Clinical Trial

by April Christofferson

The deadly hantavirus has killed dozens of Native Americans, so when a reputable pharmaceutical company claims to have developed a vaccine against the deadly disease, it should be good news. But when ImmuVac asks Dr. Isabel McLain to conduct a clinical trial of the vaccine on the Blackfeet reservation in Browning, Montana, the proposal gets a distinctly mixed response from both her and the suspicious Blackfeet. Is the new drug truly safe, or are the Blackfeet being used as human guinea pigs?

Genres: Suspense, Fiction, Mystery

464 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 13, 2000

Reviews

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, the first I've read by this author, because even though it follows a typical good guy/bad guy/good-guys-who-might-be-bad-guys and vice-versa plot of a medical mystery, Christofferson brings a new spin to the format by involving a Native American tribe and infusing their views on culture and healing with those of the main character. Isabel is a white physician who follows in her father's footsteps by leaving her busy urban medical practice during a stressful period in her life to be the sole physician on the Blackfeet reservation. When 3 of her patients die quickly of hantavirus, for which there is no vaccine, Isabel is shaken, but a drug company takes note of the deaths and brings their vaccine research to the reservation with the offer that if the Blackfeet are willing to participate in the trial, the vaccine is likely to get FDA approval, but if they don't, the vaccine will not get the backing needed to become widely available.
While Isabel is excited by the prospect of not losing more patients, she understands the distrust the Blackfeet have for 'the white man', especially as they are concurrently fighting the efforts of a mining company who wants to prospect for gold on the reservation. Both plotlines continue throughout the book with occasional intersections, until the very end, when everything comes together.
The book was a fairly quick read and I didn't encounter any of the well-worn twists and turns I'm used to from reading many books of this genre, so it felt fresh and definitely leaves open the prospect for sequels, though I'd likely read another of her books even if it didn't focus on Isabel and the Blackfeet. My lone criticism is one I've had of many books, a small detail but one I notice due to my job. There is a scene in the book where an injured person needs blood, but lo and behold they have the rare AB blood type. Christofferson avoided the big error the other books make, in recognizing that blood of any ABO will do, but missed the mark in stating that Isabel could not donate to the person because she was Rh negative but the injured was Rh positive. She also states that O+ is the universal blood donor, when in actuality O- is, so any healthy donor could have given to the AB+ individual.

[Peggy Walker · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was another book from the used book store that got my interest because it involved clinical research trials, which is what I do in my work. Well, clinical trials really aren't run this way...although there is a phase 1 and phase 2 involved, but using only one site where everyone gets the vaccine and the investigator hand picks all the subjects is a bit much. This will appeal to romantic souls that like to go for the bad boy. I was shouting at Isabel that Monty Four Bear was actually killing people and that really doesn't offset the fact that he's a fiery Indian activist TO ME!! I'm going to pass on any of her other books.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good medical thriller. There's a lot tied into one story, but it's easy to understand, and the characters are interesting, likable, and easy to identify with. It gives you an interesting picture of the medical industry and life on an American Indian reservation.

[Kristie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Opravdu hrozná knížka :/ snad ani tu hvězdičku si nezaslouží

[Jo Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok for me. It moved along, but I got stuck occassionally.

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved that it took place in the Pacific NW.