James Rollins - The Judas Strain

From the depths of the Indian Ocean, a horrific plague has arisen to devastate humankind - a disease that's unknown, unstoppable ... and deadly. But it is merely a harbinger of the doom to follow.

Aboard a cruise liner transformed into a makeshift hospital, Dr. Lisa Cummings, and Monk Kokkalis -operatives of the shadowy covert organization SIGMA Force- search for answers to the bizarre affliction that has inexplicably washed ashore. But there are others with far less altruistic intentions. In a savage and sudden coup, terrorists hijack the vessel, turning a mercy ship into a floating bio-weapons lab.

At a Fourth of July celebration a world away, SIGMA's commander Gray Pierce thwarts the murderous schemes of a beautiful assassin -a would-be killer who holds the first clue to the discovery of a possible cure. With the fate of every man, woman and child on Earth hanging in the balance, Pierce joins forces with the women who wanted him dead, and together they embark upon an astonishing quest -one that winds through Venetian tombs, Byzantine cathedrals, and jungle-encrusted ruins- following the trail of the most fabled explorer in history: Marco Polo.

But time is an enemy as a worldwide pandemic grows rapidly out of control. And as a relentless madman dogs their every step, Pierce and his unlikely ally are being pulled into an astonishing mystery buried deep in antiquity and in humanity's genetic code. And as the seconds tick closer to doomsday, Pierce will realize he can truly trust no one -not the bewitching enigma who runs at his side or even those who are closest to him -for any one of them could be ...
a Judas.

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Taken on an adventurous ride this thriller took me with it's first pages. Rollins' held a firm grasp on a plot so compelling that the book keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time.
Ancient history reaching from the past into the future in the form of an ancient strain of viruses turning friend into foe: The Judas Strain.

There is no Dan Brown here. There is something with believeable substance That takes you into the past, present and future. Likeable characters, blended fact and fiction create a masterpiece in the thriller genre. One that stays with you for a long time.

Enjoy the ride ! You're going to travel from the Indian Ocean through Venetian tombs, Byzantine cathedrals and jungle-encrusted ruins - following the trail of the most fabled explorer in history: Marco Polo.

Rating:
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Hardcover: 464 pages
Publisher: William Morrow; 1 edition (July 2, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060763892