Informed Consent

by Raphael Hirsch

David Myers is a young neurosurgeon willing to bend the rules to join the elite group of researchers who dominate the emerging field of gene therapy. But just when success is within reach, his cherished career is threatened. It becomes clear that someone else has been bending the rules-on him. As he searches frantically for an explanation, he discovers a terrible secret. He and his family have been unwitting subjects in a fifty year-old genetic experiment. And unless he can unravel the mystery, none of them-least of all Dr. David Myers-are safe.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Medical, Mystery, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

326 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 11, 2010

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Medical thrillers are a peculiar category, I suppose in the same way that culinary mystery books are. You take a protagonist who has no business being involved in crime fighting or terrorism or anything of the sort and throw them into a situation and suddenly they're Steven Seagall, "I'm just the cook" as he whips through a squad of mercenaries. In this version, a neuroscience researcher suddenly finds himself involved in a Nazi plot and by the time we're halfway through the book he's involved in a bizarre chain of violence that has him jetting around the world taking on the bad guys, including, with supposedly no prior training, killing off more than one of them. The book definitely requires some serious suspension of disbelief. On a writing level it's pretty well written and engaging, though could use some serious proofreading (a few pet peeves showup, like the misuse of there/their/they're and fair/fare, and more...).

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this was fictional, it was really disturbing. About reproductive experiments done on the prisoners in Auschwitz

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad I finally read it

I was going through my kindle the other day. I get lots of free books from Bookbub and other services. I downloaded most free ones and rarely get to reading them.
I noticed this one was from 2012, my oldest and figured I'd finally have at it. I'm happy I did.
A medical thriller that kept me turning pages to get to the end. One of the fastest reads I've ever had.
Highly recommend

[Marjie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Consent vs informed consent in medical experimentation

Nazi experimentation followed up years later. The moral horror of it examined with a twist. A bit of mystery, science and romance thrown in.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of Informed Comsent

The story captured me. Read almost in one day, It my battery lost power, so finished the next morning
Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with ending that was reminiscent of Raiders oh the Lost Ark genre

[Kimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read.

This was an intriguing book. A lot of medical terms were used but other than that. I enjoyed it very much. There was suspense, a ton of it, and also mystery. Things that made you think, wonder and expect. I liked it.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

In someways a typical free kindle; however the author used his platform to expose in ethical medical research practices and the egos involved.

[Erin Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crazy To think about

Very interesting storyline. Makes me want to do more research on medical experimentation by the Nazis and otherwise. Well written and lots of interesting medical information.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good effort by first-time author Raphael Hirsch. It was somewhat of a page turner but there were certain elements that needed to be smoothed over to suspend the reader's disbelief. The love story seems forced and the feelings between Inga Brandt and David Myers developed all too soon. Investigator Schreiker seems all too willing to see David's side of the story and was too spot-on with his accurate conclusions about David's motives and actions. There were a couple of chasing scenes that included a deus ex machina, which became all too convenient at a time when any other character in another book would not have escaped. However, what will keep readers turning the page is the concept of informed consent and how the medical and scientific research community treat their research subjects. What makes this novel all the more compelling is that it is based on the Nazi's scientific experiments during World War II--unbelievable stories that, incredibly enough, could be truer than one might think.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

I believe I got this book as one of the free daily deals for my Kindle, I was not disappointed. I am completely into medical thrillers, though i tend to critique things that I know are not possible, but then again, this is why we read books, right?? The fantasy world? I am not into sci-fi type thrillers, and this did have a bit of a science-fiction aspect to it, but I still liked it.

I was very interested in the history that it discussed, some of it was fact based. I know that some of the details were probably filled in for the purpose of the book, but the structure was there. It was essentially about a doctor that starts to notice strange things happening around his family. A lot of these things relate back to his mother and a certain doctor that worked with him early on. He travels over to Germany to meet an alleged cousin, but quickly learns that things aren't as they seem. The action in the book kept me reading continuously, I finished the whole book in two days and was stoked that I got this as a freebie!

[A.B. Shepherd · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this book was interesting. Genetic experiments begun during WWII at Auschwitz on prisoners of war. This is what kept me reading to the end. I wanted to know the outcome.

David Myers is not a likeable character and I sort of wanted to like him. I just couldn't. His only redeeming characteristics was his concern for his sister's safety - which seemed to disappear after he left the country midway through the book. She was basically never mentioned or considered again. *sigh*

I would have expected a dedicated doctor/genetic researcher not to be so controlled by his lust, but hey - what do I know?

Anyway - I liked the premise, but not the characters and I prefer to have a protagonist I can root for.

[Michael Stern · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit - I bought this Kindle title mainly because it was recommended by Amazon based on some of my other books, and because it was just $0.99. I was pleasantly surprised. While clearly written by a long-time medical professional (I later found out that Dr. Hirsch is currently Professor of Pediatrics and Chief of Rheumatology at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh), the prose does not disintegrate into biomedical jargon. This, combined with a plot which raises a variety of philosophical and ethics questions, a roster of well-developed characters, and a good measure of exciting action sequences, made it hard for me to put the book down. Highly recommended!

[Kay (Brigidsmomma) Compton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. Wow. This one was an interesting read, and one I'm afraid I may have problems from for some time to come. A little too realistic for me; a mere hair's width this side of horror in favor of thriller, a scientific piece that raises far too many uncomfortable questions. Medical Ethics. Nazi Experimentation. Human moral taboos. They are all here, and all interwoven into a masterpiece of literary genius. This should be a required work for all those entering or even considering Med School. And it should be a thought provoking read for the rest of us. Scary isn't quite the word, but it will do.

[Nancy Ahyee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting idea but too unbelievable

The lead character in the book figures everything out in the first half and spends the second half seeking his revenge. But I found it hard to believe that this character would be capable of battling the thugs sent to kill him and eluding the police with a shoulder injured so badly that it would require surgery and pins to heal correctly. And the number of times he "ignored the alarms" in his head was ridiculous. I also agree with many of the other reviews that the writing style is stilted. Glad this one was free, but even for free, I wouldn't recommend it.

[Suzi Belanger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read most of this fast paced book in a day. The medical premises are not unusual to read about these days (IVF, gene therapy, stem cell research), but it's how the author crafts his story that makes a reader think about the differences between morals and ethics when it comes to medical experimentation. For younger readers, it may present a bit of a hurdle, as the story starts during the Cold War era with references to East and West Germany, the Berlin Wall, and Checkpoint Charlie. This is a truly riveting story, and I look forward to reading more by the author.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast Paced

This story begins with mystery, suspense and a vivid introduction to the main characters. I found the overall concept to be intriguing and the plot had me turning pages quickly. However, the story rushed from one predicament to another with tidy outcomes and improbable conclusions, which strained credulity. It was an interesting read though and I will read more from this author.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be honest. I didn't finish this book. While some parts were very good, it just didn't hold my attention. When I found myself not wanting to pick it back up after several days and thinking about what I wanted to read next, I realized it was time to call it a day.

[Mary Peck · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read if you believe in what could happen.

We know of the atrocities that happened in Nazis camps. This is just another idea of some experiment that might of taken place too. Well written and almost believable.

[Brian Bigelow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good medical thriller that is written in very accessible language. I don't want to give away very much about the story but it involves an experiment that was begun 50 years before.

[Mary Theriot · Rating 4 out of 5]

good read

[Lorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

suspenseful, could-not-put-down book with a very interesting story, the main topic of which, informed consent and when research goes too far, brings up many ethical questions quick read.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very intriguing with science and history. Thought provoking yet repulsive in the ideas presented in my opinion (and I am a scientist). Well written.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good thriller

[Aura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not too badly written but simply no unexpected or very interesting idea. Enjoyable for one read only and even then one already wonders if it was worth it.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent read for anyone who likes medical thrillers. I highly recommend it.

[Angie Pierce]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It certainly brought to mind the ethical issues that are faced daily by doctors and scientists and may have you questioning some of your own long-held beliefs.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting (and scary) concept, given that I'm reading it in conjunction with "White Coat, Black Hat: Adventures on the Dark Side of Medicine...."

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down. Makes you think about morals, ethics, and the rights of the individual vs the current societal idea of "the greater good."

[Angela Appleby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it!

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read, I am not sure a lot of what happened is feasible but it is very thought provoking.