong with Joe Ledger's skills. And that's both a good, and a bad thing. It's good because he's a Baltimore detective that has just been secretly recruited by the government to lead a new taskforce created to deal with the problems that Homeland Security can't handle. This rapid response group is called the Department of Military Sciences or the DMS for short. It's bad because his first mission is to help stop a group of terrorists from releasing a dreadful bio-weapon that can turn ordinary people into zombies. The fate of the world hangs in the balance....

The real selling point for Patient Zero is the voice of Mayberry's protagonist, Joe Ledger. Surprisingly, Mayberry chooses to write in third person rather than first, which seems to be a necessary evil since our hero never really shares screen time with the real villains of the piece. But the strength of Ledger's chapters is evident in my exasperation any time I was forced to spend too much time with anyone other than Ledger. Ledger has a lot in common with another popular suspense hero, James Patterson's, Alex Cross. But while Cross seems almost too perfect, Ledger is much more the every man in spite of being perhaps a bit too competent. But I suppose a high degree of competence is required when facing hordes of the walking dead with nothing more than a hand gun. But it's not the sheer amount of Ledger's bad-assery that makes the book, though Mayberry has a deft touch with action sequences. It's his particular blend of pissed off sarcasm that really sells the character for me. Joe's a guy you'd be more than happy to have a beer or six with after work.

Full review can be found at http://the52review.blogspot.com/2013/...(less)

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Apr 05, 2013 Jaimie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Jonathan Maberry upped the anti for the zombie genre with his book Patient Zero. At first, I wondered if this was just going to be another book about blood, gore, and yes the undead. But, it was much more than that. Not only did it contain strong characterization and substance flow to keep the reader enthralled and invested in the plot, it also served as the perfect platform to birth a new hero: Joe Ledger. The snarky, obnoxious, and interesting Joe Ledger, former detective turned DMS Captain, m...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Franklyn Thomas rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jonathan Maberry's first entry in the Joe Ledger series, Patient Zero, drops you into a world that's eerily similar to the present, where terrorism is a continuing threat and religious fundamentalist diehards are finding new and deadly ways to kill infidels. As Joe states in the opening line, "when you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week, there's either something wrong with your world or something wrong with your skills. And there's nothing wrong with my skills."

When a well-funded...more Jonathan Maberry's first entry in the Joe Ledger series, Patient Zero, drops you into a world that's eerily similar to the present, where terrorism is a continuing threat and religious fundamentalist diehards are finding new and deadly ways to kill infidels. As Joe states in the opening line, "when you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week, there's either something wrong with your world or something wrong with your skills. And there's nothing wrong with my skills."

When a well-funded jihadist group, led by the dangerous and mysterious El Mujahid and his wife Amirah, begin using a terrifying bio-weapon that turns its victims into mindless, contagious, and ravenous zombies, Joe is hastily recruited by the ultra-secret Department of Military Sciences to run Echo Team, a strike squad of hardened ex-soldiers, and combat the threat. What follows is the longest week in Joe's life as he deals with threat from the terrorists, their backers, a traitor on the squad, and his own personal demons.

Maberry's storytelling is impressive. The story is broken down into chunks, long when they need to be and short when they need to be, that moves the plot along briskly. Joe is a darkly charismatic and adept hero, equal parts Dirty Harry, Sam Spade, and Ethan Hunt. Intelligent and resourceful, brutal and reluctant. The parts of the story that are told through his viewpoint are fast and funny, and attempt with varying amounts of success to place the camera squarely behind our heads. It is novelized form of a first-person shooter. The parts that don't directly follow Joe are a bit hamstrung bythe fact that the other characters are caricatures of moustache-twirling evil. The smug British capitalist is typically slimy and the terrorist characters follow every statement with their version of an evil laugh (Allah akhbar). There's also a sex scene that, save for the tacked on purpose it serves, feels a bit out of place and unnecessary.

The triumph of Patient Zero is that the credibility of the threat is very palpable. Much of the science is real as are most of the diseases and pathology, which creates an entirely believable atmosphere of "this could happen." The action scenes are very well staged and the swerve thrown in at the final act is pretty cool. For all the issues I had with the book, I rather enjoyed it and recommend it pretty highly.

Rating: 8 of 10.(less)

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Nov 23, 2012 David Agranoff rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror-masterpiece, military-sci-fi, modern-horror, monsters, spy-novel, weird-crime, zombies

As a serious horror fiction reader Mayberry is a name I have been seeing a lot. Weather it was interesting titles on the shelf, or listing in award nominations I have seen his name a lot. He has been blurbed by heavy-weights I trust like David Morrell, Joe R. Lansdale and Peter Straub. That is high praise, and with that in mind I picked this one up at the library and didn’t understand what had taken me so long.

OK,OK this guy delivers on the hype. Patient Zero is a high quality zombie novel, like...more As a serious horror fiction reader Mayberry is a name I have been seeing a lot. Weather it was interesting titles on the shelf, or listing in award nominations I have seen his name a lot. He has been blurbed by heavy-weights I trust like David Morrell, Joe R. Lansdale and Peter Straub. That is high praise, and with that in mind I picked this one up at the library and didn’t understand what had taken me so long.

OK,OK this guy delivers on the hype. Patient Zero is a high quality zombie novel, like all the best zombie novels/films it has far more interesting elements than the zombies. I was attracted to the comparisons to Repairman Jack novels of course, I mean anyone following my reviews knows I am enjoying the hell out of those.

This novel fits into the same weird crime subgenre, and it is clearly the launch of a series of novels featuring a character named Joe Ledger and his team of anti-terrorists that work under the name “Department of Military Science.” Think of it as DARPA or Fringe division with a little more teeth.

The series and it’s story is a cross between Fringe and Repairman Jack, but don’t take that comparison the wrong way – it has an original feel to it. That is tough to do when you tackle zombies the most currently over used troupe in genre fiction. The fresh feeling to this novel really is a pleasant surprise.

This is the story of ex-military current Baltimore cop Joe Ledger, who has a knack for tracking down Muslim terrorists. He speaks several Middle Eastern languages and has a history in the service. The novel starts off in wake of a raid in Baltimore where he shot a suspect. Things get weird when a government agency recruits him – his first job to kill the same guy, uh kill him again. You see this time the dude is a snarling zombie. Ledger is asked to lead a new team that will hunt down the source of this new disease that re-animates the dead, which is believed to have a terrorist connection.

The horror elements are done really well, but one thing I really enjoyed was the crime novel feel. Mayberry captures the snappy witty dialogue that is essential to the crime novel (ala Lansdale, Leonard or Gregory Macdonald). Once the shit hits the fan in the novel some of the dialogue tappers off, this could be argued to be natural reaction to the events.

Mayberry weaves several influences together so well it is hard not to do comparisons. It’s part Tech-thriller, part zombie, part military sci-fi/horror, part witty crime novel, and part character study. Great read for horror, action and weird crime fans. I’m ready for the second book, here is hoping Mayberry keeps this series going strong for a long time.
(less)

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Nov 03, 2012 Sean Watson rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I enjoyed the start of this novel, though it quickly became very cliché. Think Predator, starring the Governator and Ventura and all the macho-posing it contained, replete with one-liners and snappy dialogue. The more I read, the more the protagonist, Joe Ledger, became a caricature of every action-movie star ever invented. Additionally, though it may seem absurd to question plausibility in a novel about the living dead, I was bothered by some of the more absurd plot elements, such as major phar...more

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Oct 26, 2012 Heather Boustead rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action-adventure, horror

Patient Zero
Joe Ledger Book One
By Jonathan Maberry

Joe Ledger has been sought out for a very interesting mission, to stop the new face of Terror. When he must kill the same terrorist twice in one week he knows there is no way he can turn down his latest assignment. What if there is more to the newest Terrorist threat than just the jihad extremist?

I am not a huge fan of zombie novels there have only been a couple so far that I actually enjoyed; most seem to be all about zombies taking over and le...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Closerx rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was a little bummed after reading the fourth Monster Hunter book. Don't get me wrong, it was AWESOME.. but! It meant that I had no more MSI to read until the new one comes out.

This book kept showing up in the same lists as MSI and I thought I would give it a chance.

WOW... It was much better than I was expecting. Ledger was not only a 100% Bad ass, but he was also clever. I can actually say that I think I like Ledger more than Pitt.

Also, I think it's important to note that I am not the bigge...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Martin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, thriller

A former police detective and should-have-been special forces member Joe Ledger can't help himself but be absorbed into the latest super secret anti-terrorist agency. His skills as a martial arts expert and guilty ruthlessness are ideal skills to lead a small unit into a zombie infested plot to punish the infidels of the world. Other than that we have the usual roles: two other-wordly beautiful scientists, a figure head for the secret agency who's more composed under pressure than the statue of...more A former police detective and should-have-been special forces member Joe Ledger can't help himself but be absorbed into the latest super secret anti-terrorist agency. His skills as a martial arts expert and guilty ruthlessness are ideal skills to lead a small unit into a zombie infested plot to punish the infidels of the world. Other than that we have the usual roles: two other-wordly beautiful scientists, a figure head for the secret agency who's more composed under pressure than the statue of liberty and various other cast members you can fill in by grabbing random James Bond or Bourne characters.

That's pretty much all you need to know. At least if you're only interested steam-reading through the novel to get through the action parts, which is what I did. It's not my kind of book as you may have guessed from the previous paragraph. I did find myself highly entertained by a number of interesting aspects of this book. First of all you learn more about the author than Joe Ledger. Second, the explanation of how scientists can create zombies almost sounds plausible. The science even feels just as well thought through as any Michael Crichton construction. Finally, the entire book appears to have been written either as either inspired by first person shooters or targeted to become one. My bet is on the latter.

Regarding the zombie science you'll have to read it yourself because Maberry does a much better job of describing how it works than I could. Maberry himself is very visible throughout the pages. A clear fascination with hand to hand combat can be gleaned from almost every page, but at the same time a sense of shame appears to bleed through. Joe Ledger must be a fairly skinny guy for someone who we learn should have been Black Ops, since he loses his lunch fairly frequently. Having the main character reflect on what he has just done is an admirable goal and a very refreshing one, but it reads as an apology for indulging in writing about detailed killings instead of an honest balancing of remorse vs aggression.

As you read the novel you may experience a sense of deja-vu: where have I seen such events before? The plot structure of the story follows the most common setup of a first person shooter. First there is the introduction and training of the main character (you) in which you learn how to deal with the specially created monsters for your enjoyment. Then you're given a taste of the true legion of badasses that are sure to come soon. After this the big battle with the small fry occurs in which you slay dozens or hundreds, it doesn't really matter how many, baddies, after which you're allowed into the arena for the final showdown with the boss character.

After the first chapter you can already predict in a fair amount of detail how the rest of the book is going to develop. I did keep on reading because I was very interested in finding out more about the writer. An interesting read and worth while if you're a fan of the 'I am Legend' genre.(less)

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Sep 13, 2012 Jaycubed rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have mixed feelings about this book. At parts, it was pure, pulpy fun, and others a dragging, shambling zombie of a narrative. The writer is at his best when he's describing in minute, slowed-down detail, the action unfolding in the chaotic combat scenes. It's almost like he's writing in bullet-time, you can practically see the action unfolding in graceful, choreographed slo-mo.

It's when he returns to the plot between action scenes that the book suffers and I had trouble moving forward in it....more

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About Jonathan Maberry

JONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times best-selling and multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning horror and thriller author, magazine feature writer, playwright, content creator and writing teacher/lecturer. His books have been sold to more than a dozen countries.

His novels include the Pine Deep Trilogy: GHOST ROAD BLUES (Pinnacle books; winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel in 2006), DEAD...more JONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times best-selling and multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning horror and thriller author, magazine feature writer, playwright, content creator and writing teacher/lecturer. His books have been sold to more than a dozen countries.

His novels include the Pine Deep Trilogy: GHOST ROAD BLUES (Pinnacle books; winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel in 2006), DEAD MAN’S SONG (2007) and BAD MOON RISING (2008); the Joe Ledger series of action thrillers from St. Martin’s Griffin: PATIENT ZERO (2009, winner of the Black Quill and a Bram Stoker Award finalist for Best Novel), THE DRAGON FACTORY (2010; now available), THE KING OF PLAGUES (March 2011), ASSASSIN’S CODE (March 2012), EXTINCTION MACHINE (2013); THE WOLFMAN (NY Times bestseller from Tor, based on the Universal Pictures film starring Benecio Del Toro, Emily Blunt and Sir Anthony Hopkins; winner of the Scribe Award for Best Adaptation); the forthcoming standalone zombie thriller DEAD OF NIGHT (Oct 25 2011); and the Benny Imura series of Young Adult dystopian zombie thrillers from Simon & Schuster: ROT & RUIN (2011; named in Booklist’s Ten Best Horror Novels for Young Adults, a Bram Stoker and Pennsylvania Young Readers’ Choice Award finalist; winner of the Cybils Award, the Eva Perry Mock Printz medal, Dead Letter Best Novel Award, and four Melinda Awards), DUST & DECAY (Aug 30 2011), FLESH & BONE (2012) and FIRE & ASH (21013).

Jonathan was an expert on the History Channel documentary on zombies scheduled to air October 26.

His nonfiction works include: VAMPIRE UNIVERSE (Citadel Press, 2006), THE CRYPTOPEDIA (Citadel, 2007 –winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction; co-authored by David F. Kramer), ZOMBIE CSU: The Forensics of the Living Dead (Winner of the Hinzman and Black Quill Awards and nominated for a Stoker Award; 2008), THEY BITE! (2009 co-authored by David F. Kramer), WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE (2010; Bram Stoker nominee; co-authored by Janice Gable Bashman), and THE VAMPIRE SLAYERS FIELD GUIDE TO THE UNDEAD (2001, written under the pen name of Shane MacDougall).

He writes a variety of projects for Marvel Comics involving CAPTAIN AMERICA, BLACK PANTHER, DOOMWAR, WOLVERINE, DEADPOOL, THE X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, the NY Times bestselling MARVEL ZOMBIES RETURN, MARVEL UNIVERSE vs THE PUNISHER and MARVEL UNIVERSE vs WOLVERINE. All of Jonathan’s comic book collections are released as Graphic Novel collections within a month or two of individual comic publication.

Recent short stories include “Pegleg and Paddy Save the World” (HISTORY IS DEAD, Permuted Press 2007), “Doctor Nine” (KILLERS, Swimming Kangaroo Press, 2008; and reprinted in THE STORIES (in) BETWEEN Edited by Greg Schauer, Jeanne B. Benzel, and W.H. Horner. Fantasist Enterprises, 2009), “Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Greenbrier Ghost” (LEGENDS OF THE MOUNTAIN STATE 2, Bloodletting Books, 2008), “Clean Sweeps” (AND SO IT BEGINS, Dark Quest Books, 2008), “Family Business” (THE NEW DEAD, St. Martin’s Press, 2010), “Like Part of the Family” (NEW BLOOD edited by Patrick Thomas and Diane Raetz, Padwolf Press, 2010), “Zero Tolerance” (THE LIVING DEAD 2, Night Shade Books), “Flint and Steel” (GI JOE: COBRA WARS, 2011), “Saint John”(THE MONSTER’S CORNER, 2011, St. Martin’s), “The Death Song of Dwar Guntha” (Under the Moons of Mars: New Adventures on Barsoom, 2012, Simon & Schuster), and “The Wind Through the Fence” (an original e-story available for all e-readers). His essay, “Take Me To Your Leader” will be included in the nonfiction book, TRIUMPH OF THE LIVING DEAD: Robert Kirkman's Zombie Epic on Page and Screen edited by James Lowder (BenBella Books/Smart Pop, 2011).

All of Jonathan’s novels are available on audio, including the audio-only collection, JOE LEDGER: THE MISSING FILES (Blackstone), which includes the short stories “Countdown”, “Ze(less)

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Quotes from Patient Zero

“I’m not sure I could trust a man who would bypass an Oreo in favor of vanilla wafers. It’s a fundamental character flaw, possibly a sign of true evil.” — 70 people liked it

“When you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week, then there's either something wrong with your skills or something wrong with your world.
And there's nothing wrong with my skills.” — 23 people liked it

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