The Chimera Sequence

Where to start… Let’s see. This book was awesome. Seriously awesome. I’ve been looking for a new “bio-terror” type book to read since Crichton has passed away and Richard Preston hasn’t written any terrifying fiction (or even scarier) non-fiction.

The author, Elliott Garber is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and he writes about a vet within the book. He also writes about the silverback gorillas of the Congo (and surrounding areas) with a knowledge that could only come from someone who has spent the majority of his life studying and being around animals.

The plot of this book was fast-paced and switched from character to character in a very enjoyable way. Just as you felt like you were going to figure something out, Garber switched it up and you went on to another person. The character development was solid because there were a few characters that I really felt for as I was reading this book.

I genuinely wouldn’t be surprised if this were to be optioned to become a movie, it has everything that I think people would love: a kick-ass protagonist, lovable animals, action, terror, and something to be afraid of. This book left me with a craving for more. I’m sad that Elliot Garber hasn’t written anything else, but I will be eagerly awaiting another book (especially if it’s like this one).

I also listened to the majority of this on audiobook and I have to say, the narration by Neil Shah was excellent. He did more of a dramatization than a narration and I have really enjoyed that. It makes following the story (and characters) much easier. I would definitely listen to another book that Shah narrates.

Overall this book left me breathless until the last few pages. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen and I was relieved to take a breath once the story finished. A great bio-thriller.

The Chimera Sequence was a good read. The pace was excellent and the characters were nicely fleshed out. I thoroughly enjoyed the information on endangered species inserted into the story.

An excellent medical/science/political thriller in the vein of Michael Crichton or James Rollins. Cole McBride is a veterinarian on leave from the military and studying endangered gorillas in central Africa. When he and his colleagues discover that a band of these gorillas have become infected with a highly contagious and deadly pox virus that does not behave like any currently known virus, it is a race against time to stop the spread of the virus. To further complicate matters, McBride's younger twin siblings have summer internships in Washington DC and are unknowingly in danger from a terrorist sleeper cell poised to exact vengeance upon the United States.

I am a junkie for these types of books and I thought Garber knocked it out of the park. The characters are strong and developed, the plot is fast-paced and believable. Hoping there will be additional books featuring Cole McBride.