A Heartbeat Away

Michael Palmer's latest will keep listeners' blood pumping. The U.S. has secretly developed an aerosol that will kill those exposed to it within two weeks. The spray is stolen and released by terrorists at the Capitol during the president's State of the Union address. All but one in the line of presidential succession are in the Capitol, and all are likely doomed. Imprisoned Dr. Griffin Rhodes is brought in to find a cure and works hand in hand with WASHINGTON POST reporter Angie Fletcher. Robert Petkoff delivers a tense, exciting performance. He's especially proficient as the crafty female Speaker of the House. Petkoff's virtuosity makes this thriller intense and as close to reality as one dares to think about. A.L.H. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

May 30, 2011
Robert Petkoff proves to be the perfect choice to narrate Palmer's latest medical thriller. During the president's State of the Union address, the terrorist group Genesis exposes him and the 700 congressmen, senators, and spectators inside the capitol building, to WRX3883, a deadly, highly contagious virus with no known cure. Their only hope is disgraced virologist Griffin Rhodes, who worked
on the development of WRX3883 until he was arrested for supposedly stealing samples of the virus and plotting a terrorist act. Now, the president offers this
presumed criminal his freedom in exchange for finding a cure for the virus. Although reluctant to help those who imprisoned him, Rhodes eventually agrees and soon it's a race against time and an omnipotent enemy, as he works round the clock to save the president, the other exposed victims, and the nation itself. Petkoff never misses a beat in his reading of this high-octane medical thriller, fully realizing each scene and character with ease. His energetic and skillful performance will keep listeners on the edge of their seats. A St. Martin's hardcover.

December 13, 2010
Palmer (The Last Surgeon) offers a nifty plot premise in this high-concept medical thriller, but a plethora of subplots distracts from the more interesting primary issue. As the U.S. president, James Allaire, is beginning his State of the Union address, a number of small containers of a viral agent explode and infect the more than 700 people, including every important member of the government except the director of homeland security, who have gathered in the House chamber. The Capitol must be sealed off and the infected audience held inside until a cure for the disease can be found. The plotters behind the attack, a group of domestic terrorists known as Genesis, demand, among other things, that the government abolish the Patriot Act and cease unchecked spying on ordinary Americans. Overblown prose does little to make the implausible scenario more believable. Readers with a low tolerance for the hyperbolic are advised to give this one a pass.

June 15, 2011
On the night President James Allaire is scheduled to deliver his State of the Union address, a fatal, virulent, and highly contagious virus is mysteriously released in the capital. Desperate for an antidote, Allaire turns to virologist Griffin Rhodes, who has been languishing in solitary confinement in a maximum-security federal prison for alleged terrorist acts. Actor Robert Petkoff (robertpetkoff.com) does an exceptional job of narrating Palmer's (www.michaelpalmerbooks.com) follow-up to "The Last Surgeon" (2010), perfectly capturing each character's unique accent, quirks, and personality and rendering Griffin's best friend and colleague Melvin especially well. Sure to keep listeners on the edge of their seats; highly recommended for mystery/thriller fans. [See Major Audio Releases, "LJ" 1/11; the St. Martin's hc, which published in February, was a "New York Times" best seller; the mass-market pb will publish in August 2011.—Ed.]—Ilka Gordon, Siegal Coll. of Judaic Studies Lib., Cleveland

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