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Deadly Exposure |
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 Deadly Exposure byLeonard Goldberg Signet Books 416 pages, 2000 ISBN 0451408721 Reviewed by PJ Nunn Deposited by helicopter on a ship just off the Alaskan coast, forensic pathologist Joanna Blalock is excited to learn that a strain of bacteria has been discovered, hiding in the heart of an iceberg. She’ll be part of a team of experts involved in identifying an organism that might be 65 million years old. Curiosity turns to concern, however, when she realizes that the bacteria, when loose into the air, become deadly. Exercising extreme caution, the team immediately sets to work culturing the bacteria in hopes of developing a cure - since the effects of an epidemic outbreak would be swift and fatal. When a team member is found murdered and the death toll continues to climb, Joanna realizes that the symptoms of those dying closely resemble an outbreak of what she thought was cholera, back at Memorial Hospital in LA. A phone call confirms her suspicions – the deaths she’d seen back in LA were not from cholera but from an unidentified bacterial source, exactly like the one in the iceberg. Worse, Joanna herself is a carrier and at present, contamination is proving 100% fatal. As Joanna investigates, a sinister secret is revealed. One of their experts sabotaged their efforts to culture the bacteria for personal gain. But before she can prove it, the ship runs into another iceberg and begins to sink. Can she possibly lead the group to safety from the sinking ship - or will they all die with this horrible secret while the iceberg unleashes the bacteria on an unsuspecting world? DEADLY EXPOSURE is a continuation of Goldberg’s Joanna Blalock series, sometimes noted as a kinder, gentler Scarpetta ala Cornwell. The forensic detail is a main focus and aptly written for general comprehension. The characters and relationships are also well done, although occasionally scanty in detail - perhaps because this is not the first outing for Blalock. The climactic ending is a little sensational, but not entirely outside the bounds of credibility. After all, Joanna has luck on her side. Overall, DEADLY EXPOSURE builds a slow but steady foundation, much like the ascending trip on a giant roller coaster. Once over the edge, the momentum takes readers tearing down the other side, pulling them up short for a frightening and exhilarating ride. |
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