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Title details for A Heartbeat Away by Michael Palmer - Available

A Heartbeat Away

A Thriller

by Michael Palmer
Robert Petkoff
Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
2 of 2 copies available

The New York Times bestselling author and master of suspense delivers another novel at the crossroads of politics and medicine in this shocker of a thriller
On the night of the State of the Union address, President James Allaire expects to give the speech of his career. But no one anticipates the terrifying turn of events that forces him to quarantine everyone in the Capitol building. A terrorist group calling itself "Genesis" has unleashed WRX3883, a deadly, highly contagious virus, into the building. No one fully knows the deadly effect of the germ except for the team responsible for its development—a team headed by Allaire, himself. The only one who might be able to help is virologist Griffin Rhodes, currently in solitary confinement in a maximum security federal prison for alleged terrorist acts, including the attempted theft of WRX3883 from the lab where he worked. Rhodes has no idea why he has been arrested, but when Allaire offers to free him in exchange for his help combating the virus, he reluctantly agrees to do what he can to support the government that has imprisoned him without apparent cause.
Meanwhile, every single person in line for presidential succession is trapped inside the Capitol—every person except one: the Director of Homeland Security, who is safely at home in Minnesota, having been selected as the "Designated Survivor" for this event. With enemies both named and unnamed closing in, and the security of the nation at stake, Griff must unravel the mysteries of WRX3883 without violating his pledge as a scientist to use no animal testing in his experiments...and time is running out.
Tense, thrilling, and entirely plausible, A Heartbeat Away will make you reflect, wonder, and be truly afraid.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    February 15, 2011

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781427209948
      • File size: 335286 KB
      • Duration: 11:38:30

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Michael Palmer's latest will keep listeners' blood pumping. The U.S. has secretly developed an aerosol that will kill those exposed to it within two weeks. The spray is stolen and released by terrorists at the Capitol during the president's State of the Union address. All but one in the line of presidential succession are in the Capitol, and all are likely doomed. Imprisoned Dr. Griffin Rhodes is brought in to find a cure and works hand in hand with WASHINGTON POST reporter Angie Fletcher. Robert Petkoff delivers a tense, exciting performance. He's especially proficient as the crafty female Speaker of the House. Petkoff's virtuosity makes this thriller intense and as close to reality as one dares to think about. A.L.H. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      May 30, 2011
      Robert Petkoff proves to be the perfect choice to narrate Palmer's latest medical thriller. During the president's State of the Union address, the terrorist group Genesis exposes him and the 700 congressmen, senators, and spectators inside the capitol building, to WRX3883, a deadly, highly contagious virus with no known cure. Their only hope is disgraced virologist Griffin Rhodes, who worked
      on the development of WRX3883 until he was arrested for supposedly stealing samples of the virus and plotting a terrorist act. Now, the president offers this
      presumed criminal his freedom in exchange for finding a cure for the virus. Although reluctant to help those who imprisoned him, Rhodes eventually agrees and soon it's a race against time and an omnipotent enemy, as he works round the clock to save the president, the other exposed victims, and the nation itself. Petkoff never misses a beat in his reading of this high-octane medical thriller, fully realizing each scene and character with ease. His energetic and skillful performance will keep listeners on the edge of their seats. A St. Martin's hardcover.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      December 13, 2010
      Palmer (The Last Surgeon) offers a nifty plot premise in this high-concept medical thriller, but a plethora of subplots distracts from the more interesting primary issue. As the U.S. president, James Allaire, is beginning his State of the Union address, a number of small containers of a viral agent explode and infect the more than 700 people, including every important member of the government except the director of homeland security, who have gathered in the House chamber. The Capitol must be sealed off and the infected audience held inside until a cure for the disease can be found. The plotters behind the attack, a group of domestic terrorists known as Genesis, demand, among other things, that the government abolish the Patriot Act and cease unchecked spying on ordinary Americans. Overblown prose does little to make the implausible scenario more believable. Readers with a low tolerance for the hyperbolic are advised to give this one a pass.

    • Library Journal

      June 15, 2011
      On the night President James Allaire is scheduled to deliver his State of the Union address, a fatal, virulent, and highly contagious virus is mysteriously released in the capital. Desperate for an antidote, Allaire turns to virologist Griffin Rhodes, who has been languishing in solitary confinement in a maximum-security federal prison for alleged terrorist acts. Actor Robert Petkoff (robertpetkoff.com) does an exceptional job of narrating Palmer's (www.michaelpalmerbooks.com) follow-up to "The Last Surgeon" (2010), perfectly capturing each character's unique accent, quirks, and personality and rendering Griffin's best friend and colleague Melvin especially well. Sure to keep listeners on the edge of their seats; highly recommended for mystery/thriller fans. [See Major Audio Releases, "LJ" 1/11; the St. Martin's hc, which published in February, was a "New York Times" best seller; the mass-market pb will publish in August 2011.—Ed.]—Ilka Gordon, Siegal Coll. of Judaic Studies Lib., Cleveland

      Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Funding for additional materials was made possible by a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.