Review of EXPOSED by Alex Kava (see her website)

MAGGIE O'DELL

Mira, October 2008

When a cunning bioterrorist leaves a clue in a box of donuts delivered to Quantico, FBI profiler Maggie O'Dell faces her most frightening enemy ever. Even worse, she has to do it in a biohazard containment ward, where her every move is observed by doctors and military personnel who might not have her best interests at heart.

The clue in the donuts warns of an impending "crash" and leads O'Dell and Assistant Director Cunningham to an ordinary-looking home, where they expect to find a bomb; instead they find a dying woman and her little girl. It's a "crash" of a different sort, and very quickly they realize they've been exposed to a deadly virus, something with the potential to wipe out millions of people.

As army and FBI personnel posture and make power grabs, O'Dell does her sleuthing with only her computer and a bit of pilfered evidence, communicating with her partner, R.J. Tully, who does all the legwork. But the bioterrorist has left a slew of false clues combined with bits and pieces of famous criminal cases that test O'Dell's brains--and her nerves--almost to their limits.

A book about a killer virus or a bioterrorist is nothing new, but Kava renders this tale fast-paced, personal, and believable. It's a fast read, not terribly demanding of the reader and quite enjoyable.

See more BooksForABuck.com reviews of novels by Alex Kava.

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