The King of Plagues by Jonathan Maberry

There are books that I "fall into". Books that weave a plot and characters so well, that I can't wait to get back to them. Books that I hate to put down at night to go to sleep or in the morning to go to work. Books that make my lunch hour run over a bit because I have to get to the end of a scene, a chapter.

The World War II Gothic The Distant Hours was like that and so was, a totally different book, The King of Plagues. I've been a Maberry fan for years and had devoured the first book of the Joe Ledger series, Patient Zero. For some reason the second book, Dragon Factory, is still on my TBR pile. I will definitely be searching that one out and probably starting it this weekend.

I'm a fan of the thriller... historical, archaeological, Biblical, political, world-domination through secret societies...you name and I'll read it or listen to it. Steve Berry, James Rollins, Dan Brown, Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child...they can't write these books fast enough for me. I'm like a kid with a bag of potato chips - can't just read one and be done. And now Maberry's been added to that list.

The King of Plagues is exciting and moves quickly, especially with Maberry taking the reader back and forth through time to give one the hint of what's to come. This is done well with the headers for chapters, dated and location noted. He also maintains and increases the tension and suspense by using first person (Joe Ledger) and then third person point of view. As a writer, I loved it.

If you need a little (a lot) of excitement in your life, join Joe Ledger and Echo Company in Patient Zero and end (for now) with The King of Plagues. Don't forget The Dragon Factory.