Earth has introduced a new virus into space, and the creators can no longer control the creation.

“Gravity” by Tess Gerritsen is a medical suspense novel that looks into this situation.

The book features the most diverse settings available. It takes place under the ocean, in the desert and on a space station. Gerritsen weaves the genres of medicine, suspense, horror and sci-fi into a bundle of pure excitement.

When astronaut Bill Haning, board the International Space Station (ISS), learns that his wife is terminally ill, another doctor, Emma Watson, is sent to replace him.

However, before the change can be made, Haning makes a fatal mistake. The doctor, in a hurry to finish his work, allows part of a cell culture to escape into the air. A hungry lab mouse soon eats this floating cell, and the nightmare begins.

On earth, the force of gravity controls everything. Anything that grows must obey gravity. In space, the law of gravity does not exist. This allows organisms to grow without any limitations.

The cell culture that was released is not restricted. It violently reacts to the mouse’s physiology and kills it. The mouse then becomes contagious to the crew on board the ISS.

The space shuttle “Discovery” is sent on a medical rescue mission when an ISS astronaut takes ill. However, the virus is starting to adapt to its new environment. No one can be sure who is infected and who is not. The situation is made even graver when it is learned that no cure can be found.

The plot thickens when Emma Watson’s husband Dr. Jack McCallum discovers the virus was sent to the station from earth. This new discovery causes the president and the army to get involved.

NASA is soon taken over by the Air Force, who believes biological terrorists may be involved. Will anyone survive if the virus makes it to earth?

“Gravity” is a high-paced, unpredictable thriller. Gerritsen keeps the reader guessing the entire time. Her use of current technologies and pinpoint details makes the story viable.

The major strength of “Gravity” is that it is a sci-fi novel in disguise. The reader will not realize that this book is a science fiction novel until halfway through the book. The use of medical fact mixed with the unknowns of space makes it easy to believe that this situation could actually happen.

In this case, fiction masquerading as fact is a most terrifying aspect.

Tess Gerritsen has earned her place among the top writers of today. She rivals Robin Cook’s medical knowledge as well as Michael Crichton’s mastery of suspense.

“Gravity” is a book that will grab the reader after two pages.

This is one of the few cases that the critical acclaim is justified. A novel like this does not come around every day.