Chris Morris's novel, a bio terrorism thriller, is an exhilarating, page-turning read. The post 9/11 environment has created a wealth of material to be mined for fiction.

In this novel, the writer uses a mixture of science and politics to provide the thrills and twists in the plot of this compelling story. The story begins quietly, in 1972, on the premises of a company called Intel-Tec. Soon, however, it emerges that this company is a cover for the production of a lethal biological weapon. A fast forward to the present day brings the reader to a town in Nebraska where most of the population has rapidly succumbed to a strange illness. The town doctor is at a loss to diagnose it and by the time the US Army Medical Division rolls into town, every man, woman and child is dead.

The novel's central character is 36-year old Jack Stanton, an agent for a new, secret anti-terrorist group and a specialist in electronics and explosives. Jack is proud to have served his country as a Navy SEAL. (The elite special operations force employed in counter-terror­ism, unconventional warfare and special reconnaissance operations). He distinguished himself in Desert Storm but is something of a disappointment to his father, a "cop", who hoped Jack would follow in his footsteps and do well enough to be recruited by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The love of his life was his wife Maria who, three years into their marriage, died a slow death from cancer and since then Jack has thrown himself into his work.

Just as Jack is hoping for his first holiday in months, a new assignment comes his way. He must track down the cause of the deaths in Nebraska: the most lethal biological weapon ever made. He flies to Oklahoma to meet sci­entist Andre Robideaux and the pair follow the trail together to Salt Lake City where they meet Jane, the daughter of one of Andre's old colleagues. Soon, she makes Jack realise there is something missing in his life, but he feels he cannot afford to let love get in the way of his assignment.

The plot unfolds in the US, England, Paris and Sao Paulo, never slackening its pace, and there are some great moments of humour. I am no expert on biological terrorism, but the book seems well researched with complex technical detail woven into the narrative. At every point on the trail the author draws on an ever larger cast of characters: largely convincing and the "goodies" mostly likeable. Jack is certainly likeable in his ability to question his motivation and his concern about having to do questionable things. Not to mention his love for big greasy fry-ups. You can-not help but care what happens to him. By the end of the novel, the mysteries are resolved and answers satisfactorily given but the final revelations are unexpected.

'Second chances' is Mr Morris^'s second novel. In the face of the huge difficulties involved in attracting a mainstream publisher, he has published both novels electronically and both were short listed in the Undiscovered Authors Competition of 2005. Mr Morris works full-time as a pharmacist and I was surprised to learn that it took him only a year to write 'Second chances'. I wish him well with his next story.

Pamela Mason

Pamela Mason is a freelance writer and novelist

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798 The Pharmaceutical Journal (Vol 217) 23/30 December 2006