THE VACCINE

A deadly virus plagues the planet, and the only effective vaccine may never see the light of day in this dystopian medical thriller from Riaz.

In a nod to Nazi physician Josef Mengele, the infamous Angel of Death, the “menglavirus” makes Covid seem like the common cold, and it threatens to wipe out the entire world with its fatal strains. A small pharmaceutical lab called Riogenrix has released to the public an effective vaccine thanks to the genius of Dr. Harrison Boyd; meanwhile, big pharma’s efforts at inventing a vaccine have failed completely. Yet suddenly the FDA mysteriously decides to block the continuing trial process of Riogenrix’s vaccine. Coincidentally, powerful Sen. Scott Spaulding has inserted himself into the process: He has his eye on the White House, naturally. He wants to use the vaccine to further his political ambitions. And then there’s Gregory Miller, failed doctor and pharmaceutical spy who may or may not be working for Spaulding. Miller is brilliant but bitter to the point of insanity. Riaz is a doctor and knows all the expected medical lingo. He’s particularly good at creating rich characters with complex backstories and intriguing private lives: He doesn’t skimp on their human dimensions, which is the mark of a savvy novelist. His hero, Harrison, is a decent man but conflicted because he was forced to emotionally neglect his family while creating the vaccine. Miller’s personal story is that he has nurtured a grudge for over 20 years—and this eats at him every waking hour. All these characters come across as easy to identify with, and the refreshingly original ending is far from the tidy closure that mystery readers have come to expect.

An intricately plotted and fast-paced thriller from a medical expert who knows the territory.