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Patient Zero (Joe Ledger, #1)

Jonathan Maberry

Start date: July 7, 2025

Finish date: July 31, 2025

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What Members Thought

May 02, 2010 Kasia rated it it was amazing

I don't think that anyone has to be a zombie fan to love this book, but love it I did! Jonathan Maberry had done an insanely great job with this novel, and I have all ready read two of his previous works and knew he was amazing, but this was even better than I could have ever expected. His previous books that I enjoyed were "Ghost Road Blues" and "Dead Man's song" (I am yet to read the third in this trilogy) and they were Earthy and organic, lush and rich horror that was a treat to read. "Patien I don't think that anyone has to be a zombie fan to love this book, but love it I did! Jonathan Maberry had done an insanely great job with this novel, and I have all ready read two of his previous works and knew he was amazing, but this was even better than I could have ever expected. His previous books that I enjoyed were "Ghost Road Blues" and "Dead Man's song" (I am yet to read the third in this trilogy) and they were Earthy and organic, lush and rich horror that was a treat to read. "Patient Zero" on the other hand is slick and modern, like a cross of Michael Crichton science and James Bond, I mean from the first chapter I was immersed in this cool as a cucumber existence of Joe Ledger and impressed that Maberry can write in any style, not just horror or thriller, he's a master of words and ideas of any genre.

This is about "zombies" but more of the engineered type than of some mysterious voodoo and terrorism that they spread. Who knew that there can be a new type of terror, one that you stare into the eye and see blackness, deader than an eye of a shark, blank and unforgiving, longing for your flesh. That is what Joe has to deal with. He all ready killed the guy once and then meets him again days later in a secret facility, this time the guy is dead, stinking like a putrid piece of meat, but still going and going, reaching out to attack and devour. New breed of fear has been developed deep in secret laboratories hidden in caves, in a world so different than out own and their sole purpose is to wreck havoc on anything with a free will. Joe is here to stop it, and man what an adventure this is. I love science and reading about pathogens and viruses, it's stunningly interesting but really scary...there are so many ways in which humans are affected, with disastrous results.

Fantastic read, I cannot wait for more of Joe, he's an amazing character but with soul and real issues, he's not perfect but totally likable and he's a one man army that makes the book very entertaining. ...more

12 likes · Like · see review

Apr 09, 2017 Soo rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, favorites

05/07/2021 Notes:

For those who read Dead of Night & Rot and Ruin series, I thought there were great little hints in this one. I am curious to see if Maberry planned out the links that far ahead. =)

09/20/2020 Notes:

- 2nd Read via Audiobook
- Adding to Favorites
- Flashbacks are still clunky but I enjoyed them more because I know what happens later. Continuity & details for certain parts are great.
- Narration: Ray Porter is great! I think he actually alters the voice for Joe a bit or maybe it's a n ...more

8 likes · Like · see review

Feb 08, 2013 Ctgt rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

I have to say I'm not much of a zombie fan, I did enjoy The Walking Dead comic book but haven't really read any zombie prose. This was a club monthly read and since I picked it up cheap for the Kindle figured I would give it a try. I'm glad I did!

I'm not sure what I was expecting, maybe something along the lines of some video games or some of the cheesier movies. This book was much more like Jack Reacher with a little bit of wisecrackin' Elvis Cole thrown in for good measure. It's the story of J I have to say I'm not much of a zombie fan, I did enjoy The Walking Dead comic book but haven't really read any zombie prose. This was a club monthly read and since I picked it up cheap for the Kindle figured I would give it a try. I'm glad I did!

I'm not sure what I was expecting, maybe something along the lines of some video games or some of the cheesier movies. This book was much more like Jack Reacher with a little bit of wisecrackin' Elvis Cole thrown in for good measure. It's the story of Joe Ledger, former military, now a Baltimore cop who has some pent up rage issues from an brutal incident when he was younger. He and his girlfriend were beaten up then Joe was forced to watch while the assailants raped his girlfriend. (As you can tell this is not a lighthearted or campy take on the zombie genre). He is currently assigned to an anti-terrorist task force and they carry out a raid where Ledger shoots four terrorists including one who crashes into Joe and "was pale and sweaty, stank like raw sewage, and had a glazed bug-eyed stare. Sick bastard even tried to bite me, but the Kevlar pads on my sleeve saved my gun arm". Ledger drops him with two to the back.
Ledger is then "brought in" to meet the mysterious Mr. Church who is in charge of The Department of Military Sciences. I loved this first encounter between the enigmatic Mr. Church and Ledger, lots of great lines.

"He finished his cookie and took another vanilla wafer. 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."

There is some more banter back and forth which really just leads up to Church trying to recruit Ledger for a job with DMS. All Ledger has to do is go into a room alone and handcuff the prisoner inside. Joe can't quite figure out the angle because the guy isn't very big and appears almost unresponsive. Imagine his surprise when he attempts to cuff him only to recognize the prisoner as the terrorist he shot in the back.

No more details, don't want to spoil your read. Except for a couple spots toward the middle the pacing was on par with any good suspense or action novel. There are some pretty disturbing scenes scattered throughout, so be prepared. (Although I guess "disturbing" is like so many other ideas, it depends on your frame of reference.) A very enjoyable and surprising read. ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Aug 23, 2013 Chris Haught rated it really liked it

What a ride. When this book picks up, it doesn't let go until all the bullets fly. Well, even after that, truth be known. The action sequences here are so nicely described, I can almost hear the shell casings hitting the floor.

I thought I was getting a police procedural with zombies thrown in. What I read was so much more than that. All of that became obvious when our policeman narrator was recruited by Mr. Church, and his ultra-secret black ops counter-terrorist group. The stuff they do is almo ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Jan 29, 2020 Atlanta rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, horror, thriller, zombies, fiction

This book I gave 5 stars to not because I thought it was good literature but because I enjoyed reading it. I’m sure there are those who would criticize it for being action heavy. Those people shouldn’t read this. To me, a book that is as exciting and engaging as a good tv show is well written. It’s definitely entertaining and if you listen to the afterword, it’s also based on science.

Patient zero is the first in the joe ledger series. Joe ledger is a cop and a captain and a secret government or ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Feb 25, 2017 Kirsten rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audible

Sorry for the late review!!

I'm not a huge fan of zombies - I don't look out for them. But I do like postapocalyptic and dystopian and novels with pandemics quite a bit.

This one is very compelling and would be quite the pageturner if I'd had the physical book, and not the audiobook. (The narrator is very, very good.)

The story has Islamic fundamentalist terrorists, evil pharmaceutical tycoons, and a mysterious US government agency with some kick-ass members. Oh, and zombies. But the real hook is ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 19, 2014 Sandra rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, audio, scifi

WAY OTT. Trite and very unbelievable.

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Apr 17, 2019 Callie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Audible version—excellent narration.

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Feb 28, 2009 C.S. Daley rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror

Good zombie novel. Nice mix of the spy genre and horror. Over the top in a few places but I still enjoyed it a lot. A great vacation read, which is where I read it.

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