Alex Kava's latest Maggie O'Dell mystery, Exposed, finds the redoubtable FBI agent up against the most challenging villain of her career: a bio-terrorist with the wherewithal (and the inclination) to unleash the deadly Ebola virus on an unsuspecting U.S. population. O'Dell is further hobbled in the investigation by the fact that she has potentially been exposed to the virus, and thus has found herself sequestered in a top-secret quarantine hospital in Quantico, her access to the outside world limited to phone and Internet. From this remote command post, O'Dell must draw on her not inconsiderable investigative skills, as well as those of her field assistants, to bring said terrorist to justice before he can strike again. Meanwhile, in her seclusion, O'Dell begins to experience the first of the symptoms associated with Ebola: is it just her overactive imagination, or has she truly been infected? And if she has, how long can she continue her investigation before the virus takes over? Terrorism can come in many forms, but perhaps the most truly terror-inspiring is bio-terrorism, as it has the potential to spread of its own accord, well past the original opening act of the perpetrator. Kava has crafted a well-researched and soberly laid out "what if" scenario that ought to strike a disturbing chord in the hearts and minds of the American public (but thankfully stopping short of providing a how-to primer for would be terrorists). Copyright 2008 BookPage Reviews.

Last seen in A Necessary Evil (2006), FBI special agent Maggie O'Dell pursues a vengeful monster and his sadistic assistant who infect innocent people with the deadly Ebola virus in bestseller Kava's most terrifying psychological thriller to date. While investigating a bomb threat in suburban Elk Grove, Va., Maggie and her boss, Assistant Director Cunningham, become exposed to the virus. The pair wind up in "the Slammer," an isolation ward within the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Fort Detrick, Md. On the outside, Maggie's partner, R.J. Tully, investigates other cases of exposure to the virus, including an entire Chicago hospital. After Maggie's release, a clue Tully uncovers from his past sends him racing to save Maggie from the evil mastermind responsible for the viral threats. Full of authentic details taken from similar real-life crimes, the smart, thrill-a-minute plot builds to a cliffhanger ending that will leave fans eager for the next installment. (Oct.)