The Jakarta Pandemic: A Modern Thriller

Alex Fletcher, Book 1

By: Steven Konkoly

Narrated by: John David Farrell

Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Cases of a highly lethal virus appear in major cities around the globe. Most ignore the warning signs.

Alex Fletcher, Iraq War veteran, has read the signs for years. With his family and home prepared to endure an extended period of seclusion, Alex thinks he's ready for the pandemic. He's not even close. The unstoppable H16N1 virus rapidly spreads across the United States, stretching the fragile bonds of society to the breaking point. Schools close, grocery stores empty, fuel deliveries stop, hospitals start turning away the sick...riots engulf the cities. As hostility and mistrust engulfs his idyllic Maine neighborhood, Alex quickly realizes that the H16N1 virus will be the least of his problems.

The Alex Fletcher books (in order):

1. The Jakarta Pandemic, Book One
2. The Perseid Collapse, Book Two
3. Event Horizon, Book Three
4. Point of Crisis, Book Four
5. Dispatches, Book Five

Steven's novels are recommended for fans of Brad Thor's Scot Harvath, Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp, Brad Taylor's Pike Logan, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, Lee Child's Jack Reacher, Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne, L.T. Ryan's Jack Noble, C.G. Cooper's Daniel Briggs, Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon, and Mark Greaney's Gray Man.

©2010 Stribling Media (P)2019 Stribling Media

Good but

I disliked how the wife was treated by the author. For a husband who we are supposed to believe is always prepared, keeping his key partner in the dark the way Alex did was a recipe for disaster. In that sort of situation allowing your spouse to remain woefully ignorant of potential danger would be horrible.

And her use of the walkie talkie just to "check up on him" would have been stopped by anyone in real fear of their lives. She was one misplaced "I love you be careful" from getting him shot while he was hiding. Overall, even with those things considered it was a good book.

Very near reality, a good preparation for today

The Jakarta Pandemic is thought-provoking. Not your run of the mill thriller formula, it keeps you at the edge of your seat. The pacing feels a little off because it isn't a standard formulaic thriller, but the aspects of reality regarding the situation in which we find ourselves today can be fruitful as well as harrowing.

Good story.

Entertaining. Worst gun battle ever written. Writers need to understand guns and tactics if they’re going to write stories like this.

Gun Crazy

I do not like the extensive use of guns as the story. However, when seconds count, the police were hours away in this story. There is no alternative to the use of deadly force to protect self, family, and community against those with no regard for the rights of others. As a result of reading this work, I have become a gun owner and am stockpiling essential supplies for any future disaster. I am a liberal who believes in civil rights; I don’t understand why many liberals oppose the gun culture. It is not a liberal/conservative issue.

Alex Is An Idiot!

Overall a very good story...

But the protagonist Alex Fletcher comes off like a buffoon for the sake of moving the story forward.

As things progressed I constantly found myself yelling at my player "WHAT?! Why are you doing/saying that??!!!!" It's these stupid "mistakes" that further the tale though.

While frustrating it doesn't deter from a good story. More of a TEOTWAWKI story than I was anticipating. Lots of good prepper discussion; I'd just note Alex's mistakes and try not to repeat them!

Great read, the Fletcher story begins

I really enjoyed most of book. The characters are well done and the situations and reactions seem very human.

I feel the pacing isn't as good as some of the other books by Konkoly, and there were times where I felt like I was spending minutes on non-value added fluff.

Overall it is a great addition to the post-Apoc genre. I am generally sad to say I am up to date on following Alex Fletcher's story, and look forward to any other offerings from Konkoly in this genre.

Underwhelming

I hated the story and struggled to finish, too slow with lots of irrelevant content and a thoroughly unlikable hero with zero gumption.

This book is just above a stinker.

The protagonist is a good prepper, an ex-marine, and pretty much an idiot in all other areas needed for survival.

Near the end I was hoping he'd get shot.

good

could not put it down loved it can't wait to read the next four books