A Heartbeat Away

As a critical care RN, I can see this being an easy reality. Americans need to realize how easily this could happen anywhere and anytime. As a work of fiction -- excellant

Robert Petkoff reads the book quite well, which I enjoyed. He was able to provide some very distinct voices for each character that did not feel forced or too heavy-handed. The book itself is a fantastic idea that I loved at first but the more this book goes on the more giant - gaping - holes in the overall story. I do not want to spoil anything but will say there are times when I just shook my head and thought "Really? Did he really just write that?". The two main characters in the book are great separately but there is a very obvious love story that just was just plain silly and thinking back on it just makes me whince. I am giving this book two stars because I liked the narrotor, pacing and some of the characters but really cannot recommend it.

I hate to write a lukewarm review, but I'm sorry to say that I liked this book about as much as coming down with the flu. I don't mind suspending reality here and there, but this book was almost completely unbelievable. I've liked Michael Palmer in the past, so maybe it was just my impatience with the far-fetched details, but I have to admit that long before Part 2 I started skipping from segment to segment just to see if it "grabbed" me somewhere before the end....unfortunately I "skimmed" my way to the gratuitously happy ending. I wish I hadn't used a credit for it....

Entertaining, interesting, and exciting.

When they discovered the living person from the research trials. It gave hope and continued excitement to the story.

He was clear, consistent, and showed emotion / excitement without over doing it.

Scientific thriller that could actually happen anytime and anywhere in our present world.

Great story line and plenty of excitement.

Even though this book has a totally absurd story line, I enjoyed listening to it mostly because of Robert Petkoff's narration. He is very skilled at doing different voices and accents and made it very easy to discern who is speaking. Though his portrayal of the President was way too stern and harsh and I loved when he had the main female character scream! As for the book itself, this was my first Michael Palmer book and I can't say I'm dying to read him again. The idea was a good one but there were many holes in the story and the plot is so ridiculous and outlandish that it is hard to commit to. I had hoped that Palmer would resolve it in a way that was semi-believable - but no luck!

I could always count on Palmer to write a decent medical thriller. Granted, some of his previous story lines were a stretch, but they were good for a fast paced, decent listen. This book, however, borders on the ridiculous. It's as if he watched one too many episodes of "24", and decided to one up that idea with bad dialog and uninteresting characters. Really, I would skip this one.

First listen of Michael Palmer, the story at times seemed a liitle far fetched but kept my attention the narration was great, love Robert Petkoff.

This was an unfortunate choice but what is worse, I listened to all of it. I suppose that the book has some merit to the extent it kept me onboard for the entire time but there were literally times when I wished the book had been just a little worse (so I'd quit listening) or a whole lot better. The real disease wasn't the virus released in the Capitol but rather the shallow characters, predictability and thin plot line.

Good reading and will enjoy it. I recommend it to you - it is worth your time and money.

This is more of a "medical" adventure with a out of control plague threatening everyone. I guessed the ending way before I should have.