Tag Archives: Medical Thriller

Manner of Death by Robin Cook – a Review

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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 14th 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

 

 

 

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Aftershock by Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell -a Review

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Aftershock by Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell -a Review

 

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Description:
There’s a body crushed under a load of pipes on a San Francisco construction site, and medical examiner Dr. Jessie Teska is on call. So it’s her job to figure out who it is—and her headache when the autopsy reveals that the death is a homicide staged as an accident.

Jessie is hot on the murderer’s trail, then an earthquake sends her and her whole city reeling. When the dust clears, her case has fallen apart and an innocent man is being framed. Jessie knows she’s the only one who can prove it, and she races to piece together the truth—before it gets buried and brings her down in the rubble.

With Melinek and Mitchell’s trademark blend of propulsive prose, deft plotting and mordant humor, this rollicking new installment in the Jessie Teska Mystery series will shake you up and leave you rattled.

 

 

Review:

Aftershock by Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell is the 2nd book in their Jessie Teska series.  I did not read the first book in this series, but it did read well as a standalone.  Aftershock begins with Medical Examiner Jessie Teska, our heroine, called in the middle of the night to investigate a dead body at a construction site. The body lies under pipes that had dropped from a collapsed beam. Everyone assumes it was an accident, but Jessie notices signs of the body having been dragged, no blood on site, and other small things which dictated that this was staged. The police give her a hard time, as they prefer this being an accident, but Jessie is determined to prove this was murder.

There is also a romantic element to the story, as Jessie is in a relationship with someone, who resents all the time she spends trying to solve every case.  I really didn’t care too much for her boyfriend, especially since he refused her to meet his family.  This is part of the overall story, but in the background to the true storyline.

When an earthquake, hits Jessie suffers a head injury, but she pushes to get released, as she needs to examine the victim, as well as the other normal deaths that come in during the earthquake.  Jessie is a workaholic and when the detectives arrest one of men at the construction site, Jessie keeps investigating, as she feels this person is being framed.  Along the way, she does alienate some people, as per her discoveries that causes the police to be negative, as well as her boyfriend walking out.   But Jessie proves herself to be a great medical examiner, as well as her own detective work. 

What follows is an exciting story, though I will note that I thought Jessie’s continual determination to prove who was the real culprit put her life in danger a few times, especially with her injuries.  It did not feel realistic.  The ending was a wild climax, holding my breath if Jessie would survive. It was sort of a surprise as to who, how and why?

Aftershock was a good mystery, and Jessie Teska was very good as the heroine, though I thought some things she continued to do border lined on believability. The story had covered a lot of areas, earthquake, murder, dysfunctional family, police/DA issues and intense situations.  Overall, Aftershock was well written by Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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Charlatans by Robin Cook – a Review

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Charlatans by Robin Cook – a Review

 

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Description:
Noah Rothauser is the new super chief resident at Boston Memorial Hospital. Housing state-of-the-art medical facilities, it’s always been Noah’s dream to work for such an esteemed institution. But the pressures of the role become all too clear when a seemingly routine operation results in the tragic death of an otherwise healthy man. With potential malpractice suspected it falls to the newly appointed surgical doctor to investigate what happened.

Questioning those involved uncovers bitter feuds within the hospital’s surgical staff when Dr. William Mason, the egotistical, world-class surgeon who performed the operation, is quick to blame staff anaeshtetist Dr. Ava London for the disastrous outcome. However Dr. London, along with the nursing staff, point the finger at the surgeon.

When two more anaesthesia-related deaths occur, Noah is forced to look closer at the impressively competent, charming, yet mysterious Dr. London, and he quickly realizes there’s far more to her than meets the eye. With his own job and integrity coming into jeopardy, Noah must decide which doctor is at fault and who he can believe – before any more lives are lost . . .

 

 

Review:

Charlatans by Robin Cook is another exciting book in his psychological medical thrillers. Noah Rothauser is our hero, and the new super Chief resident at Boston Memorial Hospital.   Noah is much respected in the hospital, and is also a workaholic who loves his job.   Very early on in the story, something drastically goes wrong in the operating room on a simple hernia operation.   In desperation, all the top surgeons and anesthesia specialist converge to try to save the person to no avail. 

When Noah interviews everyone, it turns out to be the patient’s fault (he ate when he said he didn’t).    But Nathan comes across the main surgeon, Dr. Mason, who is an egotiscal top surgeon, and he blames the anesthetist, Dr. London, as well as Noah.  However, all the nurses, Dr. London and those involved in early prep work blame Mason for delaying the operation an hour after all the preparation was done.

Noah knows he does not want to face Mason, who has a lot of pull and power in the hospital, which could in the end cost him his job.   What follows is an exciting story line, where Noah will find himself working with Ava London to get to the truth, and in doing so; a slow build romance will follow.   Noah in time will begin to be concerned after a few more unexplained deaths, and his worry about Ava’s other jobs/hobbies, as well as her disappearances.  But all hell breaks loose when Mason comes up with something that will put Noah’s job in jeopardy.  Within all this, there is an underlining story that has nothing to do with the hospital deaths, but little pov’s are shown the will reveal itself with a major twist as we race toward the climax.  It is very difficult to tell too much more, as anything else would be spoilers. 

Robin Cook once again has come up with an exciting thriller that I could not put the book down until I finished it.  There are a lot of surprises, and it did change the game.  I suggest you read Charlatans.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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The Girl at the Bar by Nicholas Nash-Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

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THE GIRL AT THE BAR by Nicholas Nash-Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

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THE GIRL AT THE BAR
by Nicholas Nash
Release Date: February 1, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, psychological, medical, thriller
The Girl at The Bar

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RELEASE DATE: February 1, 2017

Rebecca, a brilliant cancer researcher, disappears after a one-night stand with a neurotic man with a questionable past.

Her sudden disappearance in the midst of a high-stakes quest to cure cancer between two rival billionaires sets into motion an inexplicable chain of events as the bodies start to pile up.

No one knows why she disappeared. The race to find answers ensnares everyone around her, one of whom is a deeply disturbed psychopath lurking in the shadows.

Is Rebecca still alive? What happened to her? Who did it? And why? Questions about her vex everyone looking for answers. No one can be trusted and no one is above suspicion

••••••••

REVIEW: THE GIRL AT THE BAR by first time author Nicholas Nash is a stand alone,contemporary, adult, psychological, medical thriller that follows several paths culminating in a decades long vendetta for sins of the past.

Told from several third person points of view using flashbacks, memories, present day and the meanderings of a psychotic mind THE GIRL AT THE BAR is a story of research, hope, devastation, betrayal, murder and revenge. Rebecca Chase is a cancer specialist on the cusp of discovering a possible cure for cancer but hours before her symposium presentation Rebecca goes missing, and the last person to see her, Ragnar Johnson, is a man with a questionable past and Rebecca’s one-night stand. What ensues is a multi-layered investigation looking at several potential suspects that is hindered when a number of Rebecca’s colleagues are murdered within days of her disappearance.

THE GIRL AT THE BAR is a psychological thriller ; a story of intrigue that looks at the competitive side of cancer research; the probabilities of finding a cure; and the potential to save thousands of lives if a cure is to be found. There is an enormous amount of medical detail and technical terminology all relating to finding a cure for the big C but as to its’ authenticity I am not able to confirm the validity of the information presented. The story line also has some questionable means of investigation when a person of interest (aka suspect) is able to uncover more information and clues than the law enforcement or the forensic investigators combined. Similar to many thrillers THE GIRL AT THE BAR contains scenes of graphic violence, blood shed and murder.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including the members of two competing research teams, the medical community, law enforcement and a host of witnesses, suspects, and a computer genius capable of breaking through any computer barrier.

THE GIRL AT THE BAR is an engaging and intriguing story line of suspense. The premise is thrilling; the characters are colorful and animated; the reveal is a surprise you will never see coming.

Copy supplied for review (Netgalley)

Reviewed by Sandy

Guest post-Black and White

Thank you Sandy for covering me on your blog and to all the readers who are taking the time to read this!

My upcoming book is called THE GIRL AT THE BAR. The official release date of the book is February 1, 2017. The book starts off with the disappearance of a top cancer researcher, Rebecca Chase, after she has a one-night stand with someone she meets in a bar. The book is a classic whodunit with a lot of twists and turns. I cover the topic of cancer as a disease and the latest developments in cancer research in the book in a manner that the reader can follow. That said, the book is about people, how they think and how they react in situations.

For the book, I drew inspiration from my own real life experiences in creating settings, characters or story lines. I have met some very interesting people in my life. The characters are composites of several people, borrowing interesting features and creating a character that is completely different from others but at the same time interesting and striking, someone you would like to read about and root for.

Writing a mystery book is a balancing act. I had to hide the facts and create the mystery just enough that the reader does not guess the climax. At the same time, I was leaving behind sufficient clues such that when the reader reaches the end, they feel like it was all there but did not guess it. The fun is to make the reader feel stumped, surprised and excited at the same time. Getting that right balance while writing the mystery is probably the most difficult part.

Overall, I wrote the book trying to keep the reader at the edge right up to the end. I hope readers feel the same way. I enjoyed all the research that went into the book. There are so many small facts and interesting tid bits that I found while doing my research and I strung them all together into the book, be it some obscure facts about cancer, the Chinese underworld in New York or some fancy computer programs that play a key role in the book.

I hope you’ll enjoy reading the book!

About The Author Black and White

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From the website:

Hi! I am Nicholas Nash, the author of The Girl At The Bar, a psychological thriller about the mysterious disappearance of a brilliant cancer researcher, Rebecca Chase, and the quest to find what happened to her. The Girl At The Bar has been influenced by numerous events in my life, people I’ve met, interesting stories I’ve heard and places I have traveled to.

I am a simple person at heart who loves reading (“Who doesn’t?”), traveling (“Again, who doesn’t?”), and listening to music (“That’s it Nick! You better write something interesting to bring in the readers. Something unique, like you are a retired Formula One driver who was once a stand-in for Jimmy Page during Led Zeppelin’s last concert.”). I live with this semi-nagging voice inside my head that always wants to talk to me, telling me things I should be doing, thinking about or writing. I don’t always listen to this voice, but I finally decided to give it a chance and we wrote The Girl At The Bar. The book is as much my creation as it is my alter ego’s. If you enjoy the book, my alter ego will very much like to take the credit, thank you. If you don’t, it will be entirely my fault. At least that’s what the voice in my head is telling me right now…

I live in Manhattan in New York City with my wife and three children.

Giveaway -black and white

Nicholas Nash is graciously offering a paper copy to ONE (1) lucky commenter and an ebook copy  to another lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. LIKE Nichols Nash on Facebook

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr

8. ebook giveaway open internationally / paper copy open to USA/Canada only

9.. Giveaway runs from January 29-February 2, 2017

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Host by Robin Cook – a Review

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Host by Robin Cook – a Review

 

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Description:
Lynn Peirce, a fourth-year medical student at South Carolina’s Mason-Dixon University, thinks she has her life figured out. But when her otherwise healthy boyfriend, Carl, enters the hospital for routine surgery, her neatly ordered life is thrown into total chaos. Carl fails to return to consciousness after the procedure, and an MRI confirms brain death.

Devastated by Carl’s condition, Lynn searches for answers. Convinced there’s more to the story than what the authorities are willing to reveal, Lynn uses all her resources at Mason-Dixon—including her initially reluctant lab partner, Michael Pender—to hunt down evidence of medical error or malpractice.

What she uncovers, however, is far more disturbing. Hospitals associated with Middleton Healthcare, including the Mason-Dixon Medical Center, have unnervingly high rates of unexplained anesthetic complications and patients contracting serious and terminal illness in the wake of routine hospital admissions.

When Lynn and Michael begin to receive death threats, they know they’re into something bigger than either of them anticipated. They soon enter a desperate race against time for answers before shadowy forces behind Middleton Healthcare and their partner, Sidereal Pharmaceuticals, can put a stop to their efforts once and for all.

 

 

Review:

Host by Robin Cook is another one of his exciting medical thrillers. We meet our heroine, Lynn Peirce, a medical student at Mason-Dixon University, who is in her 4th year. When Lynn’s boyfriend, Carl enters the hospital for a simple surgery on his knee, she goes to see him before going to school. She finds out that her boyfriend is now comatose, and considered brain dead, with no one really sure what happened, other than a blimp on the anesthesia machine.

Michael Pender is Lynn’s friend and also a 4th year medical student at the same school. Together they try to find out what went wrong. Going against all the rules, Lynn and Michael use their being students at the hospital to read the charts, and written explanations from doctors on the case. Before long, they begin to discover that this was not the first unexplained death in the hospital, and many of the complications were very similar. Soon they begin to receive threats of expulsion, and eventually death threats.

Though Michael wants to help Lynn, he fears she is pushing too far, putting herself in danger. Michael agrees to continue to help her, and as findings begin to show a pattern, the danger escalates that will put both of their lives on the line. They discover a conspiracy between the hospital, the Shapiro Institute, where comatose patients are sent, and a drug company that is run by a Russian billionaire. What follows is an extremely exciting, nail biting adventure, with Lynn and Michael on borrowed time, as they venture where they should not have gone, but discover what The Shapiro Institute is really doing.

We hold our breath, as Lynn tries to find someone to help, someone that would believe her, and fast before either her or Michael are killed. This was a very exciting and scary story, which makes us think if being in a hospital is truly a safe place to be. Robin Cook once again gives us a top notch thriller from start to finish. Host was an edge of your seat page turner, and a great read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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