Following on from my review of “Donor” (Dr Steven Dunbar 1) last month, I settled down to read another Ken McClure book in the Steven Dunbar medical series, this time “White Death” – and yet again McClure delivers another intelligent and engaging novel.

One thing I have found after reading two of his novels so far, it appears to me that all of McClure’s books are self-contained and although there’s the obvious baggage and backstory that follows a well-trodden series, it’s not imperative to read any or all of McClure’s previous books to enjoy “White Death”.

White Death by Ken McClure

The seventh in an incredibly well received series, McClure, as I’ve already mentioned above does well not to alienate new readers to the series; re-introducing Sci-Med and all that it involves; the author doesn’t over embellish its function and gives a well-balanced account of its role within the Home Office. He fills us in on his family history – his daughter Jenny has now grown up into a precocious teenager since I last met her in “Donor”.

Heads of state, high ranking government administrators and scientists are beckoned to a high level meeting in Western Scotland – its purpose to find a solution to an impending biological terrorist attack. Their only defence against such an assault is to find a vaccine capable of defending the Western world against unknown enemies.

The manufacturing companies face stringent rules and regulations, it has never been harder to create a vaccine, publicly test it and then release en masse in an ever increasing litigious society. However, realising the precarious position they find themselves, the United States and United Kingdom Governments are prepared to bend the rules in a bid to protect its citizens. Corners are cut in a bid to accelerate the process but what will come out the other side – disaster or glory?

The overriding emotion is one of fear. Fear of failure, fear of the unknown and fear of uncertainty. McClure’s narrative, complete with a spattering of deft plot twists, will keep you on your toes until the final pages.

Very well written, the pace is intense and incredibly realistic – once again I found the use of medical jargon bang on the money. In fact I discovered that BCG, the vaccine most of us received as children to combat TB, was named after two French scientists Albert Calmette and Camille Guérin – the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin – one for trivia night methinks!

By the time Dunbar is called in to investigate, Keith Taylor, a teenage boy, has died of a terrifying flesh eating disease called necrotising fasciitis and a young girl has been admitted to hospital with a serious skin complaint despite her local doctor’s reticence to admit her. Slowly but surely more cases emerge, all young children, and it appears they are all related following a BCG vaccination given to 108 school children on an outwards bound camp.

Can Steven Dunbar safe the day? Will he discover who’s behind the deaths? Only time will tell! Ken McClure delivers another high octane medical thriller. Dunbar would give James Bond a run for his money in White Death – definitely shaken and perhaps a little stirred! Highly recommended.

Published by Polygon/Birlinn “White Death” is available from The Book Depository & Amazon Now.