A Heartbeat Away [Bargain Price] [Hardcover]

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

A Heartbeat Away [Bargain Price] [Hardcover]

Product Details

Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (February 15, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 031258752X
ASIN: B004Z8MIFS
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

By : Michael Palmer
List Price : ~~$27.99~~
Price : $9.55
You Save : $18.44 (66%)

Customer Reviews

I've read each of Michael Palmer's books, and from the first scene of A Heartbeat Away I was thinking "This one's his best." When I turned the last page and my heart stopped racing, I hadn't changed my opinion.
During the President's State of the Union address, a terrorist releases a bio-agent in the chamber with potentially fatal consequences, and the only man who can save the group is a scientist the President has had locked away for treason.
The characters are well-drawn, the action is fast-paced, and unfortunately the scenario is believable. I'll say it again. This is Palmer's best so far.

If you like one dimensional characters, an improbable series of action scenes, formulaic plotting and an predictable ending, then this one's for you. I thought that a 4 star average on Amazon indicated a potential good read, but it doesn't. Apparently good scientific information, but overshadowed by a pedestrian style of writing. It had all the basics: scheming politicians, scheming businessmen, righteous scientists, evil scientists, a crusading reporter, love interests and life and death decisions. But with these ingredients, the result is less than the sum of its parts.