What do You think about The Select (1994)?
After hearing Eric Bauman talk about Wilson several times, I asked for a suggestion on which of his books to read, and Eric sent me this one. I am not normally one for medical thrillers -- I've never warmed to Robin Cook, for example -- but this book had a nice twist, taking place in a prestigious medical school. Very early on you realize what's going on behind the scenes at the school, so it's not so much a mystery as a thriller where you know more than the characters know and wait anxiously to see how much they're going to figure out and when.The main characters are pretty well-drawn, starting out as stereotypes (the financially-struggling, uptight female A-student; the ne'er-do-well slacker who also gets As; the gruff security chief, the kindly old professor and the shady medical department head) but most of them, especially the students, become far more "real" by the end of the book. There are things you KNOW will happen: the inevitable romance, the inevitable revelation that someone is not what they seem, the inevitable "chase" scene. Not much comes as a surprise, but the book is still a satisfying read. One small nit to pick: the apparent subplot about the identity of the cadaver Quinn and Tim are assigned to in anatomy lab never really dovetails with the main plot in any significant way ... it's also like Wilson got bored with it and decided no-one would notice if he let it go.
—Anthony
THE SELECT F. Paul Wilson covers more ground than any writer I have had the pleasure to read; Sci-Fi, Horror, Thrillers, Medical Mysteries (Mr. Wilson also practices medicine) and his very popular Repairman Jack series which happens to cover all of the areas previously mentioned. The Select is a medical mystery about a top-notch medical school, which only selects the best of the best to be added to its alumni. The school, which seems to be every aspiring doctors dream actually becomes a nightmare for three friends chosen to test for entry exams. The school hides a huge secret and will stop at nothing to keep their activity quiet. I highly recommend this book. I feel this is one of Mr. Wilson's best efforts. I wish he would write more books in this genre but he claims he has nothing left to say in this field and he doesn't want to be repetitive.
—Kevin
The description on the back of this book does not do it justice! Someone told me that you could get books cheat at the Goodwill and I thought I would check it out. I bought this book for .50 and man, what a bargain! I was gripped from the moment I started it. I have read Wilson's work before in his Repairman Jack series so I knew this would be good...I just didn't realize it would be THAT good. It is not much of a mystery as you can guess what is happening a few chapters in. What grabs you is the suspense that Wilson keeps you in through the entire book. This was a really good read and be prepared to stay up at night to get a few more chapters in.
—Jody
