Book Reviews – Outbreak

Outbreak by Frank Gardner

This biological warfare thriller is written by the BBC’s security correspondent and his first two novels were hugely successful. This new novel starts with three UK scientists caught in a blizzard in the Arctic and they seek shelter in a seemingly abandoned cabin. As they enter the hut, they find a man convulsing and covered in sores. The three scientists are contaminated and within hours the British Government is working hard to identify and contain this deadly outbreak. Is it a secret Russian operation or something even more sinister? Luke Carlton is the MI6 operative sent to investigate and as he and his partner follow leads from Norway to Lithuania, he starts to realise nothing is making sense. The trail leads them back to the UK and then the pressure is on to get to the source of this deadly outbreak. What’s particularly good about this novel is Gardner’s understanding and use of international politics and the real possibility of biological warfare. Coronavirus, monkey pox, bubonic plague … it’s all in here and it all feels scarily real.