Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
83rd out of 207 books
—
137 voters
Germ
by
Robert Liparulo (Goodreads Author)
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 geneticall...more
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 geneticall...more
Hardcover, 490 pages
Published
October 1st 2006
by WestBow Press
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,643)
This book was extremely disappointing. I picked up this book expecting a bioterrorism sort of book, which is definitely not what I got. This book is very Hollywood with constant over the top action scenes constantly littering almost every page. Now I love action books and movies more than most so it says a lot when I felt it was too much and honestly I got bored with it. The tagline for this book is "If you breathe it will find you" the problem is you have to read almost 400 pages to actually re...more
3 likes · like · see review
view all 3 comments
This was an amazing book and I picked it up because of the cover. I have a knack for judging a book by its cover and this was one of those. I also was drawn to this one because one of the tag lines was "if you breathe, it will find you." This alone made me want to read more. A scientific genius was able to mutate even the simplest common cold virus to be a killer if it could match to your DNA. The method of obtaining the DNA was to use the cards created as an infant to run basic tests to make su...more
Germ far outdid my expectations. I was expecting a decent read with less-then-adequate dialogue, stereotypical characters, and the like. Instead, I stumbled upon a book (it was a Christmas present) that was one the best thrillers I have ever read. I greatly admired the author's lack of hesitation in killing off characters (something that I find irritatedly lacking in the style of most thriller writers), snappy well written dialogue (this novel is outstanding in the thriller genre because of that...more
Germ is the story of Julia an FBI agent and brothers Stephen a pastor and Allen a prestigious doctor, a preacher and a doctor. During a simple rendezvous with an informant Julia’s partner and husband gets brutally killed and the only thing that can lead her to the killer is a memory card left by the now missing informant which leads her to unravel a plot that would completely rewrite the book on how to assassinate people. Originally Robert Liparulo’s goal of writing the book was to make a biote...more
When I came across Germ by Robert Liparulo, I was initially excited to see it featured the Ebola virus used in germ warfare. That premise alone made me anxious to read it. Once the concept that the virus was modified, encoded, to attack the specific DNA of individuals was introduced in the "Facts" section at the beginning of the novel, I was hooked. In Germ, special agent Julia Matheson must figure out what is happening and why she and Dr. Allen Parker are being targeted by assassins before the...more
"If you breathe, it will find you".
Robert Liparulo's sophomore novel "Germ" grabs your attention from Chapter One. The non-stop action begins by a statement of facts regarding Dr. Robert Guthrie, a microbiologist, and his development of the Guthrie Test, a medical test performed on newborn infants to detect an inborn error of amino acid metabolism.
Deduction is made of how such technology, in association with gene splicing and in the wrong hands, could selectively target and attack a particular D...more
Robert Liparulo's sophomore novel "Germ" grabs your attention from Chapter One. The non-stop action begins by a statement of facts regarding Dr. Robert Guthrie, a microbiologist, and his development of the Guthrie Test, a medical test performed on newborn infants to detect an inborn error of amino acid metabolism.
Deduction is made of how such technology, in association with gene splicing and in the wrong hands, could selectively target and attack a particular D...more
Imagine an airborne strain of the Ebola virus that targets only the people who has the DNA strands encoded within it. No one is safe, and if you breathe, it will find you. To prove it, the germ's creator targets ten thousand victims: politicians, housewives, children. Only three people can possibly stop it: a pastor, a doctor and a federal agent... if they survive long enough.
'Germ' is the first Robert Liparulo novel I've read. I must say that until now, my favourite Christian action author has...more
'Germ' is the first Robert Liparulo novel I've read. I must say that until now, my favourite Christian action author has...more
no. just... no.
I have a thing for junky thrillers (I blame it on my grandfather's love of Clive Cussler okay, IT'S IN MY BLOOD) but guys... it's just... it's boring. it's really boring. I mean, love me some car chases and lab geek scenes and stuff but there has to be more than that in your book. you have to take the time to build characters that I want to WIN the car chase.
I think I'm gonna call this "the Cornwell effect" because I've noticed a similar problem in her books- so much time spent...more
I have a thing for junky thrillers (I blame it on my grandfather's love of Clive Cussler okay, IT'S IN MY BLOOD) but guys... it's just... it's boring. it's really boring. I mean, love me some car chases and lab geek scenes and stuff but there has to be more than that in your book. you have to take the time to build characters that I want to WIN the car chase.
I think I'm gonna call this "the Cornwell effect" because I've noticed a similar problem in her books- so much time spent...more
Right 10,000 people set to die after a strain of Ebola is genetically engineered to strike certain DNA in the USA, if this is what you are expecting with this book, don't bother, because it's not exactly what it says it is.
At about 20% I considered giving up, but me I am no quitter ( if you saw my ex you would understand) but I honestly wanted to see if the book evolved into more, it did but it was not really a bio terrorist / end of the world book, it was more if a political/ fbi espionage with...more
At about 20% I considered giving up, but me I am no quitter ( if you saw my ex you would understand) but I honestly wanted to see if the book evolved into more, it did but it was not really a bio terrorist / end of the world book, it was more if a political/ fbi espionage with...more
If you really really really want to read this book, you may consider some of the following spoilers. But i really dont think anything in this book could surprise a 9 year old, just warning.
This is one of those cases where the description of the book really fools you, and not really in a good way. I was expecting a plot about some mad scientist killing MILLIONS of people with his crazy Ebola virus, with some medical terminology maybe and crazy gore descriptions. What i got was some weird attemp...more
This is one of those cases where the description of the book really fools you, and not really in a good way. I was expecting a plot about some mad scientist killing MILLIONS of people with his crazy Ebola virus, with some medical terminology maybe and crazy gore descriptions. What i got was some weird attemp...more
1 like · like · see review
I loved the writing style and the characters, but there is some really gory stuff in this book. In the first chapter, the author vividly describes people dying of a modified form of Ebola. The modified virus idea was great (not as good as the one in Dekker's circle trilogy, but then what is?) but I wouldn't reccomend it for anyone with a weak stomach. A note, though. The only thing that disappointed me with this book is that it was more about espionage and trying to stop the Ebola epidemic than...more
If you like a thriller, you need to read this book. Its a long book, but I can't put it down!!!
What can I say about this book? I picked it up because it had a great cover, just enough mystery that I wanted to know what it was about and didn't read the back to find out if I really wanted to or not. I'm so glad that I picked it up! The storyline has been done tons of time with biological warfare being a topic that many authors wish to torture our sleep pattern. The events could definitely happen if the right scientists are pressured enough to create a "smart virus" that can be made to kill...more
I read 'Comes a Horseman' first and I remember liking it-- enough so to check out more books by Liparulo. But it's been awhile since then and I don't remember much from that book.
Germ was fun to read. I like this genre of adventure/thriller/mystery and I loved the idea of a designer virus: ebola. (Which I just heard on the news TODAY that there's an ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo) it was easy to get into this story and the good guys were like-able and had enough depth to be b...more
Germ was fun to read. I like this genre of adventure/thriller/mystery and I loved the idea of a designer virus: ebola. (Which I just heard on the news TODAY that there's an ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo) it was easy to get into this story and the good guys were like-able and had enough depth to be b...more
I was pulled into this book by the premise of a bio hazzard storyline. I was horribly disappointed. I found the writing to be distracting in that I would come across phrases which I flet should have been edited out for poor writing. Also the short choppy chapters made it hard to read for any length of time. I am usually unable to put books down and read them voraciously, this one however seemed easily interuptable.
Towads the end the story begins to be more interesting but I found that the const...more
Towads the end the story begins to be more interesting but I found that the const...more
This book just plain out SUCKS. The writing is at BEST sophmoric and at the least just plain out MORONIC. And I'm not just saying this because I just finished reading all of the Harry Potter books in a row (books one to seven in less than a month, baby, giggity.) I bought this book under the pretense that there would be some sort of horrific description of viral hemhorragic fever (biohazard level 4- a.k.a. Ebola Hemhorragic Fever.) I was expecting horrific and scientific diabtribes about the dis...more
1 like · like · see review
This was the first book I've read by Liparulo. I'll certainly be looking for more of his work. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great attention to detail without getting bogged down in it. Lots of action and suspense. I really like medical thrillers and I thought this was going to be one, but it leaned more towards the action/intrigue side. Even though it wasn't quite what I expected, I was really drawn into the story and felt a closeness to the main characters. A really good thriller!
Robert was a head of the current trends in germ warfare, but the depth of this story and the time frame have taken real work. Robert has a special gift for building some of the most interesting killers, and Germ doesn't let you figure anything out a head of time. Many twist and turns pull the reader through the story with great urgency. A page turner for sure and on my list of "read again".
I liked it well enough, though I agree with Briana mainly. The basic idea had more potential that the book didn't quite live up to. But I gave it three stars, because as a thriller type book, it did the thrilling part well enough. The actions scenes were exciting enough that someone who likes reading thrillers just because they're thrillers can like it despite any lacking in the plot.
A riveting page-turner that missed a tremendous opportunity. To take the world's scariest virus, make it airborne and discriminating and put it in the hands of a psycho is terrifying, and yet the author instead chose to focus on the characters being chased by assassins. Until near the end, the problem/mystery could have just as well been drugs or money or diamonds or anything else people would kill for.
Okay, so the intro was extremely gruesome. Don't let that stop you. I loved how the plot moved without stopping and how the fight scenes were written. Some of the best written fight choreography I've read in a long time. I also loved how the main characters did NOT have a gratuitous romance, even though they were both attractive. That was so refreshing.
great read, fast-paced, enjoyable thriller. for me personally, the non-stop action actually starts to bore after awhile or in long segments. there were parts of this that dragged in that regard, but i put that down as another of its positive aspects, just not for me. akin to an action-packed movie, not always a favorite of the ladies.
A page turner of a book; however I was disappointed by the lack of focus on the medical side. I expected more of a buildup or intrigue but I had most of it figured out about 1/3 of the way through. Even Atropos didn't provide much of a "surprise". The action scenes were well played and I enjoyed the characters; but overall this book falls into the category of "enjoyable and then forgettable".
I find myself wondering if the author wrote Germ in an effort to pitch a movie. The story moves rapid-fire between scenes, characters and perspectives in a way that would make for dynamic film, but is clunky and frustrating in the novel. In some cases characters are introduced as seemingly important, then never heard from again. The author also goes to great lengths to insert bits of 'real facts' into the novel, but it is done so clumsily it really distracts. The President is lectured to on the...more
This was an run of the mill thriller. I liked it, Didn't love it. It is a common FBI person that finds out some huge conspiracy that goes through all levels so he has to try and solve the mystery while both the good guy and bad guys hunt them down. The twist i that the bad guys are using gene targeting virus' to kill as opposed to more run of the mill weapons.
I picked it up from shelf because of the cover... Yes, this is the truth. And the book is exactly what I expected - well written, gripping story, which you can believe it. This is a thriller, nothing less and nothing more, do not expect how to rule the World :o) Anyway, yes, go and read it.
A friend recommended Liparulo after a lull in Dekker novels. If all of his works are this riveting, wow! Certainly was a page turner. A bit more of a sense of realism than what I'm accustom to. People die and the "biology" was simple enough to not miss a step in the plot progression.
Great story lie. Reminds me a lot of Clancy's "Rainbow Six." there is a crazy man trying to take over the world by releasing a killer "germ" on the world. However, the editing is so distracting that I had a hard time finishing the book. I really had a hard time with this one.
Feb 12, 2013
Michael
added it
A formula thriller. The possibility that disease can be used as a weapon is scary. No doubt. In this case the writer touches on something I've always wondered about. How often to the insane people doing this lose control the sample... It must happen sometimes.
Jun 21, 2009
Deirdre
added it
Germ is a rivetting advendure and a chilling story of a disease that is changed and toyed with to do the bidding of a scientist gone mad. Julia Mathison and the two parker brothers race againt time as they battle for their lives against the world's deadliest assassin while trying to expose the information that may very well cost them their lives.
Mean while, a new strand of the Ebola virius is rumming rampant, piggy backing on a common cold. The virus is now looking for specific people who's DNA...more
Mean while, a new strand of the Ebola virius is rumming rampant, piggy backing on a common cold. The virus is now looking for specific people who's DNA...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Robert Liparulo's novels, Comes a Horseman, Germ, Deadfall and Deadlock have received rave reviews, and his short story "Kill Zone" is included in the anthology Thriller, edited by James Patterson. He is also the author of the best-selling young adult series DREAMHOUSE KINGS: House of Dark Shadows, Watcher in the Woods, Gatekeepers, Timescape, Whirlwind, and Frenzy. Robert lives in Colorado with h...more
More about Robert Liparulo...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“Donnelley was lifting his shirt away from the torn flesh in his side. He was cranked around, trying to assess the damage in the muck-spotted mirror. To Vero, he looked like an expressionist painting in which all the objects were the same color of too-vivid red: the shirt, the hands holding the shirt, the belt bassing through pant loops. At the center of it all was the thing that corrupted its surroundings with its own gruesome color - a wound.”
—
3 people liked it
“He loved his job, which allowed time to do it without comparing his performance to others'. He loved the economics of death: hastening a person's passage into the afterlife not only provided him with a good living: it gave work to coroners, beat cops, detectives, crime scene technicians, the people who made fingerprint powder and luminal and other sundry chemicals and devices - not to mention firearm, ammunition, coffin, and tissue manufacturers - obituary writers, crime reporters, novelists.”
—
1 person liked it
More quotes…
