Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Hybrid
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://jamesmarshallsmith.com/
CITY:
STATE: GA
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
Chief of Radiation Studies for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: n 79146681
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/n79146681
HEADING: Smith, J. M. (James Marshall), 1942-
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400 10 |w nnaa |a Smith, James Marshall, |d 1942-
500 10 |w nnnc |a Smith, J. M.
670 __ |a Materials Research, inc. Quantitative analysis of defects … 1979 (a.e.) |b t.p. (J. M. Smith; Materials Research, inc., Centerville, Utah)
670 __ |a Phone call to Materials Research, inc. 11-26-79 |b (James Marshall Smith; b. 9-28-42)
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PERSONAL
Born September 28, 1942 in WV; married; wife’s name June (a teacher).
EDUCATION:Attended writing workshops in Los Angeles, CA, and New York, NY; the University of Iowa summer writing workshop; a creative writing course at Oxford University.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Physicist. Novelist. Worked formerly as founding chief of radiation studies for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta as distinguished scientist and consultant; as a consult and advisor for nuclear-threat countermeasures for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, for the G7 Global Health Security Action Group in Berlin, London and Paris, and for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
MEMBER:Authors Guild, member; International Thriller Writers, member.
AWARDS:Clive Cussler Grand Master Award, international finalist, 2015, for Silent Source; William Faulkner-Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, short-list finalist; Colorado Gold Novel Contest, finalist, Hybrid.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
James Marshall Smith is a writer and physicist. Smith was born and raised in West Virginia. He was the founding chief of the radiation studies branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and worked there for over a decade, holding a distinguished scientist and consultant appointment. Smith is a specialist on nuclear-threat countermeasures. He has worked as a consultant or advisor of this area for numerous organizations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, the G7 Global Health Security Action Group in Berlin, London and Paris, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Smith took up writing later in life. He has attended writing workshops in Los Angeles, New York City, and Oxford University and he attended a summer writing workshop at the University of Iowa. Smith’s writing is often inspired by his career as a scientist. Influences can be seen in his descriptions of space satellites and inclusion of molecular biophysics. Smith’s work has been recognized by the Clive Cussler Competition, the William Faulkner-Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, and the Colorado Gold Novel Contest. Smith and his wife June, a teacher, live in Georgia.
Silent Source
Scientist Damon Keane has a knack for uncovering mysterious chemical combinations. In his hometown of Atlanta, he is known among detectives as a secret weapon in uncovering mysterious deaths by poisoning. Keane is volunteering at a camp for rebellious teens when he gets a call from the mayor. The mayor had been contacted by Atlanta police’s Special Operations Section following the discovery of three gruesome deaths. When Keane arrives in Atlanta, more deaths have transpired, and the police force does not have any leads. Keane examines the victims’ bodies, which are horribly bloated and distorted. The substance that caused their deaths appears to completely shut down all organ function. At first Keane suspects radiation poisoning, but tests prove this hypothesis false.
After a close call, this time the attempted murder of a priest, Keane finally finds some useful clues. The priest informs Keane that, following the attempted attack, his rosary beads changed color. From this clue Keane is able to see that the attacker must be using some sort of radiation poisoning to take lives. A slip of information from an informant brings the investigation close to home, and Keane and his posse uncover the identity of the mastermind killer. The motive is racially charged, and Keane travels from Russia to London to the backwoods of Georgia to pursue the heinous villain.
Fran Lewis in Just Reviews website wrote, “this is one thought provoking and excellent debut novel,” while a contributor to Best Thrillers website penned: “If you like medical thrillers based upon actual science, put Silent Source at the top of your reading queue.”
Hybrid
Veterinarian Dieter Harmon is new in town, and he has not had much luck developing a client base. He relocated to a town near Yellowstone Park in Montana with his two children following the death of his wife. When his friend Molly Schoonover calls him to help investigate the cause of death of an animal at a nearby ranch, he is eager to help.
A llama on rancher Josh Pendleton’s land has been found mauled. It appears to have been a wolf attack, but the markings seem to be from an animal larger than a wolf. Attacks on livestock in the area have been rising, so Harmon begins investigating. In doing so, he meets Chief Ranger Jack Corey. Corey is a strong supporter of Operation Wolfstock, a program developed two years earlier aimed at reintroducing wolves into the Yellowstone National Park. Unwilling to consider that the wolves could be the culprits and potentially end Operation Wolfstock, Corey refuses to help.
Harmon continues his investigation on his own, and takes trips into the forest to search for clues. On one of these outings, he comes across the horribly mutilated body of a hiker, bearing marks similar to those of the killed livestock. Though Harmon thinks he may have found another clue, the local police force are suspicious of the outsider veterinarian, and consider him a murder suspect. Molly Schoonover and Harmon’s children and their nanny all know Harmon is innocent, and they take up the investigation where he left off. To prove Harmon’s innocence, they must prove that there is a killer wolf before it gets any of them.
A contributor to Kirkus Reviews described the book as “a creature feature that earns its suspense by rigorously developing its characters.” A contributor to the Best Thrillers website wrote: “Exhilarating and original, Hybrid demonstrates that even wildlife conservation can have a sinister underbelly.”
A contributor to the Port Jericho website described the book as a “taut, suspenseful tale of vengeance, deceit, and man’s folly in believing humanity is top of the food chain,” while Christina Boswell in San Francisco Book Review website described it as “a thrill ride from beginning to end.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, February 1, 2018, review of Hybrid.
ONLINE
Best Thrillers, https://bestthrillers.com/ (September 13, 2016), Bella Wright, review of Silent Source; (December 8, 2017), review of Hybrid.
Just Reviews https://tillie49.wordpress.com/ (January 23, 2017), Fran Lewis, review of Silent Source.
Port Jericho http://www.aislynndmerricksson.com/ (December 23, 2017), review of Hybrid.
San Francisco Book Review https://sanfranciscobookreview.com/ (January, 2018), Christina Boswell, review of Hybrid.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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James Marshall Smith is a physicist and novelist, whose stories are informed–and sometimes inspired–by his varied research career, from space satellites to molecular biophysicsJim on deck HR by Deb. He was Chief of Radiation Studies for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta for over a decade and has served in consulting or advisory roles on nuclear-threat countermeasures for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, the G7 Global Health Security Action Group in Berlin, London and Paris, and for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
His debut novel—Silent Source—was one of three international finalists for the 2015 Clive Cussler Grand Master Award. His other novel—Hybrid, another suspense/thriller—was a short-list finalist in the William Faulkner-Wisdom Creative Writing Competition and a finalist in the annual Colorado Gold Novel Contest. James is a member of the Authors Guild and International Thriller Writers.
thumb_IMG_0306_1024Born and raised in West Virginia,he now lives and writes in Georgia with his wife, June, also a native of WV. Nationally Board Certified, she was a past Georgia Middle School Teacher of the Year and a long-time member of the Annenberg Foundation School Reform Faculty.
Then there is their bossy Maltese, Georgie, who doesn’t really do a lot, but when he wants something, he can be overbearingly demanding.
James Marshall Smith is a writer and scientist who has enjoyed an extensive career from space satellites to molecular biophysics. He was founding chief of the radiation studies branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, where he held a Distinguished Scientist/Consultant appointment. He traveled extensively in a consulting role following the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear crises and has served as an advisor on nuclear-threat countermeasures for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, the G7 Global Health Security Action Group in Berlin, London and Paris, and for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
In recent years he has taken up writing novels, a guilty pleasure he started on and off throughout much of his life. Silent Source, his debut novel to be released in October, 2016, was one of three international finalists for the 2015 Clive Cussler Grand Master Award. Hybrid, another thriller (yet to be published), was a short-listed finalist in the William Faulkner-Wisdom Creative Writing Competition and a finalist in the Colorado Gold Novel Contest. His fiction writing skills were honed in writing workshops in LA and NYC along with University of Iowa summer writing workshops and a summer session on creative writing at Oxford.
Born and raised in the heart of Appalachia--West Virginia--James now lives and writes in Georgia with his wife, June, also a WV native.
JAMES MARSHALL SMITH
James Marshall Smith is a writer and scientist who has enjoyed an extensive career from space satellites to molecular biophysics. He has served as an advisor for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, the G7 Global Health Security Action Group in Berlin, London and Paris, and for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
In recent years he has taken up writing novels, a guilty pleasure he started on and off throughout much of his life. SILENT SOURCE, his debut novel was released in October, 2016, and was one of three international finalists for the Clive Cussler Grand Master Award. HYBRID, another thriller to be published in 2017, was a short-listed finalist in the William Faulkner-Wisdom Creative Writing Competition and a finalist in the Colorado Gold Novel Contest. His fiction writing skills were honed in writing workshops in LA and NYC along with University of Iowa summer writing workshops and a summer session on creative writing at Oxford.
Born and raised in the heart of Appalachia--West Virginia--James now lives and writes in Georgia with his wife, June, also a WV native.
Print Marked Items
Smith , James Marshall: HYBRID
Kirkus Reviews.
(Feb. 1, 2018):
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Smith , James Marshall HYBRID Braveship Books (Indie Fiction) $27.99 1, 10 ISBN: 978-1-64062-020-9
A vicious beast menaces residents of a Montana town in the 1990s in Smith's (Silent Source, 2016) thriller.
Veterinarian Dieter Harmon has amassed few clients during his three months in the town of Colter, but his friend Molly Schoonover still calls him
when rancher Josh Pendleton loses a llama to a possible wolf attack. Livestock kills in the area have recently spiked, but chief park ranger Jack
Corey is hesitant to blame the deaths on wolves; he endorses the National Park Service's plan, initiated two years ago, to re-establish the wolf
population in Yellowstone. Later, Dieter stumbles upon the mutilated body of a hiker, and local cops suspect the vet as a possible murderer.
Meanwhile, Molly witnesses something horrific while visiting local Joseph Vincent Loudermilk's farm that gives her reason to fear for one of the
women living there. After that woman runs away, Molly searches for her. At the same time, Dieter, Josh, and Amy Little Bear (the nanny to
Dieter's two kids and a pilot) set out to prove the existence of a killer wolf and, if necessary, track it down. Smith peppers his story with chilling
scenes of a quick and tenacious animal on the loose. The human characters, meanwhile, are exhaustively developed as the story alternates
between Dieter, Molly, and Jack, among others. There are hints of other mysteries (such as the unsolved murder of Dieter's wife) as well as bits of
comedy, as when Dieter and Josh's plan to examine a cadaver at the funeral home predictably turns into a fiasco. Smith's writing is full of
evocative language, such as when a deadly assault lasts "a brief eternity" and a geyser's steam vanishes in "spirit-like wisps." Readers will easily
deduce what exactly is killing people and livestock, but Smith wisely focuses on the urgent need to stop the beast rather than on a prolonged
elucidation of it.
A creature feature that earns its suspense by rigorously developing its characters.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Smith , James Marshall: HYBRID." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Feb. 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A525461398/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=c1eec787. Accessed 26 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A525461398
Bottom Line: One of the year’s best thrillers. Exhilarating and original, HYBRID demonstrates that even wildlife conservation can have a sinister underbelly.
Dieter Harmon seems to be nothing more than an unassuming veterinarian. He’s also the new guy in town. Not long after stumbling upon a mutilated body in the woods, just the latest in a string of animal attacks, he finds himself at a moral crossroads.
It seems that the government is trying to restore the wolf population inside Yellowstone. But after Dieter meets the conservation group – including a including a pair of ne’er-do-well rangers in their own power struggle — he also realizes that something’s not quite right about the wolves roaming outside the Grand Loop. Things soon get hairy as Dieter discovers that he has become prey.
Author James Marshall Smith’s follow up to SILENT SOURCE, one of our picks for the Best Thrillers of 2016, has created anything but a standard whodunit in HYBRID. Smith paints a lurid story involving personal vendettas and underground experimentation. At times, it read like a wondrous mash-up between Mary Shelly and James Patterson.
It’s not a slow burn. Cerebral, complex and yet heart-pounding, the book teeters at a full boil throughout. A finalist for the 2017 William Faulkner-Wisdom Novel Award, HYBRID is a must-read.
— BOOK REVIEWS, CBR- MANHATTAN, CITY BOOK REVIEWS, MISC —
Book Review: Hybrid by James Marshall Smith
2017-12-23
Hybrid is a taut, suspenseful tale of vengeance, deceit, and man’s folly in believing humanity is top of the food chain.
In the vein of Jurassic Park, Fatalis, and Sabretooth, Smith’s Hybrid is a story of man vs nature, with man’s folly as the catalyst. This terrible hybrid exists because some foolish dog-fighter released a rare, and highly dangerous breed of canine into the Canadian wilderness. A pup resulting from this dog breeding with Canadian grey wolves is transplanted into Yellowstone National Park as part of Operation Wolfstock- a plan to reintegrate wolves into the region. The greater size, and doubly dangerous fighting instincts of the Tosa Inu breed has just plunked a deadly apex predator down into one of the US’s most frequented parks, just before the Labor Day crush.
Attacks on livestock, then people, begin happening around Yellowstone. Despite the evidence of canid involvement, Chief Ranger Jack Corey refuses to believe it could be wolves. A strong proponent of the program that repopulated Yellowstone and its environs with the grey wolves that over-hunting had decimated, Corey is not going to accept that at least one of his wolves has gone rogue and is a serious danger.
Despite threats against his safety and freedom, vet Dieter Harmon investigates the possibility of a rogue wolf on his own. Intertwined with the man vs nature thread is Harmon’s rivalry with Corey, the devastating loss of his wife (that drove him to Colter, and still gives him nightmares), and his friction with his kids, and their nanny, Amy, not to mention the storythread with the creepy Loudermilk clan.
This book was a quick, well-researched read. I enjoyed the science behind it. I’d never heard of the tosa inu breed before. I really wanted to smack Corey upside the head. I get the value of repopulating the area with wolves, since it was humanity’s fault they had vanished from the area to begin with. It was irresponsible of him not to accept that there was a rogue, a single wolf, causing the deaths, and to act accordingly.
The characters came alive for me. Josh was my favourite. The tough old llama keeper was a godsend to Dieter, with his knowledge of the wilds, and animal behaviour. I never knew llamas could be so mean, if necessary! I do wish we’d followed the wolf hybrid more, seeing how the animal functioned. Washoe behaviour born from his rogue state? From the tosa inu influence. A combination of both?
There is an afterword, detailing what happens to several of the characters in the weeks to years following the incident. Despite that, there were a few things that felt incomplete to me. What were Michael’s consequences of disobedience? What was the purpose of the Loudermilk clan to the overall scheme?
Part of the afterward includes information regarding the Beast of Gevaudan, and the speculation it s some sort of hybrid wolf. This I found fascinating, for despite previous research into this particular legendary creature, I hadn’t heard the hybrid theory. It does make sense, though. How many other legendary beasts were hybrids of some sort? I can only imagine the havoc a hybrid big cat, with the rogue temperament of the lions of Tsavo and the size of a liger, might wreak.
****This book was reviewed for the Manhattan Book Review.
HYBRID: A Thriller
We rated this book:
$26.99
Yellowstone Park has become a dangerous place for those who live along its borders. Something is killing livestock and people in the surrounding areas. Dieter Harmon is a veterinarian who has just relocated himself and his two young children to Montana from Pennsylvania after the death of his wife. He gets the call from a nearby farmer that one of his llamas has been mauled. It looks like a wolf attack, but it seems like it is from something bigger than your average wolf. Dieter finds out it’s not the first attack and starts investigating. Chief Park Ranger Jack Corey is not going to let anyone stand in the way of his operation to reintroduce wolves to Yellowstone. Dieter will have to walk a thin line to survive a possible rogue wolf and a man with nothing to lose, which might make him the more dangerous of the two. And so Hybrid takes you on a wild ride in the still somewhat wild west.
This book was too short. That is my one complaint. It is a thrill ride from beginning to end, very much along the lines of James Patterson’s Zoo. It’s not quite up to the standard of a Michael Crichton novel, but James Marshall Smith is definitely on his way. I would have liked to hear more about what happened to Dieter’s wife, and in the afterword it seems like quite a few years have passed since the incidents in the story, but it isn’t really clear what happened to Dieter, or more specifically between Dieter and Amy. Jack Corey was easy to dislike and made a great antagonist, whereas it took me longer to warm up to Dieter as the main protagonist. I think I actually liked Amy and Josh Pendleton better.
The plot was super fun. I liked that the author seemed to know what he was talking about and also that he had animal attacks without making all the wolves seem like villains. It was not a “one bad apple ruins the whole bunch” kind of scenario. Same goes for the park rangers in the story. There was also a very interesting side story about polygamy that I would have liked to know more about. It did not have much to do with the main story line, but seemed like it was an important topic to the author.
Overall, this is a fast-paced, entertaining read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I wasn’t able to put it down. If you love thrillers involving rogue animals, like me, I know you will love this book.
UNCATEGORIZED
Silent SOURCE : James MARSHALL SMITH
POSTED BY JUST REVIEWS BY:GABINA49: ⋅ JANUARY 23, 2017 ⋅ LEAVE A COMMENT
Sometimes death comes when you least expect it and the source or reason remains an enigma or puzzle to those trying to come up with the cause. Within this novel we will visual and see the carnage and desecration of many people who died a painful and gruesome death at the hand of an unknown killer and substance that might remain unknown unless one man can uncover it. Dr. Damon Keane is a well known sleuth scientist who will stop at nothing to uncover and detect the truth about these deaths that no one else will or has the expertise to do. The Atlanta PD is stymied and stumped and when the Mayor of Atlanta requests the help of Dr. Damon Keane things will take on a new turn and the killer or the catalyst will hopefully be stopped. A death the causes the victim’s organs to shut down completely, one that forces the victim to give up everything in their stomach. Faces are bloated and distorted and some are even dismembered. The thought of what the crime scene photos show would sicken anyone even someone that is hardened to death. As the forensic expert and detective Keane realizes that he is up against someone unknown but when he comes across the first two deaths and then a priest is just seconds away from being third, the police are hospital officials have no clue but one is offered a startling revelation by the priest who worked with the dying Father Shannon: When you noted the color of his rosary beads they turned blood red. Just who is this phantom that seems to be eluding everyone? When he asks for the tox screen results and other lab work he thinks it might be some type of rat poisoning but it’s not. Is it alpha radiation or some type of gamma radiation but why doesn’t it come up in the results of the tests taken?
As Keane gets closer someone is blocking his way and creating obstacles that no one sees until something happens that changes it all. A source reveals something about the investigative officer and then the heat is on to find Felix Thornton the man behind the radiation attacks but even he does not escape from predators. Escaping the police, the security at the airport and winding up in Russia he thinks he is home free and wants to obtain certain radioactive materials that would set off a Geiger counter as soon as you come into the same room and not from a close distance. But, when dealing with these people he makes a fatal mistake and will he survive what he has done to others as Keane and his assistant work their way into the area where he was last scene hoping to escape undetected.
With Jessie Wiley at his side Keane just might find a way to stop what Thornton has started which is to eliminate as many people in Atlanta that are not white. He feels that anyone who is not white does not deserve to live in his air space or anyone else’s air space. With the help of a Russian named Osken, Thornton manages to obtain help to ship his radioactive canister undetected to a location in the United States but not before doing several things to make him no longer welcome in Osken’s family’s home. As Thornton takes out those that attacked him for trying to have his way with someone’s wife, things turn even more out of control as Keane tries to stop the death toll from rising as he travels to London’s Hyde Park, finds clues in Piedmont Park, in Siberia where there is a huge black market business in nuclear materials and the backwoods of Georgia. No matter how fast Keane travels or tries to catch up with this man he is always behind him. Thornton has a major terrorist attack planned and he will take down an entire city in a storm of nuclear death the magnitude of more than an earthquake of 10 on the Richter scale.
With the Detective on the case removed and with the help of Dr. Rutledge the team of Keane and Wiley might be able to stop what this person has set in motion. Hate for what someone took away from him. Revenge and retribution on those who killed someone close to him and now he would take down Atlanta. An African American who ran a newspaper stand, a retired dentist, who lived near Piedmont Park who was also black. A parish priest included the neighborhood on the west side of the park and a John Doe found in the middle of the park but this victim was white. Tremors, cranial nerve palsies, seizures and bouts of hallucinations and much more as this sick and diabolical killer keeps escaping. Suzanne Fowler works for the APD and has the ability for provide answers so what is she holding back? Detective Selsby is on the case but why is he discounting everything that Keane requests and explains? With the aid of Jessie and his personal security and valet and more Mr. J, can Keane outsmart someone so clever and dangerous before he too falls prey to what he has planned? A young child named Ronnie Davenport another victim hoping that he will pull threw. Police questioning him, gamma radiation at the helm and one man that will stop at nothing to take down Georgia and anyone that stands in his way. The author brilliantly includes research into the Chelyabinsk region of Russian where the hiding of the massive weapons operations from high-altitude American spy planes have been noted. He elaborates about the U2 flights with pilots like Francis Gary Powers and the entire chapter 29 explains it all. Added in we learn more about the radiation substances that Thornton wanted to buy and the end result Cesium 137. “ I kill because I hate. I kill again because it feels so good the first time and even better the next. And I ‘m not just another killer….I’ve been called to a higher duty. That raises me above the others.” Will he prevail or will Keane and Wiley plus a special team from Atlanta be able to race the clock and stop what he and someone else plan? The ending allows readers to know that this is not over and that someone is still out there that wants to destroy Keane and the little bit of happiness he might have just found. With his daughter finally responding to him and Andy, his son as a monk finally spending time will they live to return to school and the monastery? Only author James Marshall Smith knows for sure when he pens the next chapter in the life of Dr. Damon Keane. Using his expertise and experiences working for the CDC and serving or consulting on nuclear and radiological threats and countermeasures for the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna and may other organizations, the author uses his knowledge giving readers a first hand view of nuclear and radiation warfare. An ending that is explosive and a story that could be ripped right out of the headlines. This is one thought provoking and excellent debut novel.
Fran Lewis: Just reviews/MJ magazine
Silent Source, a First-Rate Medical Thriller by James Marshall Smith
by Bella Wright on September 13, 2016 in Medical Thriller Books, New Book Releases, Suspense Thriller Books, Terrorism Thriller Books
The Bottom Line: A first-rate medical thriller that establishes new author James Marshall Smith as one of the year’s best newcomers.
Silent Source Among local law enforcement, scientist Damon Keane is something of a celebrity in Atlanta. So when Atlanta police’s Special Operations Section find themselves faced with three ghoulish deaths and no solid leads, the mayor himself finds Dr. Keane – who is volunteering at a camp for wayward teens – and cajoles him into joining the effort.
As Keane reluctantly returns to Atlanta, more victims emerge. He suspects radiation poisoning, but after a full battery of tests, there’s no trace of polonium-210, thallium or any other bacteria or virus. Still, Keane is convinced that these people have been murdered. But how?
Riding along with Keane as he discovers the answer to that question is pure joy. In a genre full of eccentric detectives and narrative gimmicks, author James Marshall Smith distinguishes Keane with the plausible investigative processes he employs to get his answers. All Keane needs is a worthy adversary, and Smith gives him an exceptional one in a technician at a local oncology center that turns out to be far more than he seems. The ensuing race against the clock spirals into a breathtaking and readily believable global manhunt.
Smith, founding chief of the radiation studies branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obviously brings a wealth of knowledge to the subject, but he never lets the story get so bogged down in the details that it ceases to entertain. It’s not going too far to say that every note rings true. If you like medical thrillers based upon actual science, put Silent Source at the top of your reading queue.