Manner of Death by Robin Cook – a Review

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Description:
In this new fast-paced medical mystery-thriller from the New York Times bestselling author Robin Cook, fan favorites Jack and Laurie must determine the manner of death after a pathology resident’s suspicious suicide.

Due to Jack Stapleton’s ongoing recovery from his near-death confrontation with a serial killer, his wife Laurie Montgomery, the NYC chief medical examiner, is carrying the load both at work and at home. When she insists an underperforming pathology resident named Ryan Sullivan assist her on a suicide autopsy, Laurie unknowingly provokes an emotional storm in the trainee.So, when Ryan himself appears on the medical examiner’s table days later, an apparent death by suicide, Laurie’s guilt compels her to try to understand why. Jack’s autopsy on the resident opens the disturbing possibility that the manner of death wasn’t suicide but instead a staged homicide. But staged by whom?Laurie ignores her own professional rules and responsibilities to investigate personally who might want Ryan dead…and for what reason. Thus begins a dangerous inquiry into a fraudulent but highly lucrative cancer diagnostics company, which might just cost Laurie her life.

Review:

Manner of Death by Robin Cook is a stand-alone mystery thriller. This is actually the 14^th novel that features fan favorites, Laurie and Jack. Laurie Montgomery is the chief medical examiner in NYC; her husband Jack Stapleton is a pathologist, who is recovering from an attack by a serial killer (in previous book). Laurie decides to work with Ryan Sullivan, a pathologist, who is assigned to work for a month with the medical examiner team.   

Ryan comes across as unlikeable, as he is not happy about doing autopsies, especially since his experience with suicides as a child, as well as trying to take his own life in the past. Laurie takes him under her wing, to help him see a different look at how things are done.  When she explains about red flags on recent suicides, which are questionable, especially with 6 flags in a 6-month period. Are they truly suicides or homicide. Ryan requests Laurie to allow him to review these cases further, and she agrees to let him investigate.

Ryan will visit a number of medical legal investigators (MLI), asking questions regarding these suicides, and why they did not have enough information to look beyond a suicide. As Ryan gets deeper into the research, he finds that the deceases cases are linked to an oncology clinic, that gives early cancer testing results.  Both Laurie and Jack have warned Ryan are only to investigate within the department, but he makes a decision visit the company to make them aware of his findings

What follows is a wild and intense situation that will put a number of lives in danger.  When Ryan is found dead of an apparent suicide, Laurie steps up to find out why Ryan would kill himself.  She ignores her own rules of keeping things inside the office, and puts herself very much in danger, in her looking at Ryan’s paper work.

Manner in Death was a suspenseful, engrossing, intense and fast paced story that kept me glued to my kindle.  I could not put this down, as the last quarter of the book was so very exciting. Manner of Death is another wonderful thriller by Robin Cook, which was very well written.  If you enjoy medical mystery-thrillers, I suggest you read Manner of Death.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher