Exposed

A Maggie O’Dell Novel

By Alex Kava

MIRABooks

ISBN: 9780778325574

332 Pages

It isn’t so much the actual acts of terrorism that makes Exposed by Alex Kava so chilling! It was, more, that the story setting was so real and vivid! A game of chance used to cover the personal actions of one man to murder those he hated! Innocent victims!

It was a routine morning and Maggie and other FBI agents were gathered to enjoy the doughnuts that were sitting waiting to be consumed. Maggie O’Dell was about to take her second bit when her boss, Assistant Director Cunningham stopped her. He pointed to a white envelope at the bottom of the box! The first thought: anthrax. Then other options were explored. “Mr. F.B.I. Man” was written in block print on its front. Inside, the note directed them: “There will be a crash today...”

Maggie’s partner Tully was late so O’Dell and Cunningham teamed to get to the given address, but it was not the place they had expected. It was a private home in a quiet neighborhood. They thought it was a mistake, especially when a young girl answered the door. Asking for her mother, they realized that the child looked neglected and was able to convince her, Mary Louise, that they were here to help her mother...

Maggie whispered they had four minutes left. But it wasn’t a bomb or explosives. They reached the bedroom where there was lots of visible blood surrounding Mary Louise’s mother. Maggie announced the situation; they needed a hazmat team. Mary Louise vomited and her mother was...”crashing...” Vomit and spittle flew everywhere—it had begun.

I was thoroughly caught up within this story by the time I had read this far! If you’re into forensic...anything...like I am, then reading and learning more about what happens to individuals who are exposed to some form of biological terrorism will find you as enthralled as I was. Both Maggie and Cunningham were exposed from the minute little Mary Louise had spewed vomit! The first thing that happened was, ironically, they were immediately sent to “the slammer.” The story then follows the activities of Maggie, even though quarantined, and other agents as they try to find who is responsible for what has happened.

There is an interesting little twist when the “employee” of the guilty party decides to be more creative than instructed in his delivery methods! This man had been reading true crime since he was little and he now used all the knowledge he had gained to copy those evil men who he had so long admired! The front cover excerpt from a forensic psychologist says it all: “Alex Kava knows the psychology of evil.”

I’m not quite sure why so many of us enjoy reading psychological suspense. For me, I think, it has to do with the constant reaffirmation of good over evil. Indeed Kava has created a strong female heroine that I quickly grew to admire. Certainly Maggie O’Dell novels have been added to my must-read list! Check Out Exposed by Alex Kava—her latest is certainly a winner!

G. A. Bixler

For Amazon Vine