The novel discusses the issue of malpractices committed by the slaughterhouses in order to maximize profits. It also demonstrates the collusion of government officials with these organizations and calls for much tougher laws to prevent malpractices. It also attracts the readers attention to the great dangers presented by artificial strains of E.Coli like, which causes around twenty thousand deaths a year.Recently divorced Dr Kim Reggis is proud to have his precocious daughter Becky with him. Being a father to a single daughter, he obviously loved her like anything. One day, Kim and his daughter went out to have a treat of burger and fries at Onion Ring( a fast food chain ). The next day, Becky complained to her father of abdominal cramps and diahorrea. Kim assumed it as a normal food-poisoning incidence, and treated her daughter with over-the-counter diahorrea drugs. But, Becky's condition grew worse day by day. Finally, she had to be taken to a specialist doctor, who told Kim and his ex-wife to admit Becky to the hospital. Becky had been poisoned by a very poisonous strain of E.coli which led to a slow detorioration of Becky's health. The strain of E.coli was so strong, that it led to multiple organ failure. This led to Becky's death. The death of Becky came like a blow to Kim and his ex-wife. So, Kim decided to pay a visit to Onion Ring, and he found out that the ham-burger patty consumed by his daughter was heavily infected by E.coli. This infuriated him, and he found out the company which supplied the meat to Onion Ring. Under an alias, Kim started working in the meat company with the help of his ex-wife. Kim is not aware that the company has hired an hit-man in order to get rid of him, and to clear the chapter about the food-poisoning of Becky, because this will only affect them in the future. But, Kim fights his own life for the sake of his daughter and also other children, who may lose their lives by this E.coli strain.Battling against all odds and being a wanted fugitive, he finally manages to wage a strict action against the meat company. I personally enjoy this suspenseful medical thriller and would love to read more of Robin Cooks novels. This novel has made me more cautious than i already am about meats and where they come from. Overall the book was amazing and it explains to people that the meat industry needs to be more aware of their meat. they need to observe it for Ecoli bacteria.
This is one of the worst books I've ever read. The author gives us characters that are too dumb to exist in scenarios that go so far past implausible that one's head spins.Our protagonist is Dr. Regis, a man with an MD that doesn't understand how commonplace e. coli is (in an effort to push the plot forward, the author has Dr. Regis find out key bits of information from a random stranger in an elevator). He gets physically violent with other physicians on several other occasions for no good reason. I suppose this is Cook's effort at giving his character... well, character. However, it comes off as amateurish at best.Elsewhere in the plot, corporate stockyards purchase diseased cattle from random rednecks. There are so many stereotypes at play here -- greedy corporations, illiterate white country folk -- that it's laughable.I wouldn't read it again. This turned me off of Robin Cook as an author for good. Somebody that treats his readers so shabbily can't be recommended.Ostensibly, this book is an indictment of the American meat distribution model. It turns out to be more of a display of how ignorant Mr. Cook is and the disdain with which he treats his subjects.
What do You think about Toxin (1999)?
I give it only one star because it felt more like it was for information first and the story line was an after thought. It makes you look twice about burgers but I see no point in stop eating ground meat because there is so much that can kill you. If a burger will make you happy to eat you might as well eat it. I just reread the the description of the book and wonder if I read the same thing because it doesn't seem to be explaining the same book I read because makes it sound alot more exciting with more meat to it than there really is. Plus in the book it was a daughter and not a son. But the book I read was nothing like that but yet had same title and author. Some one must be getting their information wrong here. Maybe the author has the good version of the book hidden away.
—Kristina
I found out that there are really controversial opinions of this book. The theme and the plot was great. I would say one of his best. But... The characters look so naive... Like they were too good, too enthusiastic, too eager to help... And too inteligent. I don't think that there are so many people in the world that know almost everything about E coli and have an opinion about that and know what exactly does it cause. I din't know for example. Also, a lot of times there were, that someone was a
—Lenka Olejníková
This book is an amazing read that makes the reader really think about food and about life and how precious it is. As well as how easily life can be ended by uncontrollable circumstances. The book is quite fast paced and, personally, I could not put the book down. I read this book in less than a day and this book literally made me love to read. As a good person I suggest everyone read this amazing book! The incite and explicit detail will have any thrill-seeking soul flipping page after page to get to the delicious ending. Alas this book is most definitely not for the squeamish and could possibly be dangerous if other stuff needs to be done as the book simply can not be put down once picked up.
—Alex Weaver
