Since the early part of the 20th century, the Plague has not been a mortal threat to humanity at large. But sometimes nature has a way of awakening things mankind thought was all but eradicated. Red Death is an eye-opening novel that explores the spread of an extremely virulent disease from New York to London and onward. A cast of researchers and CDC workers fight back against bureaucracy and against the Red Death.
The story takes off right away with a Mexican nursing student who becomes infected with a puzzling illness and dies within days. The CDC gets involved as the body count piles up. The story is gritty and gory, as medical thrillers go. Birgitte Margen has a unique writing style. Many chapters begin with an informative blurb such as, “McCarren International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world. Located five miles south of Downtown Las Vegas, it spans over 2,800 acres of land.” This introductory information, along with the well-researched medical details, adds credibility to the overall story. The book is teeming with tension and is limited only by an abundance or minor grammatical errors.
The Red Death is a bone chilling look at a worst case scenario plague outbreak. You’ll want to keep some hand sanitizer and a medical mask nearby as you enjoy this pandemic medical thriller.
