Contagious-Scott Sigler

Contagious
Scott Sigler
Crown, Dec 30 2009, $24.95
ISBN: 0307406318

The transition of power is ending with the inauguration of the new American president, but not long after taking his oath of office, John Gutierrez is briefed by CIA Deputy Director Murray Longworth about his biggest issue: alien parasites. John initially believes Murray is telling a sick joke, but quickly realizes that the top secret Project Tangram is his most important program. An alien virus has infected Americans causing blue triangular lesions to erupt on the skin; these intrusions are sentient, causing their host to go insane before they break out from the body turning into pyramid creatures that share a singular strategic goal of building a path to somewhere that is assumed dangerous to humanity.

It is Six weeks since the infection began and there is only one known survivor. Using a scissor former football player "Scary" Perry Dawsey surgically removed the triangle, but has traces left that enable him to detect human carriers. When he finds them he kills them over the chagrin of CIA agent Dew Phillips who needs living specimen for Doctor Margaret Montoya to conduct research on, but cannot alienate the only human capable of finding them. However, Perry is scared as he feels something voodoo like is occurring in Michigan.

This exciting sequel to INFECTED is an action-packed thriller reminiscent of the INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. At a time of potential pandemic doom, the change in leadership is a refreshing spin as that adds vulnerability that seems eerily similar to the economic crisis although one would have thought the President elect would have been told several weeks earlier. Still this is a fast-paced horror thriller as the new PROTUS must decide what to do about the biggest terrorist threat to the nation.

Harriet Klausner