The First Horseman

John Case

Sep 2008 · Random House

About this ebook

In the Book of Revelations, the Four Horsemen herald the arrival of the Apocalypse. When the First Horseman thunders forth, pestilence will spread throughout the land. For the First Horseman is Plague... The Spanish Flu killed thirty million people worldwide in 1918. Now, with history threatening to repeat itself, a scientific expedition speeds toward a remote island in the Arctic Sea to recover strains of the lethal virus preserved under layers of ice. For Washington Post reporter Frank Daly, it is the story of a lifetime. But his plan to join the expedition is ruined by a ferocious storm that delays him. And when he meets up with the ship upon its return to port in Norway, it is clear that something has gone terribly wrong. Fear haunts the faces of the crew. No one will talk. And someone wants Daly to stop asking questions. But if there's a wall around the facts, Daly will batter it down. Persistent and resourceful, he knows how to get answers when none are given. Yet the more he uncovers, the more dangerous the stakes become. Until at last he comes face-to-face with a shocking secret, pitching him into a harrowing race to prevent nothing less than... apocalypse.

Ratings and reviews

This book had the potential to become an award winning novel. But then the author had to stuff up any chance of a good story with crudity and foul language. I could not get past a page without being interrupted by swear words or some sordid idea on how life should be lived. John Case, or whoever you are, congratulations on tripping over your own dirt. You never made it to the finish line.

About the author

John Case is the pseudonym for the husband and wife writing team of Jim and Carolyn Hougan, both published authors in their own right. After Carolyn died in 2007, Jim left Washington and now lives in Aston, Virginia. For many years Jim Hougan has been a journalist specialising in intelligence issues. He has published widely in the field and has made several accalimed documentaries for US programmes including 60 Minutes. John Case is the author of six thriller novels including the New York Times bestseller, The Genesis Code.