Patient Zero

The Joe Ledger Novels, Book 1

By: Jonathan Maberry

Narrated by: Ray Porter

Length: 14 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

From multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning author Jonathan Maberry comes a major new thriller that combines the best of the New York Times best-selling books World War Z by Max Brooks and James Rollins’ Sigma Force Series to kick off the start of a new series featuring Joe Ledger and the Department of Military Sciences.

When you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week there’s either something wrong with your world or something wrong with your skills - and there’s nothing wrong with Joe Ledger’s skills. And that’s both a good and a bad thing. It’s good because he’s a Baltimore detective who has just been secretly recruited by the government to lead a new task force created to deal with the problems that Homeland Security can’t handle. This rapid-response group is called the Department of Military Sciences, or the DMS for short. It’s bad because his first mission is to help stop a group of terrorists from releasing a dreadful bioweapon that can turn ordinary people into zombies. The fate of the world hangs in the balance.

Jonathan Maberry is the New York Times best-selling and multiple Bram Stoker Award–winning author of Ghost Road Blues, the first of a trilogy of thrillers with a supernatural bite. A professional writer and writing teacher, he has sold more than 1.000 articles, 17 nonfiction books, six novels, and two plays.

©2009 Jonathan Maberry (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Brilliant, shocking, horrifying, it puts the terror back in terrorist.” (James Rollins, New York Times best-selling author)

“Plenty of man-to-zombie combat, a team traitor and a doomsday scenario add up to a fast and furious read.” ( Publishers Weekly)

"Jonathan Maberry has found a delightful voice for this adventure of Joe Ledger and his crew: while the action is heated, violent, and furious, the writing remains cool, steady, and low-key, framing all the wildness and exuberance in a calm rationality (given an almost comic edge) that renders it as palatable as your favorite flavor of ice cream." (Peter Straub)

one of the best zombie books ever

could not stop listening literally listen from start to finish without stopping worth every penny

Patient Zero was a great listen

I really enjoyed this book. I had trouble turning it off at times because I was so into it. Narrator was great and he did a great job with the voice of the many characters in this book. Definitely worth a listen.

Homeland Security meets Night of the Living Dead

Jonathan Maberry delivers an almost punishingly awesome adventure. Joe Ledger is a Baltimore cop with some pretty bad problems, but usually that's ok. Until the day he has to face down a man he's already killed once. Suddenly he's catapulted into the world of the DMS; Department of Military Science, a shadowy orginazation that answers directly to the president & protects the country from unimaginable terrorist threats. Like, as it might be, zombies. But there is nothing hokey or shambling about the creatures Joe Ledger and his team take down. These are monsters from our darkest nightmares.
Ray Porter provides the voice of our hero and does an amazing job. His ability to slip in and out of the many characters is almost magical. And his characterization of Joe gives me a friendly voice to get me through the terror induced by Maberry's heart stopping plot.

Great Book

i enjoy every moment in this book. i would love to see Tom Hanks play Mr. Church in the movie vision.

This! Must have Moooooaaaar!!

Secret government agencies, mysterious characters, excellent narration, and lots of zombies - not really much more you could ask for here! Some of the best narration I've heard in a long time, a solid collection of characters, and plot twists that definitely will keep you guessing! Was a great listen and I'm really looking forward to book 2!

excellent listen

best narration. very detailed. I usually listen to and from work but this one I listened every chance I got!

Not your average Zombie book!

I am not sure why I waited so long to listen to this book. I think at the time I was saturated with stories from the zombie genre. I just couldn't imagine how someone could tell a unique tale that wouldn't be the same old same old. Finally, after months of this book popping up in my recommendations, I decided to heed the ratings and reviews and give it a listen. Man, am I glad that I did! This is not your average Zombie book. I am not even sure if it is a zombie book. In any case, it sent me on a binge listening spree of The Joe Ledger Novels. Here is what I loved:

1.) You can't ignore the amazing performance of Ray Porter. He can make a technical book sound riveting (and he has)! As Joe Ledger, he embodies the complexity and depth of the character. His narration drips with emotion like a method actor at his finest. Further, his dynamic range in unmatched. I tried to count once how many "voices" Ray had. I supposed that he recycled a few, but I am hard pressed find exact matches in the characters he narrates. For example, Rudy's voice *could be borrowed from his narration of the Don Winslow books, but it's not! I could go on forever about the talents of Mr. Porter, but let's just end by saying that his knowledge of other languages, dynamic range to narrate both male/female/child characters, and full embodiment of the characters emotions make him unmatched as a narrator.

2) Jonathan Maberry is an amazing writer. Plot aside, his use of imagery and analogy is excellent. In these types of books, it is easy to regurgitate the same language as other action authors; however, it is like Maberry comes up with his own language to illustrate the action, inner conflict, and overall storytelling. After listening for five or more Ledger books, I never get tired of his writing. In fact, I sometimes pause the books and replay the last few sentences because the imagery is so unique and beautiful.

3) The plot of this and other Ledger books is extremely creative and unique. I mean, who comes up with this stuff?! The way he tells the story is also unique as the plot crescendoes at a different point than most authors. It is often right before most authors would reach the climax. However, this shows that Maberry uses violence to illustrate plot points and not to be the center of it. The theme of the books are also very complex and much deeper than just an action thriller. I mean deep!

4) Now for Captain Ledger - He is probably one of the most complex characters I have ever known, and I have read Don Winslow books, Lee Child, Bernard Cornwell, Vince Flynn, and Pierce Brown. Ledger ranks up there in my favorites with Uhtred of Bebbanburg, Mitch Rapp, and Darrow of Lykos. And if those names ring a bell with you, then you should be reading the Joe Ledger series if you haven't already! I like the depth of Ledger and his admission that he is a flawed hero, almost an anti-hero. His inner conflict and dialogue is mesmerizing. As an action hero, he is one-of-a-kind... perhaps I like him because he is a practitioner of jiu-jitsu! Overall, I love his "fight to win" mantra and his smartass quips.

Overall, if you are an action novel buff, science nerd, or Ray Porter fan, this series is for you! And while this is not a zombie book/series, it's got that too! #JoeIsMyHero #MaberryIsDaMan #PorterPerforms #NotYourAverageZombieBook #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

Zombies in the Making

modern-day zombies vs the latest technology. Seems plausible with scenarios presented. Rambo like characters can be a bit much and also a bit lucky in their confrontations. Entertaining overall.

Great sci fi drama

I really enjoyed this book. One of the best I've read in the past few months. It kept my interest from the beginning and I didn't want to stop until I got to the end. Also the scientific information was really good.

Enjoyable

This is a kind of mix of super soldier and zombie genres. It was well written, and although over the top at times, the characters were interesting. The voice actor is excellent.