Review: Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry (Audiobook)

• Audible Audio Edition
• Listening Length:14 hours and 45 minutes
• Program Type:Audiobook
• Version:Unabridged
• Publisher:Blackstone Audio, Inc.
• Source: Publisher

Joe Ledger is a Baltimore detective, recently recruited to lead a new secret task force created to battle forces Homeland Security cannot. The first mission of this task force, referred to as Department of Military Sciences (DMS for short)  is to stop a group of terrorists planning to release a bio-agent that turns the average human into a zombie.

DMS is lead by the mysterious Mr. Church, a man who has connections with every government agency, and a unique hold over the President of the United States. Mr. Church can get whatever he wants, whenever he wants it. It is up to Ledger and his team to literally save the entire population of the United States, and beyond. Nothing like a little pressure.

As with Maberry’s other books, characters are rich within Patient Zero.  Joe Ledger has his share of monsters, he’s still recovering from the suicide of his ex-wife. His best friend, Rudy Sanchez, just happens to be his therapist as well; the banter they share is endearing as well as humorous. The novel is alive (pun intended) with completely likeable characters, as well as characters you can’t help but hate.

The level of detail about the government agencies and government protocol proves Maberry did a tremendous amount of research on this novel. This detail adds to the believability of the storyline, the fact that this could happen in our country will send a chill down the reader’s spine.

Patient Zero is the start of a series, one that I have read in print and thoroughly enjoyed. That experience was intensified after listening to the audio version of the book. Ray Porter is a superb narrator. He successfully captures Ledger’s brute personality as well as his humorous side. Just as I say Dick Hill is Joe Reacher (Lee Child’s thriller series), Ray Porter is Joe Ledger! The audio production was simply stunning; I plan on continuing the Ledger series in this format. For a sample of the audio production, visit Blackstone Audio’s Web site.

Patient Zero is a book that would be appreciated by fans of several genres, including action, horror, thriller, etc. As I’ve mentioned on several occasions, Maberry is the king of zombie fiction; he portrays zombies in a completely different light, putting a new spin on a classic monster. Highly recommended!