Plague by Lisa C. Hinsley

Last month the folks over at Pocket Star, Simon & Schuster's eBook imprint, released Lisa C. Hinsley's novella Plague. The description called it a thriller in the vein of Contagion... so of course I had to read it!

Maybe not the best book choice while still suffering from an epic cold turned sinus infection but I finally dug it out of the digital TBR pile last night and dove in. And it's a whammy of a read! Brutal both in terms of gory description and heartwrenching emotion, Plague is a terrifying premise.

London has been hit by a deadly new strain of bubonic plague. Antiobiotic resistant, the outbreak has proved to be 100% fatal. At first, authorities are able to keep the outbreak fairly low key by claiming that it's been limited to the southern areas. Certain that it hasn't reached their neighborhood, Liz and Johnny at first believe that their young son, Nathan, is suffering from a cold. When his neck begins to swell, however, Liz can no longer hide from the truth: her son has the plague. Now the family has been forcibly quarantined in their home as they count down their son's final days and wait to catch it themselves. 

This is a short read that takes place of the span of just a few days. It really is a scary story especially considering I do live in an area that's still affected by what most consider to be a medieval contagion. And it's true that there are still fatalities due to plague even today, minimal as they may be.

Hinsley very quickly sets the tone and pacing of the book, moving right into the action so to speak. And since the infection progresses so quickly, the pacing is pretty breakneck. But the main focus of the story is the impact this has on the family. Liz and Johnny and Nathan have so little time left together once the infection begins and Hinsley quite impressively portrays the emotions at play. I think it makes Plague an incredibly intense read that definitely makes Hinsley one to watch.

Hinsley's next book, The Ultimate Choice, is due out from Pocket Star in February. In the meantime, I have to recommend Plague to anyone in search of a great (nightmarish) night's read!

Rating: 4/5