The Deep Zone by James M. Tabor

 I loved the movie, Journey to the Center of the Earth. It holds a special spot in my DVD rack. It  was the first movie I watched as a kid that I sat all the way through. Caves, rocks, and fossils did more for me than Cinderella ever could. When I got the chance to review the uncorrect proof of The Deep Zone by James M. Tabor, I jumped at it. The novel was everything I expected and then some.

An  apocalyptic disease has hit our military. Ninety percent of soldiers infected  with the bacteria, die. Unanswered questions frighten medical personnel, one of  which faces the disease head on, without a level four bio-suit. 
 
Enter Hallie, ex-microbiologist, formerly employed at BARDA, a division of the CDC.  Asked to resign, accused of selling secrets, she is now a dive instructor in  Florida. At least until the men in black arrive, whisk her away to Washington  D.C., and return her to BARDA. 
 
The  last project she worked on included an extremophile, found at the depths of one  of the largest and strangest caves on earth. This bit of bacteria was the last  best hope of a new class of antibiotics. And is the only hope for the bacterium,  ACE.
 
The team is assembled and presented with the option to return to the super cave,  where the extremophile was originally found. 
 
The cave, Cueva de Luz, or Cave of Light, is said to possess a life of its own. It  inhales, exhales, and the spirit that resides within, can, and will, guide those it wishes to help. Nervous about reentering the cave, Hallie has to rely on her  expertise, knowing that even the most experienced cavers have encountered death. 
 
Along  with her group, is Bowman, tall, dark, handsome, and ex-CIA agent, he joins  forces with Hallie, when one man after the other falls victim to the caves' secret hazards. 
 
As  the romantic element, Hallie and Bowman are superb. Both characters are well  developed, likable, and interesting.  Tabor describes the scenes within the  cave with expertise. You can feel and hear the water dripping from the rocks  overhead. Envision the acid lake, the narrows, and the monolithic chamber in  which the extremophile lives.  
 
You  sense the urgency of those above ground, battling the bacteria,  with little help from available antibiotics. You feel the horror that comes  with the  understanding that this disease, created by man, has a ninety  percent death  rate. 
 
Action  packed, romantic, scary, and thrilling, The Deep Zone is  one of the best books I have read in quite awhile. 

Disclaimer: This book is an uncorrected proof.