The Manhattan Project by Paul McNeive

Bioterrorism. Real. Invisible. Devastating. And it's taking New York by storm. With its insatiable hunger for fast food, easy fixes and life lived at breakneck speed, the city that never sleeps is hurtling towards disaster. Now John Wyse, an ordinary New York cop, looks set to be the only person who can thwart catastrophe on an apocalyptic scale ... New York City is under attack. Millions may die. But the enemy's weapons are invisible, undetectable and creating terror at lightning speed. Now, there's nothing to stand in their way ... A Hiroshima survivor turned criminal mastermind A pharma industry riddled with corruption A Libyan entrepreneur coerced by threats to his family A New York cop falling fast for an elusive beauty A visitor to Tokyo from the mountains of Afghanistan One terrible desire for revenge connects them all. With the clock ticking on an audacious, devastating plot to bring America to its knees, can anyone save New York from catastrophe? PRAISE FOR THE MANHATTAN PROJECT 'Paul McNeive takes a very real worldwide medical problem and turns it into a disturbingly plausible thriller that builds to an edge-of-your-seat climax. Altogether a compelling read!' - Robert Goddard, author of The Wide World trilogy 'With an extraordinary, original and well-researched plot, contemporary themes, action, twists and turns, The Manhattan Project has all the ingredients of an international bestseller.' - Glenn Meade, New York Times bestselling author of The Romanov Conspiracy 'With a plot as fast-paced as the writing - bioterrorism meets big pharma - and a storyline stretching from Japan through the Middle East to the USA, The Manhattan Project is a cracking debut thriller. Guaranteed to be read in an all-night sitting!' - Paul Carson, author of Inquest 'The Manhattan Project, a brilliant debut novel, starts as a slow-burn and quickly ignites into a fast-paced biological disaster facing the citizens of New York.' - John McAllister, author of The Station Sergeant trilogy 'For anyone who likes their books big, blistering and utterly compulsive, this is the read for you. It is explosive, addictive and ultimately very satisfying. There's a new boy in town - at last an heir to Tom Clancy.' - Doreen Finn, author of My Buried Life

Review originally posted at A Reading Brit.

The Plot
The plot is what makes this book so damn good. It's a slow-burner at the start. You read a lot about them planning whatever they are going to do, and you read about it for a while before you even realise they're really planning to do anything. It's not ‘til a good few chapters in that the plan is even mentioned. And what a plan it is. It's scarily believable. More terrifying than any horror I've ever read. It's so easy to see this happening in real life that it's disturbing. The build-up and planning we see is where this really excels. The author thought of every little thing, right down to getting people to open and close curtains in hospital wards. As the attack began to approach, the tension ramped up, until it hit boiling point. Once we reached that stage, I couldn't put it down, and read it straight through until I'd finished it.

The World
This is set in the modern-day real world. Within the first two chapters, you're dropped into a graphic description of children's charred bodies, still swinging on their swings when the nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. This was eye-opening. I, of course, knew of Hiroshima, and what happened, but never considered it right down to your average family, on a human level. It was disturbing, as it should be, and I admit, it hooked me. After reading about those children, and imagining what must've been happening throughout the rest of the city, the need for revenge for the antagonist becomes a lot clearer. The novel is split between multiple different locations, but most of the time is spent in New York, where the whole plan for revenge is happening.

The Characters
John Wyse

The main protagonist in this. An NYPD detective, with an alcoholic partner, and a new girlfriend. He's not got the best, most amazing well-built personality out there, but I don't think this book is so much about the characters. It's more about the story and the warning. Despite that, John is interesting to read about as he begins to piece together what is happening in New York. I also enjoyed the fact he didn't really get his happily ever after. So often, these books can end with the main character walking away happy, partner on their arm, with no residual effects from whatever trauma they've been through. John doesn't get away that easy.

Tsan Yohoto
The antagonist. The big bad guy that came up with this whole plot to kill thousands of Americans using their own consumerism and obsession to both health-fads and fast food against them. His motives are clear, and his cold, calculating personality comes across well, and very creepily. He talks about annihilating Americans without the blink of an eye, and he does it well. I don't want to say much more, at the risk of spoilers, but this guy is a great antagonist, and probably the most well-developed and thought-out character in this book.

Would I read it again? If I want to be creeped out by antibiotic resistance, sure. I mean, it's re-readworthy, but I'm not sure the subject matter is something I want to think about too much!

Would I recommend it? Yes, for sure. I think it's a book that a lot of people could read, just as a lesson on finishing their course of antibiotics, and not insisting the doctor give them antibiotics to solve something that doesn't need it.

Is it going on my favourites shelf? Not quite. And it's not out of the fact the book isn't good, the book is amazing. I just prefer books with more focus on people, and characters, and this wasn't that.