Blood Run

In Freveletti’s bleak fifth Emma Caldridge thriller (after 2012’s Dead Asleep), Jackson Rand, the head of Rand Pharmaceuticals, hires Emma to accompany him on a humanitarian mission to war-torn Senegal. Emma, a biochemist who does security work on the side, soon figures out that Jackson values her more for her “background in weapons and quick thinking in tight spots” than her scientific expertise. Meanwhile, the pair must deal with the consequences of someone switching their vials of smallpox vaccine with ones containing live smallpox. Emma and Jackson engage in a series of desperate attempts to call in assistance as numerous bands of mercenaries close in from all directions. They must also contend with such natural threats as extreme heat and sand storms. Edward Banner, the CEO of a security company that has employed Emma, and sharpshooter Cameron Sumner lend assistance. Loads of people, mostly poor villagers, die or are otherwise tortured, starved, and maimed in what amounts to one long escape novel. Even series fans may wish the author had provided some relief from the unrelenting violence. (Nov.)