A Heartbeat Away

Robert Petkoff proves to be the perfect choice to narrate Palmer's latest medical thriller. During the president's State of the Union address, the terrorist group Genesis exposes him and the 700 congressmen, senators, and spectators inside the capitol building, to WRX3883, a deadly, highly contagious virus with no known cure. Their only hope is disgraced virologist Griffin Rhodes, who worked on the development of WRX3883 until he was arrested for supposedly stealing samples of the virus and plotting a terrorist act. Now, the president offers this presumed criminal his freedom in exchange for finding a cure for the virus. Although reluctant to help those who imprisoned him, Rhodes eventually agrees and soon it's a race against time and an omnipotent enemy, as he works round the clock to save the president, the other exposed victims, and the nation itself. Petkoff never misses a beat in his reading of this high-octane medical thriller, fully realizing each scene and character with ease. His energetic and skillful performance will keep listeners on the edge of their seats. A St. Martin's hardcover. (Mar.)