Vector: A Joe Rush Novel, Book 4

Good read. Very interesting. Well done.

Joe Rush returns in this new bio thriller from author James Abel.While in the Amazon to study new forms of malaria, Joe's sidekick Eddie disappears. Determined to find out what happened to his friend, Joe stumbles across something more terrible than he could have imagined. Meanwhile, back in the United States, a threat has been issued to the Deputy Assistant National Security Advisor; either pay a large ransom, or the cities of the Northeast will be targeted with "bombs, but not bombs".Soon, people are falling ill. Joe, who has found Eddie, must return to the United States to try to determine what is going on. Terrorist threats have been received, and the cities in the Northeast are shutting down. Joe and his team must find out the source of the problem, but that source will prove to be something that Joe never expected.I've become a fan of the Joe Rush series, having read all of the books so far. "Vector" continues in the tradition of the earlier books and is loaded with fast-paced action and adventure. The characters are well-developed, and the new additions in this book, including Izabel, Kyle Utley, and Tom Fargo fit in well. I'm looking forward to the next Joe Rush novel.

Like the previous books, this is spellbinding and difficult to put down.As unsettling as well, the situations could be easily believable.

I really like the Joe Rush series and this is a fine edition to the genre. Can’t wait for the next one.

The latest biothriller from James Abel takes Joe Rush from the jungles of Brazil to New York and across the United States in Vector. In Brazil to study malaria, Joe and his partner Eddie Nakamura get talked into poking around to see if they can find anything about terrorists groups planning an attack on the United States or its interests by an old FBI contact. When Eddie goes missing, Joe must track him down and in doing so, stumbles onto a threat far worse than anyone was expecting.Meanwhile, a homegrown terrorist is back in New York planning the release of modified mosquitoes infected with a newer, deadlier strain of malaria. Joe sets out to rescue Eddie with the help of Brazilian police captain Izabel Santo before heading back to the States. Once there he must try to stop the terrorists before their attack can spread in truly devastating fashion.I’ve read enough poorly executed biothrillers to appreciate a good one like Vector all the more. James Abel (pseudonym for Bob Reiss) takes a terrifying threat, disease carrying mosquitoes, and marries it to a clever and realistic plot. He adds in a strong hero with an interesting support team and an antagonist that you can feel sorry for even as you despise the heinous acts he is perpetrating. Supporting characters Eddie, Izabel, and especially young intern Aya all challenge Joe and offer him different perspectives that ultimately help him choose a course of action.Abel has a knack for sketching out likeable characters, both major and minor, that help provide an emotional connection to the danger in which he places them. Coupled with a plot that seems realistic enough to be ripped from the headlines and you have a thriller that will have you turning the pages even as you get a little extra chill from the sound of a mosquito buzzing past your ear.This is the fourth Joe Rush thriller and while there is some backstory to the characters, it reads fine as a standalone story. I’ve been meaning to jump into this series for a while and Vector certainly didn’t disappoint. Highly recommended.I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of this book.

Let's hope there's a real Joe Rush out there seeking out and stopping terrorists who use bio warfare. I've read all of these books since stumbling on the first one only because it was set in Alaska- and I look forward to each installment even though it's not my genre. You could easily read Vector as a standalone but I highly recommend reading them all. I learned a lot about malaria and mosquitos this time around. Abel has ably crafted a plot which unfolds quickly and seamlessly- there's a bad guy, a precipitating event for the bad guy to become bad, a lot of bad stuff, and then there's Joe, Eddie, and Aya. My one quibble with Vector is that Eddie and Aya don't get enough play, although Isabel is a pretty darn good partner for Joe. This is a fast entertaining and in some ways frighteningly plausible read. This is intelligent action. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC- two thumbs up!

To this date, I’ve read three James Abel novels.The first, I loved. The 2nd, White Plague, I didn’t. Vector is the 3rd one I’ve read (though I think It’s the 4th book).Simply put, Vector was good! Abel brings us a terrorist plot that is scary, devious, and all to plausible. And it had me itching! I loved Joe Rush in this book – Abel is really building this character and letting his readers get to know him. And I adore Eddie.Most interesting of all was our terrorist. Abel makes this character so multi-faceted. It’s especially uncomfortable to read this character because there are times you almost like them and feel so sorry for them. Then Abel reminds you that this is a very bad person.I’ll happily read more Joe Rush books in the future. Action, intrigue, and good old fashioned adventure!*ARC Provided by Net Galley

enjoyed book