Thursday, May 21, 2020

Book Beginnings + Friday 56: Port of Origin (Agents of Mercy #2) by Lisa Harris and Lynne Gentry

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading. Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice and asks you to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and share a non-spoilery sentence or two.

This week I'm featuring a medical thriller, Port of Origin (Agents of Mercy #2) by Lisa Harris and Lynne Gentry.

About the Book
When virus-infected pirates hijack a humanitarian medical ship from an African port, they trigger the threat of a global pandemic.

How do you keep hope alive in a sea of darkness?

An African fisherman.

Foreign exploitation of Africa’s natural resources has destroyed the fishing business of Dabir Omar. Hijacking oil tankers brings cash to his family in their remote village, but it doesn’t buy the medical care needed to stop the deadly sickness attacking his people. When Dabir’s son becomes ill, the desperate pirate sets sail for the Liberty, an international humanitarian medical ship ported on the coast.

An American surgeon.

Against his better judgment, Dr. Josiah Allen agrees to work a two-week surgical stint on the Liberty, moored in Douala, Cameroon. Shortly after he arrives with his precocious six-year-old daughter, Josiah is sent ashore to investigate a mysterious illness at the ship’s post-op clinic. While he’s gone, Ebola-infected pirates hijack the medical ship where Josiah left his daughter.

The woman compelled to save them all.

When pirate negotiations fail, Mackenzie Scott’s privately-owned extraction unit comes in for the rescue. But when the medical ship where Mac had taken a wounded comrade is hijacked by pirates, the former military pararescue jumper becomes the pirate’s key hostage.

Both fathers go to war to save their children. If Mac can’t convince them to work together, the winner of this conflict will be a deadly virus intent on destroying the world. 

Book Beginning
OFF THE COAST OF CAMEROON, CENTRAL AFRICA
Since ancient times, the sea had been generous. Tuna. Sardines. Ocean prawns big as a man's hand. But those days of plenty had vanished in the wake of the foreign trawlers whose illegal fishing practices were destroying the coastline's natural resources.

Friday 56
She glanced at Harper and realized what a terrifying situation she'd been thrust into. She was in a room with a woman dying of something deadly, her father was missing, and the ship she loved was being held by pirates.

What have you been reading lately?

30 comments:

  1. This sounds a little too close to real life for my comfort but in days past I probably would have read it. Enjoy!

    My Friday Book Memes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can understand that. I was a little leery of it, but I read an excerpt and couldn't stop thinking about it. So I had to check it out and see how everything would resolve itself. Thanks for coming by, Bea! :)

      Delete
  2. A very timely story! Thanks for sharing, and here's mine: “CRIME SCENE”

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by, Laurel-Rain! Happy reading! :)

      Delete
  3. Timely book it sounds like. "Dying of something deadly" doesn't draw me in, but the premise seems strong. I'm trying to find some good Christian fiction, so I'll have to keep a look out for these authors.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This was my first time reading anything by either one of these authors and I'm excited to read more from them. Thanks for visiting, Matt! :)

      Delete
  4. Maybe she had COVID?! ;-)
    Happy weekend, stay safe!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's gonna be the fear now anytime anyone gets sick. Well, for me at least. Thanks for coming by, Freda! Happy weekend and stay safe too! :)

      Delete
  5. I was just about to say the same, Freda!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by, Lauren! Have a great weekend! :)

      Delete
  6. Ooh...Ebola-infected pirates. That does not sound good. Happy reading!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely a scary situation! Thanks for coming by, Lark! Happy reading! :)

      Delete
  7. Yeah, what everybody else said! A little to real life for right now. Although maybe it puts real life in perspective -- we have to stay inside, but at least we aren't trapped on a ship with ebola pirates.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! This book made me realize that things could always be worse. Thanks for stopping by, Gillion! Happy weekend! :)

      Delete
  8. Very fitting! I'd enjoy this - I'd feel like I was 'really there'. Oh wait, I am lol

    Here is my Friday Post! Stay safe and well!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL! We are! Thanks for visiting, Sassy! Happy reading! :)

      Delete
  9. Oh my! Sounds like an exciting book :) At least with books, we can find out when the virus ends ;) Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely! This gives a some hope that there will be an end to this thing. Thanks for coming by, Becki! :)

      Delete
  10. I'm always intrigued by novels with two authors. Matching styles is really hard to do, but can be great if they pull it off.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It intrigues me too. This one flowed really well and I couldn't even tell there were two authors. Love that. Thanks for stopping by, Roberta! :)

      Delete
  11. Replies
    1. Very! Thanks for coming by, Nicki! Happy reading! :)

      Delete
  12. Replies
    1. I really enjoyed it. Thanks for visiting, Anne! :)

      Delete
  13. In this snippet from page 56 things couldn't get any worse!
    Konna @ The Reading Armchair

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Right? Worst case scenario! Thanks for stopping by, Konna! :)

      Delete
  14. This sounds like it will be intense! Of course the word pandemic stands out the most from the blurb. The excerpts you shared do have me wanting to read this one. I hope you love this one, Ashley. Have a great weekend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was really good and one of those hard to put down books. Thanks for coming by! Happy reading! :)

      Delete