Dead on Arrival: A Novel

Written by Matt Richtel

Narrated by Jonathan Yen

A mysterious disorder threatens to destroy the world in this high-concept thriller from Pulitzer Prize—winning New York Times reporter Matt Richtel, which combines medical science, cutting-edge technology, and breathtaking suspense in the vein of Michael Crichton.

An airplane lands at a desolate airport in a remote Colorado ski town. On board, Dr. Lyle Martin, a world-class infectious disease specialist, is brusquely awakened to shocking news: everyone not on the plane appears to be dead. A lethal new kind of virus may have surfaced, threatening our survival, and now Martin—one of the most sought after virologists on the planet until his career took a precipitous slide—is at the center of the investigation.

The symptoms are the most confounding the experienced doctor has ever seen. Is it the work of terrorists? A biological attack? A natural occurrence? As word of the deadly sickness spreads, panic leads to violence and chaos. Armed and terrified partisans and patriots, stoked by technology and social media, have dug in, unknowingly creating fertile ground for the deadly syndrome Dr. Martin has begun to identify.

As the globe begins to unravel and paranoia and hatred take hold, Martin is forced to face a question as terrifying as this syndrome itself: is the world better left unsaved?

Moving at a breakneck pace from the labs of the Centers for Disease Control to the secret campus of Google X to the marble halls of the Capitol, Dead on Arrival is a brilliantly imaginative, high-concept thriller that draws on Matt Richtel's years of science and technology reporting for the New York Times, and establishes him as one of the premier technological thriller writers working today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Aug 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9780062682086

Matt Richtel

Matt Richtel is a reporter at the New York Times. He received the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting for a series of articles about distracted driving that he expanded into his first nonfiction book, A Deadly Wandering, a New York Times bestseller. His second nonfiction book, An Elegant Defense, on the human immune system, was a national bestseller and chosen by Bill Gates for his annual Summer Reading List. Richtel has appeared on NPR’s Fresh Air, CBS This Morning, PBS NewsHour, and other major media outlets. He lives in San Francisco, California.

Reviews for Dead on Arrival

[billiebook · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

More concept than compelling. The author had a good idea, but it just never quite came together for me and the crazy stalker was too cliched and felt like a way to minimize an otherwise smart woman. In fact, nearly every smart, powerful female character in this book ended up being minimized and/or victimized. Sigh. A resounding "meh".

[arubabookwoman · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is kind of a throw away made-for-tv for one of the cheaper channels kind of book, an ok thriller that started out ok, but didn't pan out.The book opens with an airliner landing in Steamboat Springs Colorado, despite having been unable to establish contact with the radio tower, or anyone else on the ground for that matter. As they approach the terminal, the pilot, Eleanor, sees several people lying on the ground apparently unconscious or dead. Fortunately (tongue in cheek), there is an infectious disease control expert on board, and Eleanor asks him to investigate. He believes it looks like everyone not aboard the plane is dead, perhaps the result of some unknown fast acting virus that has erupted.This first chapter drew me in, but the book got progressively less believable, and there were lots of things that didn't make sense. There is one entirely unbelievable character, Jerry the copilot, whose antics kept interrupting and semblance of plausibility for the plot.Not recommended.1 1/2 stars

[jfe16 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When an airliner touches down at a remote Colorado airport, Doctor Lyle Martin, a renowned infectious disease specialist, awakens to shocking news. Everyone not on the plane appears to be dead. It seems that, while they were in the air, a deadly virus surfaced to threaten the very survival of mankind. And Lyle, once a virologist at the top of his profession, now finds himself in the center of the investigation. At its core, “Dead on Arrival” is a heart-stopping thriller offering an ominous message wrapped in a race against time. Well-developed, interesting characters people a narrative that is intricately-plotted, imaginative, and brimming with mystery and suspense. The opening scene in this unputdownable tale grabs readers and the story keeps them riveted until the last page. “Dead on Arrival” continually ratchets up the tension and keeps readers on the edge chairs until the final unexpected reveal. Don’t miss this one.Highly recommended.