Predator One - (Joe Ledger) by Jonathan Maberry (Paperback)

About the Book

"On opening day of the new baseball season, a small model-kit airplane flies down from the stands and buzzes the mound, where a decorated veteran pilot is about to throw out the first ball. The toy plane is an exact replica of the one flown by the war hero. Everyone laughs, thinking it a good prank or a publicity stunt. Until it explodes, killing dozens. Seconds later a swarm of killer drones descend upon the panicked crowd, each one carrying a powerful bomb. Halfway across the country a swarm of much larger drones slams into the Golden Gate Bridge, destroying one of the nation's landmarks. When the debris is collected the forensics team make a frightening discovery. Each of the drones was developed and built by the U.S. military.The attacks escalate as a computer virus infects the autopilot of a commercial airline, effectively turning it into a drone. The resulting crash destroys an entire neighborhood. Two days later a squadron of F-15s is remote-hijacked, and the resulting devastation leaves an entire Air Force base in flames. Someone has developed software that can turn any aircraft into a drone. Joe Ledger and the DMS begin a desperate search for the secret to this new technology and the madmen behind it. But before they can close in on the enemy the virus infects Air Force One. The president is trapped aboard as the jet heads toward the heart of New York City. It has become PREDATOR ONE"--

Book Synopsis

On opening day of the new baseball season a small model-kit airplane flies down from the stands and buzzes the mound, where a decorated veteran pilot is about to throw out the first ball. The toy plane is the exact replica of the one flown by the war hero. Everyone laughs, thinking it's a prank or a publicity stunt. Until it explodes, killing dozens.

Seconds later a swarm of killer drones descend upon the picnicked crowd, each one carrying a powerful bomb. All across the country artificial intelligence drive systems in cars, commuter trains and even fighter planes go out of control. The death toll soars as the machines we depend upon every day are turned into engines of destruction.

Joe Ledger and the Department of Military Sciences go on the hunt for whoever is controlling these machines, but the every step of the way they are met with traps and shocks that strike to the very heart of the DMS. No one is safe. Nowhere is safe. Enemies old and new rise as America burns.

Joe Ledger and his team are back in Jonathan Maberry's seventh book in the series. They begin a desperate search for the secret to this new technology and the madmen behind it. But before they can close in the enemy virus infects Air Force One. The president is trapped aboard as the jet heads toward the heart of New York City. It has become PREDATOR ONE.

Review Quotes

"Top grade horror fiction." --Booklist, Starred Review on Code Zero

"Wow! From the first page of Patient Zero you know you're in the hands of a master...This is high-concept with brains, action with soul and fast paced tension with psychological insight." --M.J. Rose - bestselling author of The Reincarnationist, on Patient Zero

"The Ledger novels are exciting sf thrillers that just happen to involve stuff that's a little out there...Readers familiar with the series will need no prodding to check this new one out." --Booklist, starred review on Extinction Machine

About the Author

Jonathan Maberry is a NY Times bestselling author, four-time Bram Stoker Award winner, and comic book writer. He writes horror, thrillers, mystery, fantasy, science fiction and suspense for adults and teens. His novels include PREDATOR ONE, CODE ZERO, ROT & RUIN, FALL OF NIGHT, GHOST ROAD BLUES, THE WOLFMAN, and many others. Several of Jonathan's novels are in development for movies or TV including V-WARS, EXTINCTION MACHINE, ROT & RUIN and DEAD OF NIGHT. He's the editor/co-author of V-WARS, a vampire-themed anthology; and is editor for a series of all-original X-FILES anthologies, the YA anthology SCARY OUT THERE, and the dark fantasy anthology OUT OF TUNE. His V-WARS books have been developed as a board game. He is a popular featured expert on History Channel shows like ZOMBIES: A LIVING HISTORY and MONSTERS, MYTH AND LEGEND. Since 1978 he's sold more than 1200 magazine feature articles, 3000 columns, two plays, greeting cards, song lyrics, and poetry. His comics include V-WARS, ROT & RUIN, CAPTAIN AMERICA: HAIL HYDRA, BAD BLOOD, MARVEL ZOMBIES RETURN and MARVEL UNIVERSE VS THE AVENGERS. He lives in Del Mar, California with his wife, Sara Jo and their dog, Rosie.