“’What I’d like from you is the truth, Miss Brennan.’”

From Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs’ Virals: Exposure.

Tory has a secret that is quickly taking over every area of her life: she and her friends Ben, Shelton, and Hi (and her wolfdog, Cooper) were infected with a virus that gives them bouts of enhanced canine senses and strength.  As if this isn’t enough of a problem, their powers are becoming more and more difficult to control, often activating themselves at the most inopportune times.  While the Pack finds more information on the virus that has infected them, Tory is struggling to forgive Ben for his recent mistake (from the events of Code) and Chance Claybourne is digging into their connection to the virus.  Two classmates from the Pack’s prep school have been kidnapped, and the four friends agree that they, with their powers, are best qualified to look into the kidnapping that has police stumped.  However, the more they dig into what happened to their classmates, the more it becomes evident that nothing is as it seems and something much larger is going on.

The fourth novel in the Virals series uses the momentum of the previous book(s) to propel the characters right into the action.  As always, the four main characters are realistic, but the conflict between Tory and Ben seems stretched by the book’s halfway point; their conflict (between each other and in themselves) really pulls the whole story off balance.  The action and mystery are entertaining, with quick descriptions that build a sense of excitement without losing the reader.  Reichs manages to shed a little more light on the science behind the virus granting the kids powers in a way that’s rewarding both to the overall story and to the understandable benefit of the reader.  Exposure is a quick read that packs the pages with action and suspense.