Fiction Addict

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication date: January 10, 2006

Reviewed by Jeremy Taylor

Tim Downs’s third novel is a mostly successful combination of character depth, plot suspense, and exhaustive research. Downs, whose other books form a series about a forensic entomologist, uses his above-average knowledge about insects to good effect in this standalone thriller.

FBI counterterrorism agent Nathan Donovan’s life is coming apart. His wife left him after his son died of cancer, his career is on the rocks thanks to his unnecessary risk-taking, and his depression is spiraling out of control. One day he gets a call that changes his life—Li, an 80-year-old Chinese man, has reason to believe the dead fleas Donovan discovered at his most recent crime scene are a portent of the most sinister terrorist plot the U.S. has ever seen. Li says New York City is about to come under a biological attack when fleas carrying bubonic plague are released into the air. The man behind the attack is a guy Li has been hunting for six decades.

Plague Maker is a solid book from a promising author. It is entertaining with just the right amount of subtle humor, yet appropriately dark in places as well, particularly when discussing the motivation behind the terrorists’ plans. Downs does a good job of weaving relational issues into the narrative, using the relationship between Donovan and his ex-wife, a psychological profiler who is pulled in to assist with the case. The biggest disappointment is the fact that certain characters who seemed key to the story early on were dropped from the plot as it developed. In spite of that, the ending is satisfying if a bit abrupt, and the characters Downs has created are strong enough to perhaps warrant a sequel.

The underlying message of the book seems to be one of human forgiveness. The book contains no significant objectionable content, though some descriptions of human biological-weapons testing during World War II are disturbing.

Overall, this is quite a good book. It’s a terrorism story that relies on suspense and character interaction rather than grotesque destruction to get its point across. The writing is strong, the characters are realistic, and the threat presented seems realistic. Tim Downs is likely to be a major player in the thriller genre for a long time to come.