Operation Wormwood by Helen C. Escott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This thriller is the product of 10 years. For the nature of this mystery, it's not so much a whodunit as a medical mystery with long-range ramifications.

Not to give too much away, the disease targets a very specific group of individuals, and no, it's not a targeted virus made by us. As a line in the novel says, "I'm not going to put out an arrest warrant for Jesus Christ."

So yes, it is also religious... to an interesting degree. Bad people are being punished. Everyone else in the novel is just trying to figure out what's going on and making do with the hand they're dealt. This includes the church, the police, victims of abuse, and the abusers.

Warning: this might be a trigger novel for victims of child abuse. Almost the entire novel deals with pedophilia.

On another level, the novel is also a total wish-fulfillment piece for the victims.

Either way, it's a very decent thriller that explores a ton of different angles, mainly relying on the church and a bit of the secular authority to drive the plot.

After ten years, it's obvious that this novel is quite polished. It's worth a look.

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