Brian Holbrook felt he was on the fast track to no where, as he was now a man with a checkered past. When he was a big shot heart doctor, he managed to get hooked on prescription medication, got busted and lost his license. In the process, he lost his wife and two daughters to divorce. But after saving a life with an off the wall diagnosis, he was given another chance to be a doctor. Once he gets on board at Boston Heart Hospital, he realizes that the hospital involved in a medical trial using a medicine that is on the cusp of getting approved through the FDA. Which would of course mean millions of dollars for some savvy doctors. But Brian begins to notice that patients that have been on the drug awhile are having a strange reaction. Is this just a symptom of something else or is this directly related to the new miracle medication. Once Brian begins to dig deeper into past patients lives, things start getting a bit more sinister in his. Once his best friend turns up missing, he realizes that he is in over his head. How will he get of of this nightmare now and who is going to believe an ex-junkie like him? No one writes a great medical thriller like Michael Palmer does and this one was no exception. The only slight problem I had is an incident that Brian started the first week he was at the hospital and that led me to believe he wasn't as rehabilitated as he appeared. No he didn't ingest anymore drugs, but it was something that took me awhile to get around. In the end Brian did the right thing, but I don't know if two wrongs made a right in this case. You will have to read to see what I mean and see how you feel about it. Happy Reading.
if it looks too good to be true . . . . This is a medical thriller about the testing, promoting, and profit involved in the release of a miracle drug-one that would unclog all clogged arteries. The hero, Brian, is a brilliant doctor who had his medical license revoked due to his addiction to pain medication and his illegal efforts to feed his habit. He is given a chance to make a fresh start in prestigious teaching hospital that is actively testing and developing drugs and instruments in partnership with the corporations that produce them. He is thrilled to be back in his chosen field—he had been working in a car wash; yet he risks it all to investigate discrepancies he is finding in medical records and patients with problematic symptoms. I wanted to root for him, the selfless crusader taking on the corporate giant, but he lost me when he used illegal means to help get his father the drug. Crusader/heroes should take the moral high ground. He stated his main problem is his ego—that he always thinks he can handle things better than anyone else, and this is displayed in his rationalization of his questionable actions and some of the stupid chances he took. Very action-packed but characters hard to identify with or like.
In another stellar early classic medical thriller from Michael Palmer, Miracle Cure, this one tackled finding the right cure and medical treatment for diseases. For Dr. Brian Holbrook, he received a second chance to prove himself after a troubled path. At the Boston Heart Institute, he was chosen to join the medical team on testing a new miracle drug. With results so promising, he pushed his own father to join the study and get accepted, since he had a dangerous heart condition. But later he believed his superiors was hiding something sinister, when medical records start to disappear, medical patients start to die, and was this drug would cause a death. As Brian started to dig deeper, his answers could cost more than his medical career.
—Kristen
So I wavered between 3 & 4 stars and went with the 4, because despite the far-fetched depth of the deception, it was a real page turner of a suspense story. A new drug is touted as a miracle cure for coronary arteriosclerosis and there is a hard push for the FDA to fast-track it's approval for the market. Dr. Brian Holbrook is a talented cardiologist who lost his license because of a substance abuse addiction. A serendipitous meeting with an old chum from intern/resident days leads to a probational hire onto the staff of the facility and clinic where the drug is in clinical trials. Through a series of incidents, Brian begins to suspect that things aren't as straightforward as they seem with the drug. As he begins to investigate further and his concerns mount, he also realizes that his second chance at a career and perhaps even his life is on the line.
—Chris
In my last review on North River I explained that my underlying theme for my reading this year, was revolving around the subject of medical profession, and this book ties into that category well. This book, has a very interesting, plot in which there is a new found disease, which is very deadly, and the protagonist who must help stop it, who is a former cardiologist himself, is also trying to take care of his sick father. So, when authors try to portray a mix between a family relationship and the inner workings of medicine. You end of with a concoction of details and imagery, and overall a great book, I highly recommend this book to anyone, who wants a great read.
—Zachary Marciano
