Tag Archives: Medical Thriller

Bellevue by Robin Cook – a Review

Posted on by
14

Bellevue by Robin Cook – a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Google Play / Apple / BAM / Bookbub

 

Description:
Twenty-four-year-old Michael “Mitt” Fuller starts his surgical residency with great anticipation at the nearly 300-year-old, iconic BELLEVUE HOSPITAL, following in the footsteps of four previous, celebrated Fuller generations. The pressure is on for this newly minted doctor, and to his advantage he’s always had a secret sixth sense, a sensitivity to the nonphysical which gradually plays a progressive role, especially as one patient after another assigned to his care begin to die from mysterious causes. At first he thinks it is just the ‘luck of the draw’, but as the numbers mount, he’s forced to think otherwise. As he struggles to find out why these people are dying while simultaneously having to deal with the unreasonable demands of being first-year resident, things rapidly spiral out of control.

Between fatigue, stress, and nerves, it’s no wonder that these first few days and nights of his surgical residency are tough ones. What is surprising, though, are the visions that begin to plague Mitt – visions of a little girl in a blood-stained dress, hearing bloodcurdling screams in the distance, and worse. As bodies mount and Mitt’s stress level rises, he finds himself drawn into the secrets of the abandoned Bellevue Psychopathic Hospital building, which to his astonishment still exists, defying demolition a few doors north of the modern Bellevue Hospital high-rise. Forcing an unauthorized entry into this storied but scary structure, Mitt discovers he’s more closely tied to the sins of the past than he ever thought possible.

 

 

 

Review:

Bellevue by Robin Cook is a suspense, horror, gripping medical thriller with a supernatural twist. We meet Michael (Mitt) Fuller, who starts his surgical residency with Bellevue Hospital; a three-hundred-year-old famous hospital in New York City.   He follows his earlier ancestors from many years ago; Mitt is a first-year intern; being sleep-deprived. The pressure brings upon fatigue, stress, and nerves, with the first few days being tough ones.

Mitt also has a secret sixth sense, and though he has done well working with the other residents, he begins to worry that all of his patients that he was assigned to, begin to die from mysterious causes. From the start, Mitt began to see visions from the past, such as a young girl in a blood-stained dress, as well as others who show up out of nowhere.  Things begin to spiral out of control, especially with all his patients ending up dead; as well finding himself drawn to the long-closed Bellevue Psychopathic Hospital. With this leading to a supernatural ghost element and Mitt finding himself anxious and stressed. Mitt tries to explain to his friend, who is also just starting out, and worries that he is being affected by his so-called visions.

Mitt will meet someone who also has visions, and learns more about what his ancestor did all those years ago.  Mitt will discover that he be more closely tied to the terrible scary things done by his ancestors.  Two of his ancestors were controversial; such as being opposed using anesthesia after it was widely accepted, and other also causing serious pain. Bellevue was a suspenseful, scary, thought-provoking, and tragical medical thriller. The last third of the book was very intense, with a number tragic events.  I will say that I was shocked with the way things ended in this book. Bellevue was well written by Robin Cook, but again, I did not like how this did end.  Overall, this was a good book, but the supernatural element changed drastically.  If you are a fan of medical thrillers, then you should read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

Share

Manner of Death by Robin Cook – a Review

Posted on by
13

Manner of Death by Robin Cook – a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Google Play / Apple / BAM / Bookbub

 

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

 

 

 

Share

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

Posted on by
9

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

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Google Play / Apple / BAM / Book Depository

 

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

 

 

Share

Charlatans by Robin Cook – a Review

Posted on by
11

Charlatans by Robin Cook – a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository

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

 

Save

Save

Save

Share