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Read Natural Causes (1994)

Natural Causes (1994)

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Rating
3.91 of 5 Votes: 4
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ISBN
0553568760 (ISBN13: 9780553568769)
Language
English
Publisher
bantam

Natural Causes (1994) - Plot & Excerpts

Almost too complicated, villian-riddled plot thrills!We're fans of Palmer and have read most of his booklist, now standing at ten novels. We like his ability to describe medical complexities in plain enough terms to get us through but with plausible enough premises that the scare factor heightens his suspenseful storylines. "Natural Causes" continues in this vein as pregnant women start losing their babies and dying themselves from a rare blood disorder. Is it being caused by (our heroine) Dr. Sarah Baldwin's use of "herbal supplements"? Or is it related to her former lover's mysterious oriental-herb-mix weight loss miracle product? A team of lawyers, doctors, CDC specialists, and our heroine in self-defense plow through a labyrinth of plot twists and turns before the truth will out toward the end. That so many of the central characters turn out bad gets a bit depressing after a while; and some of the sinister goings-on with shady underworld types get a little hard to believe. And how the rattlesnake poison found in Sarah's locker tied in never was revealed that we could tell. But admittedly the pages kept turning til the satisfying conclusion spells out almost all. Palmer has a fine imagination and excellent craft. Sarah was a rather remarkable lead character with the somewhat unique combination of extensive traditional medical training (she's an MD and a surgeon) as well as a two-year stint in Thailand learning acupuncture and other alternative healing methods. Palmer uses her talents as a ploy to discuss these methodologies in interesting detail. While this time our author almost outdoes himself with the complexity of his tale, we suspect most will enjoy it thoroughly as they read on into the night!

Sarah learned all kinds of things living in Asia. She learned about acupuncture and alternative medicine. She gets a job in OB/GYN in a Boston hospital. Sarah uses these alternative methods to treat her patients. But two of these ladies and their babies have died. Why? Then a third patient starts having the same symptoms. Sarah delivers the baby, but it has died. She manages to save the life of the mother. But she is in big trouble because this is a rich man's daughter. Sarah is getting sued for malpractice. But there is something else going on. The hospital calls in the CDC. Sarah, her malpractice lawyer Matt and Rose (from the CDC) try to figure out just what is causing these symptoms and killing these ladies and their children.I haven't read a book like this in awhile. This one was very good. The story kept me at the edge of my seat!!

What do You think about Natural Causes (1994)?

Took me a while to get into this. I don't know if the thickness of the book played with my mind or what, but at one point over the weekend I questioned whether I should continue. Palmer's reputation as an author whose books I enjoy is what kept me motivated, and once I got in about 100 pages it was smooth sailing until the end.I felt there could have been more character development in the book. So many people were introduced and given just enough suspicious traits to make the reader wonder if they were the 'bad guy' (or girl), but otherwise I kept forgetting who was who, and as the ending of the book unravelled, there were so many little details I missed that I had to keep thinking back and wondering how person 1 was connected to person 2, and then there are some connections that were never made earlier.Plot was good, and for its time back in 1994, alternative medicine hadn't taken hold in mainstream culture so it fits the time. Even today, I suspect there are doctors who would be skeptical of alternative healing, so kudos to the author for putting 'successes' with alternative healing into the plot. Would like another book about Sarah, or any of Palmer's protagonists, but that's something I've gotten used to, forgetting one main character and the cast of supporters from one book when it comes time to read the next.
—Kristin

Another great medical mystery by Palmer. Each of his stories has spooked me a little about doctors and especially hospitals but they are good and they do raise awareness of what can happen and I think it just puts you on guard when you do have to use a hospital. The story revolves around a hospital that is trying to use by conventional medical practices and alternative methods of healing and one resident doctor in particular, Dr. Sarah Baldwin, is she a quake and a killer, or is someone trying to set her up??? The only part of the story that I didn't like was the wrap up. As sometimes happens I think the author just can't figure out how to get all the story lines come together and finish up what has been a great story and suddenly it's over and you're shaking your head and saying REALLY. But even with that the book was great.
—Carol

A gripping medical novel that kept me sitting on the edge of my seat!! Page after page I was intrigued with the nightmare which Sarah finds herself caught up in.From back cover:"Dr. Sarah Baldwin races to a Boston hospital with a young woman whose normal labour has suddenly become a matter of life and death. As she struggles to save both mother and baby, she doesn't know that two other women have already died under horrifying identical circumstances. And so begins Sarah's own nightmare, as she learns that the prenatal herbal vitamins she prescribed are the only thing these three women have in commmon.Soon Sarah is fighting to save her career, her reputation, her life. For she's certain there must be some unknown factor linking these women, and as she gets closer to the truth, it becomes clear that someone will do anything, even murder, to keep a devastating secret".
—Louise

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