The Judas Virus

Rating:
Summary: A good recreational read
Review: Plenty of content in the reviews below. I enjoyed the cutting-edge medical content. Pretty close to what I've been reading in the medical journals, and the story around which that topic is wrapped provides an interesting vehicle.

It's always interesting to read the opinons of others - especially on the same topic. Some folks obviously got worked up over this book. Make up your own mind...it's well worth the time.

Rating:
Summary: Works for me!
Review: Plenty of content in the reviews below. I enjoyed the cutting-edge medical content. Pretty close to what I've been reading in the medical journals, and the story around which that topic is wrapped provides an interesting vehicle.

It's always interesting to read the opinons of others - especially on the same topic. Some folks obviously got worked up over this book. Make up your own mind...it's well worth the time.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome Thriller by the Author of Do No Harm
Review: The Judas Virus opens with a bang and keeps us guessing until the very end, which is just what I like in a thriller. Author David Best (some might know his as Don Donaldson) handles his latest book with his usual precision and skill.

Chris Collins is a doctor in an Atlanta hospital who is confronted by her terminally-ill father, Wayne, years after he had walked out of her and her mother's life. With unparalleled gall, he asks her to donate a piece of her liver so that he might live. She refuses, but pulls some strings to get him accepted in an experimental program.

The suspense builds when an unknown virus affects not only ayne, but the nurses who treat him. But the weird thing is that the virus makes the infectees feel better, healing old wounds and salving aches - right up until it makes them blind and kills them.

Chris and her colleague Michael suspect there's more going on than meets the eye and begin a private investigation, which draws a killer's attention to them.

Reading David Best is like riding Splash Mountain at Disneyland. The ride is mesmerizing, with plenty to draw your attention and keep your interest, right up until you drop off the side of the mountain, your heart in your throat. The suspense here builds slowly, tantalizingly, and the payoff is a good one.

One of Best's best features as a writer is his economy of words - every word is chosen for maximum effect. His characters and motivations are real enough to make you believe the action. And that's no mean feat. I recommend The Judas Virus and I can't wait to see what he does next.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome Thriller by the Author of Do No Harm
Review: The Judas Virus opens with a bang and keeps us guessing until the very end, which is just what I like in a thriller. Author David Best (some might know his as Don Donaldson) handles his latest book with his usual precision and skill.

Chris Collins is a doctor in an Atlanta hospital who is confronted by her terminally-ill father, Wayne, years after he had walked out of her and her mother's life. With unparalleled gall, he asks her to donate a piece of her liver so that he might live. She refuses, but pulls some strings to get him accepted in an experimental program.

The suspense builds when an unknown virus affects not only ayne, but the nurses who treat him. But the weird thing is that the virus makes the infectees feel better, healing old wounds and salving aches - right up until it makes them blind and kills them.

Chris and her colleague Michael suspect there's more going on than meets the eye and begin a private investigation, which draws a killer's attention to them.

Reading David Best is like riding Splash Mountain at Disneyland. The ride is mesmerizing, with plenty to draw your attention and keep your interest, right up until you drop off the side of the mountain, your heart in your throat. The suspense here builds slowly, tantalizingly, and the payoff is a good one.

One of Best's best features as a writer is his economy of words - every word is chosen for maximum effect. His characters and motivations are real enough to make you believe the action. And that's no mean feat. I recommend The Judas Virus and I can't wait to see what he does next.

Rating:
Summary: Cliche, and Frustrating
Review: This has been my first, and most likely last, read of a David Best novel. This starts out to be a very suspenseful and interesting book, however after the third or fouth time a known killer is hit once and left laying on the floor, while the "highly educated" amature sleuths (Medical Docs), run away and assume that all is well, I began to wonder if my blood pressure would cause my head to explode. If these were real life characters, they would have flunked out of community college.

One example of this: the main character has just thwarted a forceful attempted rape and murder at knife point, only to ponder the implications of her actions as an MD, choosing to drive away, asuming the police will be on their way shortly. So, of couse the attacker simply chases her into an even more dire situation, proving that a tap on the head with a bottle of apple juice isn't exactly fair payback for rape.

At one point, shortly after her near-murder, while sitting in a car in Newark New Jersey of all places, a bum opens her car door and demands money. Instead of doing what even the most bleeding heart liberal would do, she politely engages him in conversation and rewards his behavior with $5.00. PLEASE!

This woman might be the most annoying character in the novel, but for the shoebox-smell obsessed villian.

This novel is so full of cliches, and poorly written dialog, that I would like to demand from the author, the fare market value for the time I wasted reading his TRash. (little pun from the book there..)

The relationship between the main character and her father, who after vanishing 30 years ago, suddenly shows up needing a liver, is sappy and completely unbelievable.

The childhood memories that are relived in "flashbacks" throughout the book used as poorly done background fillers, are unrealistically placed at critical moments by a writer who is aware of the need to draw out the suspense, to cover up a lacking story line.

The idea of a cowardly, self-loathing CDC team member holding onto a 15 year old hantavirus, just in case he might need it for something...and then low and behold...It sure comes in handy...WHAT? You've got to be kidding me.

The only redeeming quality is the cover illustration; very well done. Too bad there is a book beneath it.

Rating:
Summary: Cliche, and Frustrating
Review: This has been my first, and most likely last, read of a David Best novel. This starts out to be a very suspenseful and interesting book, however after the third or fouth time a known killer is hit once and left laying on the floor, while the "highly educated" amature sleuths (Medical Docs), run away and assume that all is well, I began to wonder if my blood pressure would cause my head to explode. If these were real life characters, they would have flunked out of community college.

One example of this: the main character has just thwarted a forceful attempted rape and murder at knife point, only to ponder the implications of her actions as an MD, choosing to drive away, asuming the police will be on their way shortly. So, of couse the attacker simply chases her into an even more dire situation, proving that a tap on the head with a bottle of apple juice isn't exactly fair payback for rape.

At one point, shortly after her near-murder, while sitting in a car in Newark New Jersey of all places, a bum opens her car door and demands money. Instead of doing what even the most bleeding heart liberal would do, she politely engages him in conversation and rewards his behavior with $5.00. PLEASE!

This woman might be the most annoying character in the novel, but for the shoebox-smell obsessed villian.

This novel is so full of cliches, and poorly written dialog, that I would like to demand from the author, the fare market value for the time I wasted reading his TRash. (little pun from the book there..)

The relationship between the main character and her father, who after vanishing 30 years ago, suddenly shows up needing a liver, is sappy and completely unbelievable.

The childhood memories that are relived in "flashbacks" throughout the book used as poorly done background fillers, are unrealistically placed at critical moments by a writer who is aware of the need to draw out the suspense, to cover up a lacking story line.

The idea of a cowardly, self-loathing CDC team member holding onto a 15 year old hantavirus, just in case he might need it for something...and then low and behold...It sure comes in handy...WHAT? You've got to be kidding me.

The only redeeming quality is the cover illustration; very well done. Too bad there is a book beneath it.