Epidemic cover art

Epidemic

Kendall, Book 3

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Epidemic

By: John Holt
Narrated by: Mark Sando
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About this listen

Tom Kendall, a down-to-earth private detective, is asked to investigate the death of a young newspaper reporter. The evidence shows quite clearly that it was an accident: a simple, dreadful accident. That is the finding of the coroner and the local police. Furthermore, there were two witnesses. They saw the whole thing. But was it an accident, or was it something more sinister? Against a backdrop of a viral epidemic slowly spreading from Central America, a simple case soon places Kendall up against one of the largest drug companies in the country.

Although a standalone novel, it is also the third in a series featuring Tom Kendall, private detective.

©2013 John Holt (P)2018 John Holt Crime Fiction Modern Detectives Mystery Fiction Suspense Detective

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The story is good.A pharmaceutical company sets up a group trial no one knows about in a remote area.A journalist gets the scoop,but no one believes him.The journalist is found dead...who did it?Who knows,everyone shakes their heads,then again,one more time.The head shaking really got to me.There was a lot of repetition.I felt like I was in grade school.I was hoping for a better review.Mark Sando has a good voice.I don;t know if it was him or the material dragging out this story.Cut by a few hours it would have been good.Maybe a new editor would help. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.' 

Epidemic

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Absolutely loved this next book in the PD Kendall series lots of twists and turns

Brilliant book

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I really enjoyed the plot and the characters had good relationships. The PI was a bit too slow on the uptake for me and tended to repeat clues several times. I found this too slow for my personal tastes. If you usually struggle to solve the mystery yourselves and need that extra time, then this is the book for you. The overall plot is good and I liked the relationship between Kendal the PI and his secretary Molly. Every detail is revealed in the end so you are not left wondering.

Really interesting story but character is repetitive

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I was totally into the storyline once the first murder happened to cover up the origin of the epidemic. I loved the relationship between Kendall and Mollie. It reminded me of the old Perry Mason episodes. Kendall h reminded me of the old Columbo episodes.

Book 3

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I couldn't get on with this one. even though I I love John's work sorry my dear xx

sorry

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Firstly let me say I really do enjoy John's previous books and this is the first of Kendall that I have listened to, I listened out of order but that is just how audible choose it.

The narrator is amazing - so easy to listen to, I will investigate more by him as well.

Although the title is epidemic, and is suitable but would have been easier to pick when it was written, now might put people off. DON'T. It is more about the investigation and how the murder is solved, the epidemic is just a side issue.
If I had one criticism, it is just about the access to the CEO. I struggled with that and how Kendall could just walk in for meetings etc. But I get that it was a plot device.

I was given a free copy of this audible by the author for a fair and impartial review which I have done so.

Don't be put off by the title - great crime listen

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Tom Kendall is a laid back private eye who'd rather be eating than sleuthing. Fortunately, his secretary, Mollie, is determined to keep him healthy not only by controlling, to a deree, his food intake and making him exercise but also by ensuring he actually take on cases. So when Kendall is approached by the mother and brother of journalist, Richard Dawson, who had recently died from a brutal head injury, it is Mollie who is adamant he look into the pronounced accidental death believed by them to be a murder.Set against the background of a new strain of inf!uenza, the Rican virus, which is spiralling the worl, Kendall reluctantly begins his investigations and uncovers coincidences - he never liked coincidences - which lead him to believe that mother and brother just might have been right after all. Just as Mollie had insisted.

Told mostly from Tom's perspective, the reader rides inside the detective's head as he maintains an inner monologue , questioning himself and the actions of others, 'Wouldn't she?' and, 'Didn't they?' which make him feel very human. His husband and wife interaction with his sensible secretary also make them both come alive as, Columbo-like, Tom asks his questions. Interleaved with the detective work are news headlines detailing the pathway of the ever expanding new 'flu virus, quoting numbers and countries in a straight forward way.

Both of the two main protagonists - sharp as a button, Maggie and her lazy but, once roused, determined P.I.boss, are wonderfully characterized and the reader is not excluded from any of the conversations between Tom and his interviewees. Narrator, Mark Sando, has the perfect lagubrious easy reading style to further capture Tom's personality; pleasantly voiced and with good intonation, he is a pleasure to hear.

I very much enjoyed this book, both story line and, especially, the protagonists. My only somewhat cynical reservation was the niggling voice as the back of my head which kept doubting that countries and the World Health Organization would ever react so efficiently against a flu like infectious illness which not only travels slowly through the public but also kills only a small proportion of those who contract it. Newspapers of course, will headline anything.

Epidemic is a slow burn, methodical detective story with more interest in people than action. Simply delicious. And recommended.

A few loose ends to tie up.

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I didn't like this book, its really not my sort of story and didn't enjoy it at all 3 out of 5

Epidemic review

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The plot, a virus let loose by a greedy pharmaceutical company, is certainly one for our times, although the process of drug R&D, as depicted here, is somewhat compressed to suit the narrative. The central character, a reporter, spends much time drumming his fingers on tables and mumbling as on moving the plot along. Not enough thinking is allowed for the reader to do as information and clues are repeated time and again. A potentially interesting crime story let down by not enough editing and respect for the readers intelligence.

A Good Story In Need of an Editor

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Listener received this title free



I love John's books. This one is no exception. A murder to cover up the origin of the epidemic. Very apt.

enjoyable

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