Reaper

By Ben Mezrich

Book Overview

From New York Times bestselling author Ben Mezrich, a fast-paced techno-thriller about a biological virus that spreads electronically.

In Boston, nine lawyers on a conference call suddenly convulse with pain, turn chalk white, and die. In Vermont, a young woman watching her favorite sitcom meets the same grisly fate, as does a group of sewer workers in Washington, D.C. Whatever has killed these people is spreading fast, and the task of eradicating it falls to young virologist Samantha Craig and paramedic Nick Barnes, whose brilliant surgical career was ruined by a crippling hand injury.

When Nick and Samantha discover that the virus, named Reaper, is spread through TVs and PCs, they realize that the information superhighway will become a killing field, with tens of millions dead, unless they can root Reaper out.

Their search employs a dazzling array of real-life wizardry, from Mylar body paint to Stealth helicopters to CIA-bred swarms of insects. At the core of Reaper's madness, they find a suavely megalomaniacal, up-from-the-slums, high-tech billionaire, an icily ingenious hacker, and a high-powered cabal that will do anything to save the world from technology, even if that means annihilating the world.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061097187
• ISBN13: 9780061097188
• Release Date: October 1998
• Publisher: HarperTorch
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Superb! Medical Thriller Meets Technology

Ben Mezrich, who wrote Threshold, does a fantastic job on Reaper. He uses smart language, and the book just flows. This was the definitely one of the best books I've ever read! I could not put it down from page 1. With brutally clear details, you'll think twice before turning on your TV or computer.

it was absolutely terrific

I loved the Reaper. The characters had personaltities that went right along with the plot. I love genetic novels, and this was one of the best. it is second only to Mount Dragon by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. If you thought this book was good, you should read that!

Couldn't Put It Down! This Author Rocks!

This book was great. So great, I practically read it in only two days. It was absolutely suspensful, and absolutely terrifying; definately satisfying. Some people said it was full of cliches. Bull! I guess I wasn't looking for mistakes, and just enjoying the book too darn much.

UNBELIEVABLE -- THIS GUY IS A GENIUS

Ben Mezrich is a national treasure. -- Jon Beckerman

One of the first books of 1997 I couldn't put down!

This author is one of the best in my estimation and I hope we'll hear more from him in the future. His characters were well-rounded and intelligent, his medical descriptions were formed in an understandable way to lay-persons and the suspense was incredible. As a heavy reader of many genres, I was mightily impressed that he could "suspend my disbelief" in this unusual tale of an electron virus. The only part I could say was a bit off-putting, was Samantha Craig's problem with anorexia. I do not find this a sympathetic disease, (it's too close to suicide) and did not see it move the story forward-backward-or sideways.The best part of the story is that there is actually a male hero in it. No superwoman heroine. Publishers take note (from a female reader). I LIKE MALE HEROES. I don't HAVE to identify with the women in fiction. And that's all you see lately. Let's get some more male heroes like Nicholas Barnes. To the author: Keep writing! I'll look for your next one. You did some great writing and I liked your plot and how you resolved the story.