Writers, filmmakers and game creators have long explored the idea of a world-changing pandemic (wait no longer!). Amanda Bridgeman’s fast-paced novel Pandemic: Patient Zero is a tie-in to the popular ‘Pandemic’ role-playing board game released nearly a decade ago. Written in 2019, publication was held back while the global community fought the real thing.
Bridgeman does an excellent job of creating interesting backstory to deliver the first of a series of standalone novels that extend the gameboard world. She aligns the format with ensemble-style forensic TV shows like CSI, developing diverse and realistic characters into an international virus-hunting team that can spring into action to save the world.
Even if you’re weary of all things pandemic, this book is a well-researched and fascinating insight into the world of epidemiology. Incorporating sufficient science for credibility, Bridgeman weaves exotic locales and suspenseful action into a page-turning thriller that provides an intriguing perspective on the challenge to manage a lethal virus outbreak.