Miracleworker

by Jack M. Bickham

Returning to the clinic run by her former mentor, Max Shrader, in order to seek a new direction for her life, Doctor Andra Dover becomes caught in an intricate web of industrial espionage, illegal medical experimentation, and murder

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Pseudonyms:
Jeff Clinton, John Miles, Arthur Williams

Reviews

[Ben Boulden]

MIRACLEWORKER is a suspenseful medical thriller with a little romance, murder, unethical drug/treatment testing, and a pretty cool look at 1980's computing. It isn't Bickham's best, but MIRACLEWORKER is certainly entertaining.

[Nolan]

This book, penned almost forty years ago, remains a gripping medical thriller, earning a solid three stars.

Dr. Andra Dover returns to Springfield, Oklahoma, leaving behind a promising suburban D.C. medical practice and a painful breakup. She joins the practice of her mentor, Dr. Max Shrader-a man some call a miracle worker, others a charlatan. Andra notices Max's declining health, though he hides it, and she dives into his practice, eager to repay his past guidance.

Meanwhile, software engineer Bill Hardesty, her old flame, reenters her life. Their renewed romance sparks promise after his failed marriage and her return west.

But trouble brews in Max's practice. Mysterious patient deaths and Max's secretive behavior raise red flags. Andra investigates, while her ex-boyfriend Tom, a pushy east-coast doctor, barges into town and the practice, wielding unexpected leverage over Max.

The story rockets through big pharma, big money, patient manipulation, and doctors playing God. Suspense grips you, but the ending fizzles, leaving a frustrating aftertaste.

[Ikoopman]

Very good read.

[C]

The start is promising. But it got messy from past-half to the end.