The term Code Zero was coined in the first Joe Ledger book, Patient Zero, to indicate a threat composed of the Seif-al-Din virus, which if released would inflict a zombie plague upon the world. This book is pretty much a sequel to that first book with a smattering of threats from the other books thrown in for good measure. Over the course of the first five books of the series Joe Ledger and the DMS have turned aside one threat after another (designer plagues, pathogens, engineered viruses, etc) and they have been locking away samples of these threats in their most secure facility. Very few people even know these things exist and all of these secrets are closely guarded for good reason. However, this time around the threat comes from within the DMS itself and that makes it hard for Joe Ledger and Echo team to get the job done as they are unaware they have been betrayed...

The Intersolar Commonwealth of mankind has spread across thousands of stars but humanity is no more united in 3058 AD than it was when it existed on a single planet. Multiple factions with wildly different agendas vie to advance their beliefs in their own unique ways. One of those factions, the Living Dream movement, is planning something that could impact every species in the galaxy - a Pilgrimage to the Void. The Void lies at the center of the galaxy, and according to the Raiel, the oldest and most advanced species known to man, it is a destructive force that expands from time to time destroying everything in its wake. The Raiel dread the next expansion phase and they know that not even the might of their technology can do anything to stop it. They do not want Living Dream to tempt fate with their Pilgrimage and they are not alone in that belief. 

Counter-terrorism has been a consistent theme over the first four books of this series but that doesn't mean the stories have been repetitive. Joe Ledger and the DMS have actually faced quite a variety of adversaries so far, including zombies, super soldiers, and vampires. In each case there has been a scientific rationale to explain the existence of these seemingly supernatural creatures thus Joe Ledger has learned the hard way that he must keep an open mind if he wants to stay alive. However, all of those lessons don't seem to help much as he begins to uncover the facts in his latest case. It all starts with an impossibility - the President of the United States is abducted from the White House and not a single secret service agent saw anything. The only piece of evidence left behind is a crop circle on the White House lawn but that has to be a hoax. Right?

The Real Story starts with the patrons of Mallory's Bar & Sleep experiencing something that doesn't make sense. Angus Thermopylae walks into the bar with a beautiful woman at his side. Angus is an evil man and a suspected pirate/smuggler with a reputation for being a loner. The young attractive woman at his side is Morn Hyland, a law enforcement officer who should want nothing to do with someone like Angus. It is obvious to many of the patrons that she is a captive of some sort but she doesn't seem to be acting like one. Enter the dashing Nick Succorso, who confronts Angus and appears to rescue Morn away from him. The patrons of Mallory's then speculate on what they just witnessed and it is clear to many that this is a classic case of a hero (Nick) rescuing a victim (Morn) from an evil villain (Angus.) While that is indeed true, it is also not "The Real Story."

The story arc continues as some of the villains from The King of Plagues are behind a new threat to the world based in the Middle East. In Iran for a rescue mission, Echo team and Joe Ledger are tipped off that seven, or more, nukes are in the hands of an ancient order known as the Red Knights and are currently planted around the world. With an end game that intends to turn the world into a radioactive mess the DMS has very little time to come up to speed and formulate a response. With Ghost at his side, Joe Ledger starts to reveal just who these Red Knights are and he is having a hard time believing what he finds. After all, vampires aren't real, right?

​​​​​​​The King of Plagues brings back some baddies from a prior book as the Department of Military Sciences discovers the existence of the Seven Kings. They are a powerful cabal bent on causing chaos throughout the world and profiting from it. The Seven Kings use their knowledge of the upcoming chaos they will cause to make money on various fronts as wars and catastrophes impact the world markets. Ruled over by "The Goddess" there are seven members of the cabal each with an advisor who acts as their "conscience." It turns out that they have a vacancy and are in need of a new King of Plagues.

Mankind has lived among the stars for generations with interstellar trade primarily occurring through a series of space stations that connect Earth and the outer worlds. These stations were created by the Sol Corporation, known as the Earth Company, one after the other slowly extending mankind's reach out into the universe. Merchant ships that travel between the stations are run by families that have spent generations in space and the same is true for the inhabitants of the stations. These generations of space faring humans have developed social structures completely independent of Earth and eventually this causes the human race to begin to splinter. The long standing earth centric society is now breaking down as the outer planets exert their influence. They have now created their own military fleet and are rejecting the company, and earth centric, way of life. As the company military fleet falls back the conflict coalesces around Pell station which is in orbit around the planet Downbelow.

The Dragon Factory picks up shortly after the events of Patient Zero as the Department of Military Sciences is faced with a new, completely different threat. This time around there is no zombie plague but rather a planned extinction wave targeted to wipe out a specific large portion of the human population. With the concepts of eugenics, genetic manipulation, and disease weaponization all taken to mad scientist levels the DMS must beat the clock to figure out who is behind the threat and neutralize it before the Extinction Clock counts down to zero. The story is a bit more complex than the first book and therefore starts slower but it eventually comes together and builds to a satisfying crescendo.

It is tough to find the right kind of funny when it comes to books and even harder when it comes to humorous sci-fi. I dip my toes in these waters often and usually come away perplexed as to why other reviewers thought the book was funny. I took a similar chance on this one and while I do like the main character Hank the overall story leaves a lot to be desired. Steven Campbell tells a meandering tale that fluctuates between interesting and mind numbing and Hank's humorous outlook on life just wasn't enough to carry the day with this one.

Some books take a while to find their legs and get going but this is not one of them. Right from the beginning I found my curiosity piqued and I was rooting for Joe Ledger even though I still didn't know too much about him. Jonathan Maberry does an excellent job of story telling in Patient Zero by the manner in which he reveals the bigger picture while at the same time providing increased insight into the man that is Joe Ledger. Patient Zero is a bit of a mash-up of 24 with a zombie apocalypse and things remain interesting from cover to cover.