The Eighth Plague

By: Kyle C. Fitzharris

Narrated by: Alan Philip Ormond

Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Terry Riley can't seem to catch a break. As a senior political reporter for the Washington Post, he's received death threats and taken on his share of scumbags, but this day trumps it all.

He's been skewered by corrupt DC politician Senator Daniel Pritchard, served a court summons from his ex-wife, and discovered his girlfriend up and left, taking most of his stuff with her. Yep, a great day, but things are about to get worse.

Riley decides to cover the first International Summit on the Environment in Mexico City. Despite still being a wanted man in Mexico, he burns to uncover the deceit surrounding Pritchard and heads south of the border. But when he arrives, he learns that thousands of Chiapas rebel villagers in the Mexican Badlands are being wiped out by a sadistic general and a mysterious epidemic, and he's landed smack in the middle of it all.

Forced to align himself with a rebel leader to stay alive and to get his story, Riley is thrust into a web of political corruption, illegal drugs, and genocide. But this isn't new territory for jaded and cynical Riley, and he's about to get the story of his career...if he lives that long.

©2014 L.O.R.E. Media Productions/Kyle C. Fitzharris (P)2019 L.O.R.E. Media Productions/Kyle C. Fitzharris

It was written with great detail. It helped me visualize the book being that I am blind.

I really enjoyed listening to this book. It was a great story with realistic life drama.

Best to avoid this plague

I made myself listen to the end of this book, because I appreciate good political thrillers and I was attracted to the title, “The Eight Plague.” However, it took most of the book before the plague theme became a major aspect of the story.

WHAT I LIKED MOST:
*The theme/concept of bio terrorism, which is so frighteningly possible.


WHAT I DID NOT PARTICULARLY ENJOY:
*The stale, cookie-cutter, stereotypical and cliched descriptions of journalists, ex-wives, corrupt DC politicians, Mexican drug dealers, etc. I was really hoping to gain cultural insights, as the author had some first hand experience. However, none were provided.
*The lack of deeper character development. Except for Terry, the main character, the other characters undergo little or no inner change. They do not grow or develop. They seemed contrived.
*Too many divergent and superficially connected plot lines detracted from (while not adding value to) the main story.

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review.