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Thoroughly enjoyed the storyline. Interesting how David managed to introduce two separate worlds and leave the link between them in suspense until the end of the book. The book was easy to read and I also learnt a few snippets of Geological information. Looking forward to the next book.
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As an economic geologist myself, I enjoyed the manner in which James Buchanan, the exploration geologist, analyses the imperfect and incomplete evidence from afar to solve a puzzle that confounds local authorities who think about the situation that confronts them in a more conventional way. I found this cerebral thriller absorbing, particularly as I was familiar with many of the iconic American localities depicted in the novel. I also enjoyed the advent of a female Democratic President who succeeded the “problem Republican President” elected after Obama--one can only hope.
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This action-packed thriller is a really good read. Set in the near future, it is full of intrigue and very well written. A chance meeting occurs on a Qantas flight. James, a consultant exploration geologist returning to work in Tanzania meets Matt, a member of a newly formed United States BAT (anti-terrorist) Team. Matt returns to the US and subsequently, several traumatic events occur in various cities and there is much discussion between the BAT Team and the President of the United States as to the reasons for these events and who may be responsible. Are the plagues and other realistic incidents a result of natural catastrophes or are they man-made? Is there a religious terrorist element tied to the events? As the BAT Team investigates and news of the incidents spread across the world James and Matt make contact and discuss possible motives. Is it some type of Fear Campaign? Is it a man-induced issue? Are they natural catastrophes that are threatening our planet, or is the motive Economic Gain? The characters are very real and the story keeps you guessing. There are surprises throughout.
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I loved this book. It's a great story keeping you guessing right till the end. The two heroes were very likeable in their different ways, and the reader's interest was kept at a maximum through realistic descriptions of far-flung places and interesting facts about geology. I also liked the way there were stories within the story, but the author kept them linked with the deft pen. Would like to see this made into a TV series.
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I find this a very fascinating book. This action-packed thriller can, without a doubt, have you sitting on the edge of your seat. The storyline is great and will keep you guessing till the very last word. Looking forward to a sequel if it’s going to be made.
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I haven't read too many science fictions but this one is really beyond my imagination. Unlike traditional ones in which the world is saved by some superheroes, the end of this novel is kind of stunning with a lot of up and downs. Pretty good style of writing and delicate structure.
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The author writes a gripping and fascinating tale of the counterterrorism of future. At the same time, the author's fluent writing style and rigorous thinking increase the authenticity of the story. Reading this book is a kind of intellectual communication and mental enjoyment.
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Congrats Prof. David Groves! I bet this book will be another fantastic job you have done besides the Orogenic Gold Deposit you have proposed during your geological career. I actually occasionally found this book while I was searching any newly published paper from Prof. Groves, and after a quick reading this week, I would say that this is really a work! It is a book filled with very interesting and meaningful experience, and I would strongly recommend this to my friend.
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Congratulations David on your latest novel, Players Protocol. I immensely enjoyed the novel. It has a great storyline, is very well written, and is a very easy read. I particularly loved the character James, who reminded me of my husband who worked in a similar field. David's description of James was very accurate and easy to visualise.
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This book by David Groves is a treasure - a gripping thriller that also allows readers into the 'unknown world' that is global mineral exploration. Groves draws upon his own life experiences to weave a plot that comes together from several threads towards a finale. I loved it. It is to mineral exploration what the best-selling fictional yet informative novel 'The Goal' (Goldratt & Cox 1984) is to operations management. Five stars.
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A thoroughly entertaining story which keeps you guessing right till the end. Great characters and beautiful descriptions. Highly recommended!
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For a first time author, I found the Plagues' Protocol a thoroughly stimulating read. Full of well thought out twists and written by a scientist who has easily crossed over into the world if literary fiction. Highly recommended.
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Dr Bill Shaw, President, Australian Geoscience Council
Not many people get the opportunities to see the world the way geologists do. It is a real pleasure to see broad travel experience turned into an exciting, well-paced novel that enables others to share some of those experiences. The science is sound, the travel stories are authentic, and the suspense is well-paced. From Tanzania to Washington DC, London to the Amazon, the action and characters that David Ian Groves has developed are both original and familiar enough in style to make this a highly enjoyable first novel with plenty of future potential. The passion for rocks and for life comes through again and again in this well-balanced tale, setting the author up with the highest exponents of thriller fiction. A great holiday read!
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When I was presented with this book my intention was to just browse.
However, a few days later I found myself reading the last page!
It is well written, holds your interest and good reading matter.
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A thrilling fictional account of likely events - thought provoking and clearly a labour of love for the author. Will not disappoint
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Just read The Plagues' Protocol on the plane from Australia to America. Really enjoyed the plot, characters and references to Geology.
Look forward to the next instalment.
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The Plagues Protocol----- This is the second published novel in D.I.Groves' thriller genre and again deals with human and natural events and their impacts on a globally-connected world. Set in the USA, a series of apparently random incidents, occurring throughout the country, have the enforcement agencies baffled in detecting any leads, patterns or motives to the identity of the perpetrators who they suspect are religious terrorists. As long as this continues, the media alarms the population who increasingly blame the authorities and affect the re-election prospects of Caitlin Custer, the first female president of the USA.
As the incidents mount, an evangelical preacher Pastor Joshua D. Pallister in the "deep south" sees parallels with the biblical Plagues of Egypt sent once again to punish a Godless Nation. This alerts the security forces to the possibility of Christian rather than Islamic terrorism.
The storyline is told from the perspective of an American, Matt Kowalski, a Bureau of Anti-Terrorism operative and an Australian, James Buchanan, a mineral exploration consultant
who meet by chance on a flight to Africa.
Kowalski, back in the US finds himself in charge of the investigation, personally briefing the President and embarrassingly getting nowhere. Buchanan is exploring for gold "up country" in Tanzania and keeping in touch with the WEB newscasts on his days off in Mwanza when not in the arms of his amazingly compliant Watusi girlfriend, Naomi.
The author, widely- travelled internationally in the search for and understanding of mineral deposits, is able to give the localities an authenticity not otherwise easily realised.. Drawing on his wide knowledge of resource economics and mineral deposit patterns and not lacking in self confidence, Buchanan is able to suggest the vital connection to eventually providing the solution.
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I just finished reading this unique, totally realistic and very enjoyable book. If you are thinking about reading this novel, I would highly recommend that you take the plunge. The author, David Groves, manages to skillfully bring together the worlds of his two main characters; James, an economic geologist and Matt who works in anti-terrorism. It is mainly through the eyes of James and Matt that you see this exciting and plausible plot unfold with many unexpected twists and turns, keeping you in suspense till well into the story.
Along the way, I enjoyed the unique insight into James’s world of economic geology, as his work takes him overseas where he has made a life for himself. All this combined with the skillfully interwoven sub-plots just keeps you highly engaged – I’m looking forward to hearing what happens when many of the main characters go to Amazonia! Will be looking out for the next installment!
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My husband bought me this book because i'm an avid gem collector and, despite not being a geologist, I love to travel. The book is very well written with a number of evolving threads that keep you hooked and make it easy to read in large blocks. I would definitely recommend for anyone who loves to see the world or has an interest in mineral exploration. I'll definitely be looking for more content from David Ian Groves to keep me entertained on my travels. Five stars from me.
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David Groves's new novel, "The Plague Protocols" is a fast paced thriller set in a very plausible near future where the global economic system can be threatened by the skillful exploitation of fears and anxieties. The main protagonists, an Australian mineral exploration geologist and an American counter-terrorism expert work together to solve the mystery of who is behind this destabilizing plot. The author's attention to detail gives this book a very gritty realistic aspect as the plot rapidly moves from the iconic sites of the USA to the goldfields of Africa and the jungles of the Amazon. Although entertaining fiction, this novel has an important message about the modern world we live in and our vulnerability to those who might systematically seek to exploit our fears for their own ends.
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This book presents scenarios we could well imagine happening in today’s environment of mass manipulation of perceptions, where science and logic are often trumped by bias and opinion. The author has mostly managed to tread the fine line between detailed content that provides context and clues, and coming across as didactic. The importance of the attention to detail becomes clearer as the threads of the story are skilfully drawn together in the grand finale. And we are left wanting more and wondering what will happen in Amazonia! A great read for those who like their thrillers to be cerebral.
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Great read - I loved the quickening pace of the storyline as the man-made plagues increasingly threatened US security, with no clear motive in sight. Hard to put down once absorbed in the mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, the uniquely Australian banter with US intelligence and the classic media reaction to it all. Entertaining to the end. So real!
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I really enjoyed reading The Plagues' Protocol. It was rather exciting and very intriguing and I didn't guess who the perpetrators were until the final chapters. There are three geologists in my extended family, so I really found it interesting to learn what they do in the field and how they think differently from most people, including me. I now understand better my grandfather's weird behaviour.
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The author is to be congratulated on producing a unique work about fabricated “plagues“, designed to terrorize and perhaps unhinge US society. The motive behind the events that take place slowly reveals itself from a believable, yet twisted plot with numerous sub-plots and unexpected surprises. Two thumbs up. Looking forward to the next installment.
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An interesting, informative and highly entertaining read with a little spice thrown in for good measure. Clearly David Groves is highly knowledgeable in the subject matter of the plot and has done a huge amount of research to contribute to the tale. It is a "different" book, truly exceptional and one which I highly recommend.
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