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Pestilence: Breathe If You Dare Kindle Edition

by Brian L. Porter (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 60 ratings
Breathe... if you dare.
English countryside, 1958. The idyllic village of Olney St. Mary has stood in its peaceful location for over 900 years.
Until one day, when two teenage boys are struck by a mysterious illness. The newly arrived Doctor Hilary Newton suspects a common flu to be the cause of their malady. Before long, the doctor and residents of Olney St. Mary are plunged into a nightmare, as the disease ravages the local population. Despite the doctors employing the latest medicine available, the death toll keeps rising.
Someone in the village knows the reason behind the pestilence that has struck at the heart of the village, but can the medics learn the truth before it's too late, or will they join the growing list of names that appear on the death roll in Olney St. Mary?

Winner, The Best Book We've Read all Year award 2021 from Readfree. Ly
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  1. Print length
    342 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    August 26, 2020
  5. File size
    1.8 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
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  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Review from ReadFree.lyAuthor Brian L Porter wrote this book in 2010. Hold that in your mind.Pestilence is the story of a virus. It sweeps through the population leaving a wake of death and terror. Confusion ensues - panic - and a strict lockdown follows; residents peer out from behind their curtains, terrified.You already know this story, right? Well, Brian L Porter wrote this book in 2010.The story centres on the sleepy English village of Olney St. Mary, in the 1950s. Two young boys come down with a fever and a cough. "Sounds like the flu," says the village's new doctor, Hilary Newton. She recommends a good night's sleep. They'll be better in the morning.The next day one of the boys is dead.And that is just the beginning.But Pestilence is not just the story of an epidemic. As death sweeps through the village, the story grows: intrigue, Nazi scientists, war, betrayal ... and love.Think you already know this story? Well, it's so much more than you know.

From the Author

What I remember most about writing Pestilence was the sheer pleasure and satisfaction I achieved from both researching and writing it. By setting it during the 1950s I was able to take a trip back to my childhood days, as I grew up in the era in which the book is set. As a child, I recalled watching numerous exciting black and white adventure movies on the TV and I attempted to create a similar 'feel' with the book.
I loved creating the fictional village of Olney St. Mary and its residents, many of whom I based on people I remembered from my childhood days.
The military side of the story was helped by my own service in the RAF and in short Pestilence is a book I'll always remember as being exciting and great fun to write and the characters I created will live long in my memory. "

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08GRZLDT2
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Evenfall - A Next Chapter Imprint
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 26, 2020
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.8 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 342 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 60 ratings

About the author

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Brian L. Porter

Brian L. Porter

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Winner - The Critters.org Best Mystery Novel Award 2021, The Mersey Ferry Murders

Winner - The Readfree.ly Best Indie Book, 2021 Award, Muffin, Digby and Petal, Together Forever

Winner - The Readfree.ly 'Best Book We've Read all Year, 2021 Award, June 2021 (Pestilence)

Winner - The Readfree.ly 'Best Book We've Read all Year, 2018 Award, June 2018 (A Mersey Maiden)

Writing under three different names, Brian L Porter is an Amazon best selling author, with numerous best sellers to his name, so far, titles as follows:

Sasha (As Brian L Porter), the illustrated true-life story of the author's own, very special 'Miracle Dog'. Winner of The Preditors & Editors Best Fiction Book Award, 2016, and also a 7th place finish in the 50 Best Indie Books of 2016 Awards. #1 bestseller in the UK, Australia and Italy. Sasha has also been a Top Ten bestseller in its category at Amazon in Canada and France.

Sheba, From Hell to Happiness, sequel to Sasha, the true-life story of a dog rescued from a life of hell as a bait dog for dog fighters, then left to die on a rubbish tip.

Remembering Dexter is the winner of 3 literary awards

After Armageddon (As Brian L Porter), A Post-Apocalyptic short story anthology. #1 in the USA and UK.

The Italian translated version of After Armageddon, Dopo L'Armageddon, e Altri Raccontri was a #1 Amazon bestseller in Italy.

Lest We Forget, (As Brian L Porter), an evocative collection of remembrance poetry.

Alistair the Alligator, (As Harry Porter), a pre-school children’s book, illustrated by Sharon Lewis.

Charlie the Caterpillar, (As Harry Porter), also for pre-school readers, illustrated by Bonnie Pelton.

Wolf, (As Harry Porter), a young adult/teens adventure story.

Of Aztecs and Conquistadors, (As Juan Pablo Jalisco), a superb collection of romantic poetry with a Latin American theme.

He was the winner of The Preditors & Editors readers poll for Best Author Award, 2009, and a number of his books have also received awards as follows:

A Study in Red – The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper, Preditors & Editors Best Thriller Novel Award, 2008.

Requiem for the Ripper, Preditors & Editors Best Thriller Novel Award, 2010.

Glastonbury, Preditors & Editors Best Mystery Novel Award, 2010

You can find information on the works of Harry Porter and Juan Pablo Jalisco on their individual book pages.

He is a dedicated dog lover and rescuer and he and his wife share their home with a number of rescued dogs.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
60 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy the book's compelling stories, with one review noting its fine medical mystery elements and references to government conspiracies. The writing quality receives positive feedback, with customers describing it as well-written.

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7 customers mention "Story quality"7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the compelling stories in the book, with one customer describing it as a fine medical mystery/thriller and another noting its references to government conspiracies.

"...In my lifetime I have read many compelling stories, many which dragged me along as a participant. This is one of them...." Read more

"...There’s more than an element of truth in Porter’s fiction, as readers might equate this story of a 1950’s Pestilence to the CoVid Epidemic of today...." Read more

"...smoothly and keeping you guessing till the end; an ending that is worth the wait. I like Porter’s writing...." Read more

"...A great read and I had to give it 5 Stars. Thanks, Mr. Porter another great read." Read more

3 customers mention "Writing quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality of the book.

"...The writing is masterful. I do not rate stories on their perfection in terms of spelling or grammar usage...." Read more

"...I like Porter’s writing. I enjoyed the book, and I highly recommend it." Read more

"Fast paced, hard to put down. Well written with well developed characters. Interesting story with unexpected ending. Would recommend...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Berk Rourke
    5.0 out of 5 stars Set Time Aside to Read for a While
    Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    The Plague strikes Olney St. Mary
    I started this book in the morning hours. I finished the book in the waning hours of late afternoon the same day. The book was simply too compelling to put down. The story drives the reader from one page to the next, wondering what in the world will occur as reading continues.
    Dr. Hilary Newton, one fine day in a very small town southwest of London, comes across a patient whose symptoms are advancing so quickly that she cannot understand what is happening. She is a general practitioner in a small town. She needs help. She gets help initially in the person of Dr. Paul Trent. They find they are dealing with pneumonic plague, but it is a much faster acting and more anti-biotic resistant strain than they have ever learned about. From that point on the town of Olney St. Mary is embroiled in a massive problem. The head of virology in the country isolates the town, sends in RAF personnel, sets up road blocks to effectively quarantine the town but really does not provide much medical assistance. There follows a story of twists and turns, or machinations untold, that end in the town no longer being in existence. I will not tell you "the rest of the story." You need to read it!
    In my lifetime I have read many compelling stories, many which dragged me along as a participant. This is one of them. I heartily rate this story five stars because it earns them. The writing is masterful. I do not rate stories on their perfection in terms of spelling or grammar usage. Those things are different between a Brit and an American at any rate. I rate a story based on its impact on my feelings, whether it takes me with it to all its nooks and crannies. This one did that it spades. It is a terrific read and I highly recommend it to anyone in their teen years and above.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Bjonsmom
    5.0 out of 5 stars Can we save humanity from itself?
    Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    For 900 years, the town of Olney St. Mary remained “an island of peace” in the quaint Kent countryside, sadly interrupted by the ravages of WWII, but by 1958 was relieved by a return to tranquility. The village life was one of tradition, patriotism and loyalty, and it welcomed the new consumer age and all its opportunities with good cheer. Losing its long-serving general practitioner, Harold Meddings, was a personal blow, and the arrival of the beautiful, young woman doctor, Hillary Newton, caused an upheaval in the town’s orderly life. Jealousy, criticism, cynicism reared up; respect would be hard won. But more shocking events than adjusting to a new woman doctor soon turn the village into one of tragedy, chaos, fear, and death.
    When Dr. Newton’s first two new cases - thought to be the flu - result in the death of two young boys, she suspects a new, virulent strain of the flu, impervious to the antibiotics available. But as more people become ill, and die within a short period of time, her diagnosis is soon proven catastrophically and tragically wrong. Soon, epidemiologists, virologists, and military personnel descend on the town, set up a perimeter to contain the disease, and cut off all communication to the outside world. Motives, agendas, and personalities clash as a scorched earth policy is suggested, and theories as to the source of the virus are investigated. Could the plague have lain dormant for centuries beneath the surface of this quiet village? Is it biological warfare? Are infected, dead vermin the culprits?
    Author Brian L. Porter is a master of mystery fiction, and his descriptive narrative, meticulous details on contagious disease, scientific facts, and military history are certain to please his existing fans, and delight newcomers to his exceptional brand of storytelling. In this book, there are plenty of references to government conspiracies, Cold War espionage, mad scientist experiments, and traitorous schemes. Secrets beget tragic consequences and all hell breaks loose. There’s more than an element of truth in Porter’s fiction, as readers might equate this story of a 1950’s Pestilence to the CoVid Epidemic of today. But the book was written 10 years prior, and plagues have been with us since the beginning of time, rearing their ugly heads over and over, while scientific and medical brains have been taxed to their limits in an attempt to conquer, or at least, manage an outbreak.
    Beyond being a ripping good thriller, there is a morality tale we should ponder. It’s not just the arrogance of power we should disdain - be it political or personal - it is the harbinger of mankind’s darkest self-destructive impulses, the misguided contempt for all living things that drives “depravely-wired” brains to throw all caution to the wind for self-serving motivations. History has shown that Pestilence, as well as malevolence, repeats itself over and over again, like a movie we rerun hoping for a different ending. In Porter’s fiction, as in life, the heroic efforts of first responders, scientists, and the multitude of persons whose brains are wired for “good,” are our only true defense to saving us from ourselves.
    One person found this helpful
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  • C. Parks, Los Angeles
    4.0 out of 5 stars A fine medical mystery/thriller
    Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I found the writer's style somewhat stilted, and the pace for the first third of the book plodding. But there was something about the story that made me persevere and I'm glad I did. The story is truly excellent. You get enough details from the other reviews. No spoilers from me...
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  • John W. Wood author of White Crow
    5.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Porter is a prognostic writer
    Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Pestilence with few adjustments could have taken place in 2020-21. With a hefty dose of self-serving, fearful, and finger-pointing characters, this award-winning author had me from the beginning. Plague, government, and people may become more sophisticated, but they remain the same. Mr. Porter is a wordsmith and a history buff. A combination that makes for great mysteries that run smoothly and keeping you guessing till the end; an ending that is worth the wait. I like Porter’s writing. I enjoyed the book, and I highly recommend it.
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  • Kiwisouth
    5.0 out of 5 stars Breath if you Dare
    Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This is a genre that I don't read that often and I must admit I wasn't sure it was for me. I needn't have worried. Brian Porter has a way with stories that keep you on the edge of your seat whatever you read. Pestilence is about a small village that has wandered through time a wee bit out of the way and had not changed for years until a couple of young blokes go down sick with all the symptoms of plague. From then on it's a race to find out why and how it had happened. Of course, the local doctor is overwhelmed and from the big smoke come the experts. Things though aren't what they seem as the doctors, nurses Government ministers, and the armed service converge on the small village. It seemed to me as I was reading this book I had the answers to why and how, but I was completely wrong Brian twists the story, and people you would not suspect end up surprising you. A great read and I had to give it 5 Stars.
    Thanks, Mr. Porter another great read.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • yop
    5.0 out of 5 stars A thought provoking book
    Reviewed in Spain on June 30, 2024
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    Rumours abound in the idyllic village of Olney St. Mary, when two boys catch a mysterious illness and soon lose their lives.
    The new female doctor diagnoses them wrongly and by the time the true illness is revealed, people are dropping like flies.
    Conspiracy theories abound, but suspicion falls on the government, and there are whispers of a cover up. But after an explosion, a saboteur may also be to blame. Nobody knows who to trust. Who is a friend and who is a foe? But just how far will the government go to contain the problem, and how many rights will the villagers lose along the way?
    It’s difficult to write a review without giving away the entire plot. But safe to say this book has a hidden agenda. The reader will compare the story to real life, particularly after the Covid epidemic. How far will those in positions of power go? How many rights will we lose? Will we eventually turn on each other for self-preservation? A daunting thought.
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  • John Broughton
    5.0 out of 5 stars A prophetic mystery novel
    Reviewed in Italy on November 21, 2020
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    To say this novel gripped me is an understatement. It visited every room in my house at every hour of the day until I reached the end. The author evokes the genuine atmosphere of 1950s England, but don’t be misled; never was a book more pertinent to the 2020s. It’s amazing that the author wrote it ten years before the pandemic, setting his epidemic in a small rural village in Kent, because he foresaw the behavioural consequences associated with covid 19. Again, it would be misleading to think the book is only about a plague village. It is much more exciting than that since as you proceed through its pages, you feel that the story is nearing its resolution, only to meet a brilliant twist and then another. The mystery of how the outbreak occurred kept me on the edge of my seat. The excellent characterisations have you rooting for the heroes and detesting the villains. It’s the first time I’ve read Mr Porter’s work but I’ve discovered a writer I want to know better.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A cracking Cold War mystery thriller.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 31, 2020
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    A cracking Cold War mystery thriller.

    First off, this is not a Covid novel, although you could be forgiven for seeing some relevance to the current pandemic. Also, this is not a pandemic, yet. It is a virulent plague in one isolated Kent (UK) village. It is a story of how a virulent disease effects people, in this case country folk, how the authorities try to contain it and most of all, it is about why? Why now? Why has the Black Death returned and, it is not what you think.
    It is 1958 and the Cold War between the West and East is intensifying; paranoia abounds. Fear abounds. Uncertainty abounds, but not in this idyllic, isolated, Garden of England, village of Olney St. Mary, where life just goes on.
    Brian Porter sets the scene so well with imperfect characters drawn so realistically, all as you might expect from this consummate author. A new doctor arrives. It is her first GP position and she is not received well. She is young and, she is a woman. Two lusty youths fall ill. A bad case of flu? But their condition deteriorates rapidly and death soon arrives. The distant hospital is alerted and a speedy post mortem reveals a disease not seen for hundreds of years. A specialist team is sent to the village.
    Enter the Civil Service and the ordinarily ponderous, plodding Mandarins, respond to the emergency with uncharacteristic vigour and with what appears to the team on the ground, excessive evasive action. Is this all necessary to stop the spread or, to not scare the rest of the country? All communication is cut and the army encircle Olney St. Mary; nobody in, nobody out.
    What follows is a well-paced development of the narrative as layers of obfuscation are peeled back and the full horror of the situation for the villagers is revealed to the team on the ground and, conspiracy theories no longer seem fanciful. The death toll rises. The speed of infection increases as the time of infection to death decreases.
    It would be wrong of me to discuss the narrative further as the above is just the start of what I found to be a tremendously engaging story. I was enthralled right from the start. I was with the villagers. I was with the medical team on the ground and found my hackles well and truly energised with the reaction of the government. But, as I said, not all is as it seems.
    Bravo Porter. A brilliant book that I struggled to put down (only when the battery on my kindle ran out) and the storyline development never failed to surprise me; the twists and turns; my emotional reaction – I would not hesitate to recommend this book, in fact I consider it a must read.
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  • Digby's Mum
    5.0 out of 5 stars So real, it's chilling. Highly recommended!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 26, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Pestilence is one of those books that once started, I just couldn't put down. Set against the backdrop of the early days of the Cold War, a young female doctor ruffles local feathers when she takes over as the new village GP. Very soon she finds herself out of her depth as residents of Olney St Mary start dying from what she thought was the flu. Tests prove that the village has been hit by an outbreak of pneumonic plague.
    What follows is an intriguing look at the way the government respond to the outbreak as military personnel descend on the village ostensibly to help the beleaguered population. The government however are determined that there is no way the plague can be allowed to break out into the rest of the country.
    When the real cause of the plague is suspected, linked to a crashed aircraft during World War Two, the really sinister side of Pestilence comes to the fore.
    The characters are realistic, the emotions sometimes raw, and the final solution to the mystery surrounding the Pestilence is nothing if not shocking.
    With similarities to the current pandemic we are living through, Pestilence is an exciting, riveting and enthralling read. Totally enjoyable.
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  • Harold Isenberg
    4.0 out of 5 stars A really good mystery that keeps you interested in the story and the characters .
    Reviewed in Canada on December 9, 2022
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    Good plot line and good character development .. a satisfyingly read with a good ending ..
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