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475th out of 947 books
—
1,419 voters
Plague Maker
by
Tim Downs (Goodreads Author)
July Fourth: New York City
Hundreds of thousands line the banks of the East and Hudson Rivers awaiting the nation's largest fireworks display. Soon the sky will explode in cascading showers of silver and gold. Everywhere, faces will turn skyward in wide-eyed wonder.
Then the sky will grow dark again--but it will not be empty. The air will be filled with clouds of smoke and s...more
Hundreds of thousands line the banks of the East and Hudson Rivers awaiting the nation's largest fireworks display. Soon the sky will explode in cascading showers of silver and gold. Everywhere, faces will turn skyward in wide-eyed wonder.
Then the sky will grow dark again--but it will not be empty. The air will be filled with clouds of smoke and s...more
Paperback, 476 pages
Published
April 10th 2007
by WestBow Press
(first published 2006)
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Plot Summary: What happens, When & Where, Central Characters, Major Conflicts[return]FBI Special Agent Nathan Donovan doesn't know what to think when an Li, an older Chinese gentleman, contacts him regarding a case he is working. Li is intrigued by the fact that there we thousands of dead fleas found at the scene of the crime. He thinks that an old nemesis of his is planning to use fleas to infest New York City with the bubonic plague. A wild story, yet as the book unfolds we see that it is...more
I found Plague Maker to be very intriguing, and I actually had a hard time putting it down. However, the topic was a little too close to home to be truly enjoyable. The idea of Muslims creating biological warfare to attack the U.S. on the 4th of July is so utterly believable--or something like it--that it was rather a downer (no pun). I read to escape reality and enter someone else's world. I would rather not enter that world. As always Tim Downs can keep you captivated with suspense, and he alw...more
I just happened to pull this book off the shelf at the library because it looked interesting. Turns out I picked up a winner. This is a solid thriller that I liked for several reasons.
First, I find bioterrorism extremely interesting. Lest this be misinterpreted, I think learning about pathogens, how they can be weaponized, and how we can diagnose, treat, and defend against them is super cool. I learned a lot about this kind of stuff during my undergrad (I even took a class about select pathogens...more
First, I find bioterrorism extremely interesting. Lest this be misinterpreted, I think learning about pathogens, how they can be weaponized, and how we can diagnose, treat, and defend against them is super cool. I learned a lot about this kind of stuff during my undergrad (I even took a class about select pathogens...more
Very good mystery/hunt the terrorists with interesting characters that were well developed. Fairly standard terrorist plot with an interesting connection back to WWII and more focus on personalities and the tracking process than fast action sequences but I found it fascinating.
One criticism for me was that the author describes a scene in which a rural resident who is being interviewed kills a chicken and cooks it for dinner for the main characters. As someone who has done this a number of times,...more
One criticism for me was that the author describes a scene in which a rural resident who is being interviewed kills a chicken and cooks it for dinner for the main characters. As someone who has done this a number of times,...more
I really liked this book. Tim Downs really drew me in and I cared about the characters; I felt like I knew them. This isn't really a thriller for people who want to read action, it's more of a thinking-man's thriller. Downs spends 75% of the book setting up the big reveal but it's all extremely interesting.
As someone who's spent her life around cops and first responders, Tim Downs absolutely nailed the rhetoric between cops and the sarcasm they sometimes use in work situations. It made the story...more
As someone who's spent her life around cops and first responders, Tim Downs absolutely nailed the rhetoric between cops and the sarcasm they sometimes use in work situations. It made the story...more
I stopped and started this book a couple of times. I initially put it down not because it was poorly written, but because I've found certain varieties of "thrillers" are a little too hard on my psyche: I have bad dreams about the all-too-plausible terror attacks or find myself cranky and moody after reading for an hour or two. My mother encouraged me to finish it anyway, and so after a break of a couple weeks, I did so. I think it was worth it: the character of Li was fascinating, and I ended up...more
A scientist from WWII tries one final time to unleash bubonic plague on the United States in retribution for his sister's death at Hiroshima.
The historical details are all strongly based on fact, according to the end notes. I learned a lot about bubonic plague, and know I would never want to come across it.
The novel lost two stars because as the plot tension increased towards the end, I had a hard time visualizing the layout of the ships and their movement in the channel going to NYC. I think th...more
The historical details are all strongly based on fact, according to the end notes. I learned a lot about bubonic plague, and know I would never want to come across it.
The novel lost two stars because as the plot tension increased towards the end, I had a hard time visualizing the layout of the ships and their movement in the channel going to NYC. I think th...more
One of the best books I've ever read. The level of research was simply stunning, and the characters were very real and deep--not just puppets thrown in for the use of the thriller. The action was great, as was the suspense. The humor was some of the best I've ever read, too.
Really, the only negative comments I have about this book regard the violence. While the story was clean of any profanity, the action/fighting/war violence was extreme and, in my opinion, could have been pared down without h...more
Really, the only negative comments I have about this book regard the violence. While the story was clean of any profanity, the action/fighting/war violence was extreme and, in my opinion, could have been pared down without h...more
On one level it's a murder mystery but on several others it transcends the obvious by going back sixty years to another place in time and history. It's about warfare on a much subtler plane, terrorism and choices made by characters in the past which affect the future. The setting is ironic in that I just finished it before one of our major national holidays so the premise of the delivery of germ warfare struck me as all too close to reality. Mr Downs style is every bit as intense as a Tom Clancy...more
Wow! This is a rollercoaster ride in a book! The story centers around a tough FBI agent, a mysterious elderly Chinese man, and an "evil scientist". As the story unfolds, it includes lots of factual details, regarding biological weapons and historical events. Although the action might appeal more to men, there is also an element of romance in it. I especially enjoyed the repartee between Donovan, the FBI agent, and the elderly Chinese man - the dry humor & light sarcasm are my favorite type o...more
I checked out this book initially b/c the title "Plague Maker" and the picture of the fireworks over New York City made and interesting combo. I thought this book was great. It is about bio-terrorism using a strand of the bubonic plague bacteria and the plans to infect the USA. Even though it was a fictional book the author did a great deal of research and used many parts that were based on actual events. There was no foul language either which is always a plus when it comes to action/thriller t...more
plot summary: what happens, when & where, central characters, major conflicts[return]fbi special agent nathan donovan doesn't know what to think when an li, an older chinese gentleman, contacts him regarding a case he is working. li is intrigued by the fact that there we thousands of dead fleas found at the scene of the crime. he thinks that an old nemesis of his is planning to use fleas to infest new york city with the bubonic plague. a wild story, yet as the book unfolds we see that it is...more
Jan 02, 2010
Kristin
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of realistic sci-fi, terrorist fiction
Recommended to Kristin by:
Ollie's Bargain Outlet
All told, an interesting book that made me ponder 'what if?'. It felt as if there should have been a prequel to this book to better introduce the principal protagonists, because by the end, I knew a lot about Mr. Li and Sato, but not so much about Nathan and Macy. Apparently the book is classified as Christian fiction, but I didn't pick up strongly on it until about 3/4 of the way through. The story was very well-developed, though it didn't continue in the path I was expecting based on the initi...more
A page-turning thriller that pits one old Chinese man, a FBI agent and a professor of terrorism against one old Japanese man. In a vendetta from World War II, a bioterrorist from Japan develops a new strain of plague that is immune to all known treatment. A Chinese victim from World War II is the only person who knows this terrorist is still alive and working. When he meets with the FBI agent and tells his story, he overcomes the agent's skepticism and together they track down the aged bioterror...more
I really liked the way this book was written. A lot of the story was made in suspense, not letting the reader know what had happened to the characters to shape them into what they were in the story. Li, the old Chinese guy, was kind of funny in a cynical but wise way. The main character was also funny, but it seemed that he did it mostly by accident.
The main conflict in this book is a real possibility that i don't think many people have considered could even happen. But i think that when enough...more
The main conflict in this book is a real possibility that i don't think many people have considered could even happen. But i think that when enough...more
The Bug Man is still my favorite but FBI agent Donovan sure takes a close second. He's snappy, tough, and with a heart of platinum. Though this wasn't a Bug Man book (though he does make a guest star appearance), I loved the dialogue and intense plot just as much.
A bonus in this one is a secondary character named Li. He's hilarious in a back-handed kind of way. But besides his humor, he makes some really good points that make you go, "huh."
If you're a Bug Man fan, you'll still enjoy Plague Maker...more
A bonus in this one is a secondary character named Li. He's hilarious in a back-handed kind of way. But besides his humor, he makes some really good points that make you go, "huh."
If you're a Bug Man fan, you'll still enjoy Plague Maker...more
view all 3 comments
Didn't like this as much as I have the Bug Man books. Nick (the Bug Man) does show up in the novel to help identify some fleas, but Nathan Donovan is the primary character. I couldn't get into this one like I was hoping. A little too all over the place for me. Still an interesting mystery novel. Don't start with this from Downs.
If you want a suspenseful book that will keep you engrossed and on the edge of your seat, and if you ant a suspenseful book that is supr squeaky clean--devoid of explicit sexualdescriptions an profanity--then you need to rea thi book. The author takes a hard look at bioterrorism and weaves together some excellent storylines that wll keep you reading. In thisbook, a hardened cynical FBI agent and his ex-wife mus stop a rogue vessel from entering U.s. waters. They get help from a delightful Chines...more
This was an absolutely WONDERFUL book that held my attention all the way through. I love books with detectives or police, and this one had them. I loved the dynamics and mystery... Great characters and history was definitely involved. It did have an ending that left you guessing... But I particularly love it :)
One of my favorite books of all time. I don't know why, there's nothing that I can pinpoint, but it was one of those books that I couldn't put down. I read through the night until I finished it.
Engrossing thriller about a spurned WW2 chemical-weapons specialist who is looking to unleash his version of hell upon the U.S.A. via home-made bombs packed with bubonic plague carrying fleas. Huh?!?! Sounds kinda silly but it works! 3 1/2 stars, yo. Getyousomesucka....
This book started out slow, but it got better. It has a lot of history in it about things I had never heard of before, which makes me wonder how true to life they really are, might have to do some research.
The book is about invading the US with fleas in order to cause a pandemic of a form of the Plague. This Chinese dude is upset from way back in WWII when we dropped the bomb on his country and killed his sister. He plots to bring a plague into the country via fireworks and raining down fleas.
I...more
The book is about invading the US with fleas in order to cause a pandemic of a form of the Plague. This Chinese dude is upset from way back in WWII when we dropped the bomb on his country and killed his sister. He plots to bring a plague into the country via fireworks and raining down fleas.
I...more
Really great book but not for the faint of heart. It talks about World War II in detail. There's only a few slow moving spots. The ending was phenomenal.
This story takes off like a bullet and doesn't slow down. Great mystery, interesting history. I liked it so much I'm reading more of Tim Downs books.
I have to agree with other reviewers that the Chinese man is indeed a wonderful character.
The Plague Maker was a bit slow to start for a thriller, but was great at the end.
The Plague Maker was a bit slow to start for a thriller, but was great at the end.
Great story. Typically Tim Downs fashion. Each chapter ends leaving you wanting to read more to find out what happens next.
I absolutely love this author and book! I was so glad to find another
good Christian Author.
Spenceful! Intelligent and Fun!
good Christian Author.
Spenceful! Intelligent and Fun!
Great read! This is an excellent mystery that will keep you glued until the last page!
Formulaic in all aspects---character, challenges, and ending. An entirely unremarkable read.
Good summertime thrilled/suspense. Ending was a little weak though.
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Tim Downs is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Indiana University. After graduation in 1976 he created a comic strip, Downstown, which was syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate (Calvin & Hobbes, Doonesbury, The Far Side) from 1980 to 1986. His cartooning has appeared in more than a hundred daily newspapers worldwide. Tim has written seven mystery/suspense novels: Shoofly Pie, Chop Shop, PlagueMak...more
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