A Post-Apocalyptic Medical Thriller Fiction Series (The Pandemic Series Book 1)

Bobby Akart is my favorite author of this genre. His writing is intelligent and well crafted. As a medical professional, I was impressed with his scientific accuracy. I would say that he's the Tom Clancy of Dystopian Fiction. The protagonists are well-developed and the plot is entirely plausible. What is more,....it's actually edited!! I can't wait for books 2, 3 & 4 to be released.

I stopped reading this book due to the negative view on Islam. While their are radical islamic terroists they should be separated from muslims who just want to live peaceful lives. I would not recommend this book for young adults.

Not by an ID doc
Good story line and characterizations. Some serious scientific and medical errors, on top of some minor editing problems led to my 4 instead of 5 rating will still read next in series.

I made it through 23% of this book before deciding it's not worth my time, even though I don't currently have another book waiting. Being without a book downloaded and ready to go is a minor catastrophe in my world, so I really tried to keep going with this one, but just couldn't.

I found myself getting impatient with the storyline, which is remarkably similar to those of other pandemic thrillers - except more simplistic than most, and with more errors. The writing is boilerplate and the characters are predictable stereotypes - so much so that I double checked to make sure I hadn't already read this book. I kept wanting to skip ahead to find something I wasn't already familiar with.

I'm enough of a reading junkie that I STILL might have continued. The last straw was Akart's failure to differentiate between radical Islamic terrorists and Islam. Maybe it wasn't his intent, but lumping millions of peace loving Muslims together with ISIS is idiotic. The level of intellect this suggests makes me doubt the remaining 77% of this book could be any better.

There’s a lot of potential here, but the writing is not very good. It takes too much of a textbook mode when talking about the science and the writing about the love interest is bad, unbelievable, and distracts from the main storyline. There’s also a political agenda that distracts from the story and makes me not want t9 read. I will not be finishing the rest of the series. Overall, huge disappointment.

Note to self -- Stop reading Akart's books. Not much to these books, all four of them. Sick of Akart's lazy writing, i.e., "I am gonna leave now", "Do you wanna go now?", etc. This lazy writing makes Akart's books increasingly annoying as one reads the series. Now, the idea of the series is good, but I still cannot give more than two stars for any of the books in this series. I do not recommend of any Akart's books due to their shallow character development and the lazy writing.

A pandemic results from an enhanced Black Plague virus by ISIS is introduced in isolated regions of the world, and through government ineptitude and inaction around the world, eventually reaches the U.S. in spite of efforts by a woman form the CDC and a man from DOD. A cliffhanger ending

The only word that I could think of after reading this book is brilliant..That's how I feel about Mr. Bobby Akart's books...He has written many post apocalyptic books but I think by far this is the best series to come...Are you afraid of a sneeze, a cough, shaking someone's hand or hugging them....Believe me , I am now...Beginnings is a new series of books by Mr. Akart...It is about a plague that so far, cannot be cured...Millions will die, maybe even billions...Mr. Akart puts you inside the storyline..You become familiar with the strong characters..you laugh and cry with them...This story could happen, any day...What will you do if it comes to your town?...Scared me...This is a must read book...Loved it

5 Stars

WOW!! This one will leave you on the edge of your seats, and grabbing for the nearest bottle of sanitizer. Bobby Akart has outdone himself again. The Pandemic series is a must-read that will make you think about how often you come into contact with germs. And asking yourself if you wash your hands often enough. Grab your sanitizer and disinfectant and dive right into this great series.

A handshake, the pen on the credit card machine, the shopping cart handle at the big box store, a sneeze, or a child’s hug – all will leave you dead in about two weeks. Terrorism’s ugly step-sister just arrived in your neighborhood and she’s dressed to kill. Bobby Akart entertains and educates us with a story that could happen tomorrow.

Bobby Akart has done it again! The Pandemic Series is starting off full speed ahead with very realistic situations that definitely apply to today's world and environment -- hand to face contact every 4 hours - worldwide spread in a very short amount of time - a sneeze or a cough - a Pandemic contagion is a scary yet very real scenario for us today. I never realized the breadth of and how far reaching the contagions can spread and how easily it can happen. Thank you Bobby Akart for waking me up to a very real threat - which can be naturally occurring or man made! I know now that I need to amp up my game in preparing for such an event -- I am woefully underprepared for this one! So folks - climb aboard the Akart train and read this one! One of the best in this genre! Can't wait for #2 in the series! Well done! Well done!

My journey into the mind and writing of Bobby Akart have cemented my true adoration for this great author. I believe he captures what it means to be an informed writer, pushing aside the urge to write just for ratings and profit, and embracing the need to educate and inform his audience. I truly enjoying reading every book he has written. The reviews he receives are well deserved. I would encourage all of his readers to not just read his books once or twice, but multiple times. Each read will leave you with points you may not have noticed the first go-around. I also like how accessible he is via social media, by answering his fans directly and not through some intern or assistant providing form responses. He comes across as a humble man and his writing reflect this. Aspiring to say the least not only as an author, but as an individual. This book will leave you wanting more, just like all of his books. When a series ends you're left wanting more and more. His breadth of understanding is fantastic and like his other works, this book; while heavy on facts and technical information, isn't beyond the scope of many to grasp and understand. You not only get to take a journey with Bobby Akart, you get to learn at the same time.

I just finished another great book by Mr. Akart while watching thousands of people wade through the septic soup brewed by hurricane Harvey. You have to wonder what is microscopicily (sp ?) growing in this toxic environment? I shudder to think about the future repercussions when small wounds are invaded with MRSA, tetanus, worms, fecal matter, et al.
If this book doesn't scare you, you best read it again as all the events described are well within the realm of reality. Where I live in Florida, we are regularly warned about swimming in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico because of outbreaks of some fatal flesh eating bacteria.
Pay attention to this series and pray that the author is exaggerating the possibility of a global pandemic, but I don't think that he is.

So real , with events that have already happened making it so intriguing , Book shows what can happen , and be hidden until evil shows itself and can no longer be a cover up , A must read to make you aware

This book is definitely the start of one great series and I for one can't wait to read them all. Bobby Akart has done such an awesome job with this first book in what looks to be one super series, that I hope will have people counting the days until the release of book #2 "The Innocents". This first book "Pandemic: Beginnings: A Post-Apocalyptic Medical Thriller Series" was the best and I loved it. With Mac & Hunter doing all they can to find out the how and why of this viruses implementation, it becomes seen, they then will need to find out if it can even be stopped. Any book or stories that start with a pandemic is always at the top of my list and once anyone reads this, I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did and are also biting their nails for the next book in this series.

Wow, what a book! Bobby Akart's stunning new series really starts off with a bang. The characters are so well written, you really feel like you've known them forever. I read this book in one sitting and it left me wanting more. Can't wait for the next in the series!!

I just finished this book in three work days, meaning I was reading it every waking non-working minute including at mealtimes. I have worked in the medical field for nearly 50 years including a microbiology lab where we grew Petri dishes of dangerous bacteria in order to identify them and recommend which antibiotics might work best. I have since worked in several biotech companies and have been inside a BSL3 research lab plus several animal labs including one primate facility. As such, I found 99% of this book to be spot-on, well detailed, and scarily believable... so the one jarring error the author made repeatedly came as a real surprise: Y. pestis (plague) is a bacteria, yet he often refers to it as a virus! Yes, sometimes he gets it right, but a chapter later there is "the plague virus" again. I do hope that in the next edition Mr. Akart will correct this error. Oh, and as a happy transplant to Texas, the lovely tree on Mr. Hunter's estate is a "Crepe myrtle"... not "Crape"... I pondered for a moment whether he had misplaced an e or simply added one?

Bobby Akart fans have come to expect exciting books from him. This start of a new series does not disappoint. It's off in a different direction from his last series . It's a well written book with characters easy to love and villains you'd love to chunk a rock at. Bobby develops his characters well and you'll feel you know them after a few chapters.
This book shines a light on a possible scenario that could easily take place. Application of a few elements in the right place at the right time and there you have it.
You fellow readers will enjoy this book. It will keep you up and give you some "What If " thoughts.

Bobby Akart has done it again. First, his research on this subject is beyond outstanding. This book has made me think about the everyday activities and contact I have with people. A simple shopping trip to pick up groceries--what about the cart handle? Cashier? How much money has been touched and how many customers did they come in contact? Hey what about touching your mailbox to get your mail? That postal worker has been everywhere in the neighborhood. I definitely do not recommend reading this before going to sleep. It may give you nightmares. Thank you, Bobby, again for another ride down the rabbit hole.

I will never shake hands with anyone again. I will be known as a
really weird retired nurse. I will never greet anyone again with one of those Hollywood peeks on the cheek. Bobby this first book is so realistic that I may start looking for real estate in the mountains. Any good ideas? Pandemic is so realistic and possible that it could be the blueprint for the extinct extinction of our Earth as we know it. I hope that someone in Congress wakes up and begins to fund the CDC and other agencies to develop drugs that can fight and win . I know that there is a "bug" now in hospitals that in certain circumstances cannot be stopped. So when your Dr wants to send you home or do Day Surgery do it. Now Bobby, type faster I am stuck at home for at least another month. I need more scares and more romance between Mac and Hawk. I want to see them save our world.
Quickness please Mr Bobby.
Karen Burke

I read this book straight through until 3am! It pulls you in and you can't put it down. In seperate areas of the world a disease kills everyone that it comes in contact with. An epidemiologist from the CDC wants the President to warn the American public,but it's an election year and he doesn't want to do anything to jeopardize his reelection. Soon,he won't have to worry about the election.The disease,a genetically modified Pneumonic Plague becomes a Pandemic and our country begins to die like the rest of the world.But the most horrifying part about the disease...it's believed to be bioterrorism! the FINAL JIHAD enacted by ISIS. EXCITING book! I couldn't wait to download the 2nd book.

This is Bobby Akart's third series of world shattering events. What I like most is the way that Mr. Akart does such a huge amount of research and works that knowledge into his books and his characters. He has the talent to make his characters real and believable. You will live the lives of these people as they struggle to overcome so many huddles thrown at them as they travel Bobby Akart's mind. After all they are his creation. Created to give you and me outstanding reads. The first book "Beginnings" set the stage so well. Everyone on Bobby's facebook page cant wait for the next book to be released. I am one of those. You will enjoy this series, and if you have read the other two of Bobby's series you already know that.
go into kindle books and search "Bobby Akart" to find the other series. You read one book of his and you will want to read them all.

I'd had this sitting in my kindle unlimited library for a while, having downloaded it after enjoying another disease epidemic book. I completely forgot about it then while making space in my library figured I'd give it a go. WOW I'm glad I did! With my personal interest in disease epidemics and some professional experience in the area, I was very impressed with the accurate and well researched background to the story. The characters are relatable and likeable, facing plausible scenarios. It feels fast paced and exciting , and you see clues to what might happen. I felt on the edge of my seat! The author writes well and keeps you engaged in the story. Now I'm off to read book two!

I have followed Bobby's writing since the beginning and he just keeps getting better. I have noticed that he is able to develop the characters and plot without having to resort to using foul language. His characters continue to get more interesting and develop many traits that I myself can identify with. If this series does not turn you into a germaphobe than nothing will. I have balked at my wife as she has used napkins to handle salt and pepper shakers and such, but now.....
Cannot wait until the next release and to continue this scary ride into our hopefully nonexistent future.

I enjoyed this book. It is well written, provides extensive detail, and has well developed, likeable characters. However, I feel that the whole thing was a bit too drawn out. The fact that it took an entire book to get to the point of no return was frustrating for me. I found myself growing restless and borderline irritated as I made my way through the book. The fact that Mac explains the same things repeatedly, in detail, and the repetition of the Isis ideologies and such became almost mind-numbing. Yet despite all that, I'm still intrigued enough to keep reading. I suppose that is my primary reason for giving this book 4 stars instead of 3- it may have frustrated me but it still kept me reading.

Super entertaining bioligical apocalypse book with strong White fear leanings. If you want to get into the mind of a Rush Limbaugh fan that actually believes in science and mix it with a love of guns and unregulated state sanctioned violence, give this a read.

As a trained epidemiologist and a fan of the Plague game, the plot was appealing and story line intriguing. The peppering of extreme right propaganda by the author was just a slightly distasteful addition to an overall solid novel.

Mac was a bit one dimensional but not too much of a dude fantasy to be unappealing.

Excellent series! After finishing Beginnings, I worried that the following book may not be as good. No worries here. EVERY book in this series is awesome. It's like the movie Outbreak meets the book Patriot, only better! Loved the relationships and humor between the characters. PLEASE continue with the Pandemic series. This should be a movie, but only if Bobby Akart approves the script and casting.This series should come with a warning. Once you start reading, it's very difficult to stop.

Another great book by Bobby Akart. I have now read multiple books by Mr. Akart,and I have enjoyed every one of them. He takes what might seem like an improbable scenario and writes a story that shows just how plausible something like this can be. He scared me with his EMP series a little bit, and now this one with a Pandemic! I have to admit after reading this I realized I was washing my hands more often and being careful what I touched...good job getting people to think about this!

I'm not a science lover. However, the prospect of a worldwide contagion from an author I follow closely intrigued me. The writing is superb, with well-developed characters and a good rhythm to the storytelling. The only complaint I have is that it occasionally felt like a college paper written on diseases. I skipped quite a few paragraphs containing disease information that seemed extraneous. (Note: this could be because I don't care for science musings...) Regardless, I'm immediately starting the next book! I've already discussed this one & recommended it because the sheer terror of a disease of this nature terrifies me.

If you're writing a book about a bacterial pandemic, you should know the difference between viruses and bacteria. You should also know that no, the CDC does not use antibiotics like penicillin to directly treat viral infections (like Ebola), they use antivirals. This was a fundamental misunderstanding; he has incorrectly used "virus" at least a dozen times so far. It's clear the author knows very little about diseases but felt the need to write a book about them anyway.

Bobby has outdone himself this time! I expect a lot out of his books, but this one .... all I can say is - OMG! By far scarier than any of Stephen King's. Can't wait to read the next book in this series. Authors hope to make you think when you read their stories. But, when you read a book and it makes you change some of your day to day activities, then the author has exceeded the job. Reading is believing.... dare you ?

I have just finished reading Pandemic: Beginnings. This book switches back & forth from multiple geographic regions in the world giving a clear picture of the pandemic. It is not confusing. I can tell much research was involved in writing this book. I am ready for the next book, thank goodness, June is almost here. I have read all of Bobby Akart's series, plan to continue with this new one.

Lately I've had a difficult time finding well written books. Mr. Akart is an excellent thriller author. His books have entertaining storylines, enjoyable characters, and they are meticulously edited - so no time lost due to silly grammar and spelling errors. If you haven't read any of his books, you are missing excellent books.

Makenzie Hagan a doctor with the CDC, Nathan Hunter a officer with a special unit of the DOD, keep crossing paths until a spark flies, actually more than one spark, but they finally figure out they are working on the same case but in different ways. It seems her outbreak and his terrorist are linked but now the race is on to save the worlds population, and their selves.

This is a awesome book that is very entertaining but can also make you think if you are so inclined, and if you do will you still do the same things you have always done? Do you still shake hands, take your neighbors soup when they are sick with the flu, or even wipe your kids nose? Do you start stock piling water and food in a shelter, or just take things as they come? This book is well researched, action packed, and suspenseful right up until the end where you can't help but rush for the next to see what happens.

I had the audio version with narrators John David Ferrell and Kris Adams who tag teamed the male and female roles and brought the book alive, they were great, they made you part of the team like you were there with the guys helping them, providing cover, running tests, doing what needs to be done. And it was these fine narrators teamed with a really good author that made that possible.

There is no doubt that the fiction Bobby writes is something that can and inevitably will happen because of terrorists. Bobby has done an excellent job at showing us how crazy people can be and how they will do anything to destroy the world. Get ready for a series that will keep you on the edge of your seat and watching the news more carefully.

This strangely seemingly non fiction tale will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and even holding your breath as Bobby unfolds this fast paced tale. But you decide, do you really want to know about this possible real life scenario or is it better to listen to the msm and feel safe. Be ready, stay alive

This is definitely one of the better pandemic genre novels i have read. I burned through the pages, eager to see what happened next and there are still three books to go. Number two is on pre-order and i certainly recommend this to other readers who enjoy this genre though i may develop germaphobia after this ?

The Plague. Two words that cause the quickening of the heartbeat, rapid breathing and chaos! Will Mac,Janie and Hunter save the world? Or will ISIS have victory in the Final Jihad? The book is a true medical suspense/thriller!! Can't wait for book 2 in this series.

Audiobook was provided for review by AudioBookReviewer dot com.

A French scientist working in West Africa is kidnapped and made to work for his captors. Six months later people start dying in in small village in Guatemala, and soon after also in Greece. Dr.Mackenzie Hagan is in charge of this investigation, and she will soon learn that all these facts are related. Mac will try to find a way to fight what appears to be biological terrorism.

I always find medical thrillers amazing because what they describe feels so real. When I was listening to this audiobook I was imagining how plausible this was, and it was scary. Akart does not go very deep into the science behind but utilizes Mac to give clear explanations about how the plague works and the possible scenarios.

Mac is the main character in this story. She is good at what she does, but she is also funny, and has a human side always present in the story. There are several parts in the book, as the plague appears in several parts of the globe, but they are nicely tied together thanks to this character. There are a couple of important characters after Mac, and while they are less developed, I also found them realistic. The dialogs are well constructed and they feel natural and fluid.

I wanted to mention that this book, although it is not a short one, is just a first approach to the situation. We are left with a cliffhanger, which had me wanting to know more and how humanity was going to be saved from this.

There is some unjustified romance in this book, where the guy is nice, handsome and rich. This was uncalled for, in my opinion. And the fact that Mac at some point affirms that she believes in fate. For someone who does not, this sounds kind of hollow.

The type of narration in this book is called duet narration, in which the male narrator interprets male characters and the female narrator does female ones. While I am not a fan of dual narration (narrators taking turns in reading complete chapters), duet narration is something I can get used to, since the listener needs to pay less attention to which character is talking. The volume and transitions between both narrators were well done, and I did not notice any kind of the initial discomfort that I have had in other books. John David Farrell played well different voices, but his British accent did not convince me. Kris Adams has very good narration skills, but I felt that the female characters sounded quite similar (I had troubles discerning between Mac and Jeannie).

There is an incorrect pronunciation for Cerro de Muerte, using the Italian pronunciation instead of the Spanish. This is something that often happens in audiobooks. I just wish that narrators took the time to check pronunciation of words in other languages.

Another minor issue I found were two repeated sentences towards the end of the book, by Farrell (6:55:41 and 6:56:03).

I really enjoyed this audiobook, which I found scary at times. I would totally recommend it not only to medical thriller fans, but also anyone who enjoys a good thriller.

What a great first book in a series. The characters are extremely engaging and "real," there is plenty of action and the plot is both plausible and terrifying. Even the in depth scientific explanations kept my interest. Can't wait to jump into book 2!

I found Pandemic: Beginnings a fast paced, well written book with excellent real life situations to draw from. It is easy to imagine this book becoming a reality in todays society, with the availability of trans-continental travel so readily available. It is written for young adults as well as older readers and held my interest from page one. I read the entire book in one day, and I look forward to book two of the series.