SLOW! I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Written by Amy Rogers in 2017, and published by Science Thrillers Media, the book is about the Japanese and the Chinese in modern-day Asia. Han is the ethnic group that is native to more than 90% of China and Taiwan. The story begins with a fictionalized account of the WWII top secret project conducted by the Japanese military and government to develop a biological weapon in Manchuria. This project was successfully obliterated by the Japanese before the Soviets and Americans could detect any trace of it at the end of the war. All reference to it in Japanese history was vigorously suppressed. Eventually, the truth was revealed, but it wasn’t until many years later.

Dr. Amika Nakamura is a Japanese-American biological researcher at UC, Berkeley. She is conducting “Gain-of-Function” DNA experiments on the Bird Flu virus when details of her work are learned of by her superiors. She is promptly fired in disgrace and travels to Japan where she finds a job with the giant pharmaceutical conglomerate: Koga. Koga is in the business of manufacturing vaccines, including flu vaccines, so it is a good fit for Amika. Besides, her little brother Shuu also works for Koga, and Amika is very protective of him. He had received a Bad Conduct Discharge from the (US) army for an incident that took place in Korea, and he, too, had taken a position in Japan working for Koga. The story centers around the disputed Senkaku Islands, near the southern tip of the Japanese archipelago, near Taiwan. Both China and Japan lay claim to the islands, which did not seem particularly important to either nation until, according to Wikipedia: “the People's Republic of China (PRC) started taking up the question of sovereignty over the islands in the latter half of 1970 when evidence relating to the existence of oil reserves surfaced. Taiwan (Republic of China) also claims the islands. The territory is close to key shipping lanes and rich fishing grounds, and there may be oil reserves in the area.” The story, then, is well grounded in reality.

Even though this story is a work of fiction, the dispute over these islands is real — it is not fictional. When Japan purchased three of the islands from a so-called “private owner” in September of 2012, the result was wide-scale protests in China. Further complicating matters is a treaty between Japan and the United States that would require the US to come to the aid of Japan to defend the islands from attack in the event of an invasion by China. In 2013, China retaliated by setting up a military "East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone" that would require that all aircraft entering the area around the islands file a flight plan and radio or transponder frequencies with China. (Wikipedia)

The first half of the book drags as the overconfident-to-the-point-of-arrogance Amika convinces herself that she has everything under control. She doesn’t. Like so many Americans, she has, at best, a tenuous grasp of History, and powerful forces that she does not comprehend are at work all around her. This protagonist was not, to me, a very likable person. She is focused on her own self-interests, and these include a Nobel Prize in Biology.
I found a few minor inconsistencies in the book, one of which was Amika’s gown that she wore to the party with Hiroshi. Earlier, she had observed that, even though her gown flared at the bottom, she would have problems taking a long stride. Then, when she and Hiroshi decide to have sex, she is able to “. . . [coil] one leg around his back side, squeezing his pelvis tighter against hers.” How does she do that while wearing a gown about which she says “She could walk, but long strides would be impossible in this”?

All in all, the book seems to be a bit slow, and sometimes it’s predictable. Because of this, I was not as surprised at the ending as I thought I would be. The science is good, but the action is largely missing from a story that is supposed to be a thriller. I did not enjoy it all that much, but I award it three stars because I believe a lot of readers might. The author ties up loose ends at the conclusion of the story, but I found that ending to be a bit unsatisfying.

The Han Agent captivates the reader from the first paragraph! If you enjoy reading medical thrillers.. then, this is a MUST read!! It combines the flu pandemic of 1918 and the Japanese Unit 731 in China during WWII. The pace is steady and convincingly real! Frightfully, the story is one fraught with twists and turns that the reader will not see coming! I love not being able to figure out mysteries. That alone lets the reader know that the story is rich in detail and a very satisfying read!

One cannot help rooting for the young female scientist, Amika Nakamura and her brother. Amika has lost her job in California.. and her career is saved by her brother. She suddenly finds herself in Japan, with full permission to explore the DNA (actually.. it's RNA) of the influenza virus. Amika has no plans to develop a biological weapon.. her goal is to save millions of lives.. every year with figuring out how the flu virus can be tamed. Not realizing.. that she has actually made the ultimate biological weapon that many governments around the world want to control. Genocide.

Extremely well written! One heck of a thriller! I totally enjoyed every word!

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Second review on Authors on the Air:

The Han Agent by Amy Rogers
Publisher: ScienceThrillers Media (September 5, 2017)
Publication Date: September 5, 2017
Sold by: Macmillan
One cannot help rooting for the very driven, female scientist, Amika Nakamura. Amika has lost her University job in California.. and her career is saved by her brother. She suddenly finds herself in Japan, with full permission to explore the DNA (actually.. it's RNA) of the influenza virus.

Amika has no plans to develop a biological weapon.. her goal is to save millions of lives.. every year with figuring out how the flu virus can be tamed. Not realizing.. that she has actually made the ultimate biological weapon that many governments around the world want to control. The perfect weapon! One that the bad guys will stoop to a low-life method to control Amika by putting her brother into serious jeopardy that threatens his life if she does not do what they want. Make the perfect biological weapon.

Just in time for flu season! This novel will have the readers running to get their flu shots! The Han Agent captivates the reader from the first paragraph! If you enjoy reading medical thrillers.. then, this is a MUST read!! It combines the flu pandemic of 1918 and the Japanese Unit 731 in China during WWII. The pace is steady and convincingly real!

Extremely well written! One heck of a thriller! I totally enjoyed every word!

Review: THE HAN AGENT

Science is one of my fascinations, and the science premise of THE HAN AGENT is not just fascinating, but highly topical and up-to-date. When a driven Japanese-American scientist with a genius at viral genetics is dismissed from UC-Berkeley for being a lone wolf and violating restrictions, she is snapped up by a Japanese pharmaceutical megaconglomerate. She thinks her value is her scientific knowledge, but she could not imagine what the family-owned corporation intends: to extend the medical depredations of Japan's infamous Unit 731, in the 1930's and 1940's, to eradicate the hated Chinese.

THE HAN AGENT is a thought-provoking, eye-opening, nonstop scientific thriller.

It was a chilling medical thriller that I hope never becomes reality.

An engaging and absorbing story that is all too plausible especially in the world we live in today.
Terrifyingly realistic, this book will stay with you long after the final page.
This is a must read for anyone who loves suspenseful, intelligent thrillers.
5 Stars. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I am now a fufull-fledged Amy Rogers fan.