T. Gustavsen

For those who could read between the lines, the censored news out of China was terrifying. But the president insisted there was nothing to worry about. Fortunately, we are still a nation of skeptics. Fortunately, there are those among us who study pandemics and are willing to look unflinchingly at worst-case scenarios. Michael Lewis’ taut and brilliant nonfiction thriller pits a band of medical visionaries against the wall of ignorance that was the official response of the Trump administration to the outbreak of COVID-19.

The United States has elected a volatile demagogue as president, backed by his ruthless chief strategist, Crawford 'Mac' McNamara. When a war of words with the North Korean regime spirals out of control and the president comes perilously close to launching a nuclear attack, it's clear someone has to act, or the world will be reduced to ashes. Soon Maggie Costello, a seasoned Washington operator and stubbornly principled, discovers an inside plot to kill the president - and faces the ultimate moral dilemma.