The Human Trial

by Audrey Gale

Dr. Randall Archer is a misfit…

…in the brutal blue-collar home where he grew up.

…as a sixteen-year-old escaping to college, then medical school, on a full scholarship to Harvard.

…in the highest echelons of Boston society, where the woman he marries and the blueblood research partner with whom he shares his laboratory belong.

Even Archer’s brilliance as a pathologist catapults him into direct and dangerous conflict with the medical establishment he fought so hard to join.

As the Great Depression presses down around him, Archer teeters at the edge of a precipice. He must choose between his hard-won career and the sacred oaths he took as a doctor and scientist—before all his choices are lost forever.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery

276 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 17, 2023

About the author

Audrey Gale long dreamed of being a writer, but never anticipated the circuitous road she’d take to get there. After twenty-plus years in the banking industry, she grew tired of corporate gamesmanship and pursued her master’s in fiction writing at the University of Southern California. Her first novel, a legal thriller entitled The Sausage Maker’s Daughters, was published under the name A.G.S. Johnson. The novel explores one woman’s struggle to find her place amidst the upheaval of the radical 1960s. Her second, The Human Trial, is the first book in a medical-thriller trilogy inspired by Gale’s own experiences with the gap between traditional medicine and approaches based on the findings of the great physicists of the 20th Century, like Einstein and Bohr. Both The Sausage Maker’s Daughters and The Human Trial incorporate Gale’s fascination with historical and scientific research, and always with women finding their places. Gale lives in Los Angeles with her husband and dogs where she is found hiking the Santa Monica Mountains every chance she gets.

Reviews

[Lindsay Nixon · Rating 1 out of 5]

OH HELL NO.

I wanted to quit the book after the rape in the first few pages. Not only was this rape unnecessary for the story, it made no sense. Why would the "hero" turn on a dime and rape? It wasn't explained but rather a cutesy it-is-kinda-love offered. ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Let me be very clear: Any adult who has sex with a child or teenager is a pedophile rapist especially if that person is in a position of power and is triplely disgusting when they are aware this child comes from an abusive home.

Yet my dumbass kept reading and it only got worse. Bullying at school and then lots of boring blah blah. I am relieving myself from this dreadful book at 17%

Thanks netgalley for this ARC, I guess.

[Jessyca Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never read a book quite like this one! The cover and title were intriguing enough that I went into this one completely blind, without even reading the synopsis. I felt like the book was so original, and the plot was well thought out. It was more of a slow burn than other thriller type books, but that didn’t make it bad in any way. There was so much thought out into everything, so many breadcrumbs that lead up to an incredible ending.
The characters were well developed, and their personalities/reactions felt genuine to each character. A beautiful story about a man fighting two conflicting pieces of himself.

[Dawn (noladawnreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE HUMAN TRIAL
𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚢 𝙶𝚊𝚕𝚎
9/17/23

🧪 𝚂𝚢𝚗𝚘𝚙𝚜𝚒𝚜 & 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
Randall Archer has a pretty bad home life in Pennsylvania. He dreams of going to medical school and getting away. His guidance counselor makes it happen and off to Harvard he goes, on a full scholarship at 16, to study to be a pathologist. There he connects with people who are richer than anyone he’s ever known; including his future wife, Elizabeth Perrish and his lab mate, a physicist named Adam Wakefield.

Elizabeth’s family are “the” Perrishes whose family go all the way back to the beginning of time… ok, just Boston. This being the 1920s her family does not take to Elizabeth being an outspoken woman and definitely doesn’t approve of her new relationship with someone with a blue collar instead of blue blood. So, what does Elizabeth do? She marries him and they move into a one room apartment and she becomes a teacher. While Elizabeth is challenging her upbringing, Randy and Adam are challenging science as it’s been known up to this point. The two come together and take huge risks… but do they pay off?? You won’t believe the ending.

I listened to the audio and the narrator, Scott Graff, kept me fully engaged. His narration fit in with the era, sounding like a Hitchcock vibe. My only drawback in this area was the tinny sound for the inner thoughts. But that was a me thing.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed getting to know about this time in medical history (and having looked up the author’s notes, her personal reason for the subject.) I hope more of that goes into the series later.

The Human Trial is the first in a trilogy which will span decades and a plethora of medical issues.

💜𝚁𝙸𝚈𝙻:
-Medical thrillers
-1920s/1930s
-Independent women
-Love triangles

Available NOW!

🧑‍🏫Thank you @booksforwardpr for including me on this tour and @audreygale and @netgalley for the audio review copy.
These thoughts are my own.
#supportindieauthors

[Randi Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected this book to be more about medicine. The characters are doctors doing research on a new treatment, but the book is more a character. Dr Randall Archer escapes an unhappy home life at 16. He completes medical school at Harvard ata young age and marries a Boston Brahmin whose family disowns her when they marry. Her family and their feelings toward him eventually cause them to leave Boston and follow them to California. Most of the book is about how they deal with this and with each other. It was interesting but not what I expected.

[Saltygalreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: Randall Archer has escaped a life of poverty to pursue an education in medicine at Harvard University in the late 1920s. While there, Archer makes a friend in Adam Wakefield, a young man from a wealthy Boston family pursuing education as a physicist. Wakefield introduces Archer to Elizabeth Perrish, who flouts the rules of her wealthy upper-class family to marry Archer after he completes his medical degree and is studying pathology. Archer has made powerful enemies in the Perrish family by marrying their only daughter, and they will not forget. Meanwhile, Archer and Wakefield collaborate on their own clandestine research which could threaten the established order in Medicine and Pharmaceuticals and have dire consequences for both of them.

Thoughts: The Human Trial is a complex and unusual novel that is described as a historical medical thriller. It blends a classic story of a love triangle of three friends with historical fiction about innovative medical research in the traditional medical establishment of the 1930s. It incorporates narratives about class distinction, betrayal, sexism, wealth, and power into the storyline. None of the characters is particularly likeable, but they are believable. The sections which delve into the science behind the research and the workings of the microscope are a little monotonous, and I am not convinced that they are essential to understanding the story. There is a completely unexpected event in the final chapters of the novel which shocked me, and the conclusion felt abrupt.

The fundamental struggle of the novel – the eternal struggle to succeed against established power structures – carries throughout the story and is inconclusive at the ending. The reader knows that the struggle will continue on whether it is Elizabeth trying to escape the predetermined path of wife and mother to have a career; or Archer struggling to be accepted in an elitist world; or Wakefield and Archer carrying out their forbidden research against the wishes of the entrenched powers in traditional Medicine and Pharmacology. It is an unconventional novel about unconventional people. Recommended for fans of historical fiction.

[Teresa Brock · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Human Trial
@audreygaleauthor
Books Fluent
September 17, 2023

This is a historical fiction novel intertwined with a medical thriller. Well developed characters, a love triangle and a medical discovery that can change the world. The trick is, who benefits financially from this discovery ? Or who needs to keep this discovery under wraps ?

Set during the Great Depression, Human Trial follows a young misfit boy starting at the age of 16 who stuck out in all ways. He was smarter than his counterparts. He wasn’t as strong and his as his brothers and his father didn’t have the money to pay for his college. But Randall Archer was meant for the medical laboratory and meant to be a pathologist.

I loved the banter between Archer and his colleges, his best friend and his wife. The dialog is so real and easy I felt like I was watching their interactions in person. The best part is by the end of the story u knew them and now I hope to goodness there is a sequel !!

[Rogue Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not in one of the typical genres I read. I was glad I decided to read this book. The author draws you in at the very beginning when you find out he was being abused at home. It was inspiring to read about the main charater going to being abused and in his school, to Havard on a full ride scholarship and being an outcast compared to most of hia peers, to medical school. The story is based near/around the Great Depression era. The book was well written. I enjoyed that each chapter was named. The cover art for the book was appropriately chosen. This book easily drew me in and kept my interest throughout my time reading it.

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
While labeled a medical thriller, this book falls closer to literary fiction or historical fiction. This is only book one in the series which means it can possibly turn into a thriller series later. I enjoyed the setting for this book with it taking place around the Great Depression and the roaring twenties. The setting was detailed and easy to picture. The ending was a bit of a surprise because I didn’t see it coming. The characters were okay, but they didn’t really stick out to me. This was a good book that makes me wanting to see more.

[Angela · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a DNF - I made it to 42% and I couldn’t stand the main character’s whining anymore.

[Ria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set during the Great Depression in Boston, MA, prodigy Randall Archer is trying to make it through a continual system that seems to want to keep him in the class where he started in. Combining a boy genius with an inferiority complex can lead to bad decisions in the process. The two other main characters are his best friend and partner in "crime" and his wife. The Great Depression doesn't play a huge part in this as the characters seem to be insulated from the effects due to their positions.

Multiple discussions regarding physics and medical discussions which some might find dull. But does pertain to the discovery and release of taboo information the are gained through questionable for the time methods. A social and ethical conundrum that can leave you asking if it was the right move or not. I did expect more around the research but the author chose to do more character development which did add more to the story.

Not much of a thriller but as this is the first in a trilogy it might be more present in the next two books as some loose ends were not fully tied up. There was a bit of a lull in the middle of the book but otherwise it had a good pace to the storyline and jumped from year to year smoothly. The twist was unexpected and there is a cliffhanger so be prepared to wait for the next book to figure out the answer!

Thank you to Books Forward for the eARC of this story!

[Jamie Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a Medical Thriller, More Literary Fiction

At the book review site I downloaded this from, the author claims it is a medical thriller. Unfortunately, I don't think it meets the bar as a thriller. I would call it literary fiction. No true thriller elements exist in the book, and even if you called it suspense, it was super slow burn, more about following the medical findings of the male protagonist and his colleague. I've been an editor for decades, and certain things have to happen in a story for it to be termed a thriller: growing, palpable suspense; a key moment near the end of the story where the protagonist is at the mercy of the villain; and the protagonist's ultimate triumph when all seems lost. This story fails on all counts, and the surprise twist at the end—which I won't divulge—definitely makes it more literary fiction, which has more leeway. Standard genre thrillers need to end with a particular sequence of events, or it's just not a thriller as recognized by genre thriller fans.

That's not to say that some parts of this book weren't well done. In fact, I enjoyed the story until the shocking, disappointing end twist, anticlimactic fallout, and abrupt end of the story. The author created complex characters, although after a certain point, the male protagonist seemed to become too predictable despite all that was going on, lacking much inner life and nearly devoid of human emotion. I liked how the author showed, not told, his family background so the reader can better understand why he is the way he is. As an RN, I'll admit I completely nerded out on the medical aspect. Microbiology was my favorite class in nursing school, and if you choose to read this book, you will understand that it is the crux of the medical aspect of this story. The male protagonist is a wunderkind, off to college at 16 on a full ride to Harvard, where he completes undergraduate pre-med followed by medical school with much time spent working in the lab late at night as a future pathologist. After detailing a fair amount of time during his schooling, the book leaps by years at a time. Though he's from the wrong side of the tracks in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he ends up marrying a Boston Brahmin young lady who has very modernist ideas of what she wants to do that clash with what her family wants for her and the book’s Depression-era setting. The male protagonist and a physics colleague, both at Harvard and their new workplace in a made-up California university, have made a startling discovery with the colleague’s new high-powered light microscope, one that would completely up-end medicine as we know it. Of course, even though they try to keep things quiet, news leaks out, making things difficult for the two men, as things had been at Harvard toward the end of their time there as well.

I read somewhere that this author said she likes to write strong heroines. I didn't really see the heroine, the wunderkind’s Brahmin wife, that way. Some aspects of her were strong: she desired to have a college education and find work against the wishes of her family, chose to marry a man they did not approve of, and went through being disowned by them, but ultimately, after certain circumstances take place at the end of the book, she goes right back to her family, despite more than a decade apart with no communication and some interference into her and her husband's professional lives. While I absolutely loved the medical aspect of this story and even its slow pace, I ultimately found it disappointing in just about every other way.

I didn't think the title was accurate either. It makes you think the story is going to be a medical thriller about some big human trial, perhaps for a proposed pharmaceutical intervention, but the human trial that takes place in the story is not allowed to unfold before the reader as it happens; rather, we hear about it and its effects on its human subjects after it's happened. Frankly, it felt like a relatively minor part of the story.

I listened to the audiobook version, and after a bit, I found the male narrator annoying. You could tell he was trying to do voicings similar to the way actors often spoke in the movies of the 1930s and 1940s, what I call the American version of the BBC Received accent that no one has ever talked like in real life. Given that the two main male characters were from very different parts of the Eastern seaboard, they should have had distinct accents if the narrator was going to attempt them. Lower-income Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, sounds quite different from Boston Brahmin. But more irksome than this was how the narrator either spoke in a rather flat tone or a very pitched, excited tone. Anytime there was any conflict between the characters, the narrator raised the pitch, tone, and loudness of his voice, making them seem much more dramatic than they probably should have been (or you would have heard it in your head if you were reading the book). I would say it bordered on melodrama. That just didn't seem appropriate and detracted from the “reality” of the story.

If you decide to give this book a try, don't expect a true thriller plot arc, and be prepared for a twist at the end that will make you question why you bothered to invest so much energy into this book's characters and story.

I received a free digital copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

[Stress Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚 Book Tour 📚 with @lovebooktours and @audreygaleauthor

The Human Trial by Audrey Gale

Length: 277pgs
Genre: Medical Thriller/Mystery
Format Gifted: eBook

The Human Trial is an mysterious journey back to the 1920s/1930s that starts in Pittsburgh, PA, then to Harvard, then to Los Angeles with a boy genius protagonist who grew up abused and near poverty, to graduating high school summa cum laude at 16, and then, with the help of an excellent guidance counselor, earns a full ride to Harvard. In a relatively short time, he earns a Doctor of Pathology as a quite young man, who is now at war with conflicting sides of himself. Along the way, he makes a very close friend and meets a girl who will become his wife. Both the friend and the girlfriend are from very wealthy, well-to-do families.

📖 I thought the plot was solid. There's a shocking twist that I didn't see coming. I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery aspect as well as the medical, and loved the scientific discovery aspect. The author did well with keeping you interested, keeping these just tense enough, and with a little spritz of romance. I enjoyed the breadcrumb trail Gale leaves for the reader.

✍️ The prose is good. It's smooth and flows well. I love when books are written in a way that allows me to learn a few new words, without crossing over into pretentious. Gale accomplishes that beautifully. Most of the dialogue reads as natural, but in a few places it didn't read as natural or feel authentic to time or setting.

👥️ The characters are well developed. I enjoyed that they're not all particularly loveable or hateable - they're imperfect and real, like humans are.

⏳️ I thought it was well paced. Gale packs a lot into those 277pgs, but it never feels like a too much, or even a lot. I imagine some people will find the sections that go into detail about things like the microscope they develop to be a bit boring, but I found them interesting and feel I personally needed that info to better understand the story.

I appreciate that The Human Trial brings up topics like: sexism, power, corruption, classism, wealth, etc into the forefront of the plot. Not so much that it reads as political, far from it. Just enough to make the reader think more deeply about those topics.

There's an event mentioned in the book involving a 16yr old boy and an adult female that I really don't love. I understand it was a different time and all, and me having a 16yr old son which I'm sure impacts my feelings on the matter - it made me uncomfortable. While I know 16 isn't still a baby, I cannot help but see my 16yr old as still just a baby.

Just because it was common or "normal" for that time period doesn't make it ok, to me. It isn't explicit in any way, no details at all, and it's only mentioned in passing type way (a few sentences in one paragraph). I also don't think it's integral to the plot, at all.

I enjoyed the book a good bit and recommend it, but I wish that hadn't been included.

If you enjoy historical fiction, medical thrillers, Great Depression-Era fiction, or light mystery/thriller, I think you would enjoy this book.

[Gabbi Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

From misfit to renowned scientist (an audio review)

I grabbed this audio on a whim and I was so glad I did. I related to Randall Archer. Never quite fitting in. Not having the right clothes, knowing the right people, or having the right friends. So he put his head down and succeeded spectacularly (okay, that part I can’t related to – I graduated – woohoo. But not with honors from Harvard Medical School.). In the midst of his academics, he meets a woman he falls in love with. So life’s perfect.

Except this novel is set against the backdrop of the roaring twenties and then the depressed thirties in first Boston and then Los Angeles. Audrey describes those towns so vividly that I felt I was right there.

And Archer doesn’t have an easy ride. He makes a friend with whom he shares a strong bond. Their work is revolutionary. Groundbreaking. Could upend medicine and science. But there are malevolent forces at work. The status quo is important, after all. Archer also has a loving wife who’s struggling to find her own identity. She’s left the family nest and wants a career of her own – at a time when women were expected to produce babies. And she’s accused of stealing a job from a man with a family to support. When unemployment was twenty-five percent, that was a real possibility.

All the way along this journey, Archer is faced with making moral decisions. I didn’t always agree, but I could see how he had no choice. In the end, though, those decisions haunt him.

I’ll admit I didn’t see the ending coming. Like, at all. This book had me on the edge of my seat, even though it was just about science and medicine. I think the backdrop of that time period in the US made it far more interesting. Also…I knew what bad things were going to happen. I kept anticipating them and wondering how they would affect Archer and Elizabeth, his wife. Finally, I wanted to understand this project he was working on. Was it practical? Did it really do everything promised? Damn in, I wanted to know!

I’ll end the review talking about Scott Graff. I’ve never heard him before as a narrator but I thought he was fantastic. Just perfect. Anyway, I highly recommend this audio.

[Karolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is my review for The Human Trial by Audrey Gale

This is truly an interesting read, following the life of Randy Archer when he is at school and he earns himself a fully paid up scholarship to Harvard in Boston at the tender age of sixteen. His dad is against him going but one of his counselors threatens him about the treatment of Randy and the bruises and welts that he has shown in school so he puts his signature to the scholarship paper and says he never wants to see his son again. That is how Randall Archer got to start at Harvard although he had little money, his counselor helped him out but he only had one suit and soon got to be on the tail-end of pranks including water bombs but it didn’t stop him attending the lectures. It brought him to the attention of one of the professors and he got a job in the laboratory which paid a little money and he worked his way from there. I found I got very invested in the story and it grew on me so I found I couldn’t put the book down. I grew to find the story quite intriguing and liked the character of Randall Archer who was quite talented for a youngster and liked doing the laboratory work. He was so good at the laboratory work, he was given extra work to do. The book follows his life in the laboratory and his dormitory life which is hell. He is quite a character for a youngster, very resilient. The book follows some of the world events like the great depression as well. It is very well thought out and well written.

Blurb :

DR. RANDALL ARCHER IS A MISFIT
…in the brutal blue-collar home where he grew up.
…as a sixteen-year-old escaping to college, then medical school, on a full scholarship to Harvard.
…in the highest echelons of Boston society, where the woman he marries and the blueblood research partner with whom he shares his laboratory belong.
Even Archer’s brilliance as a pathologist catapults him into direct and dangerous conflict with the medical establishment he fought so hard to join.
As the Great Depression presses down around him, Archer teeters at the edge of a precipice. He must choose between his hard-won career and the sacred oaths he took as a doctor and scientist—before all his choices are lost forever.

[Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

The talented Dr. Randall Archer's life began with hardship. Being the weakest member of the family, he endured being bullied from his father and brothers, which compelled him to seek solace in school. With the aid of his guidance counselor whom Archer later becomes very close with, he receives a full scholarship to Harvard after graduating from elementary school two years ahead of schedule. Once more, he finishes college quickly, marries a bright and gifted young woman while there, and successfully succeeds in medical school. Sadly, his wife's wealthy family is against her new spouse and tries to remove him from his Harvard job by using their power. This happens in the midst of the Great Depression, which prompts him and his wife Elizabeth to go to California to pursue fresh career opportunities. In California his wife struggles with her career while Archer career takes off. Archer and Elizabeth run into a former college and friend who helps Archer with a great work opportunity, and pretty soon the two spend a lot of time working and researching. Archer is also very busy working on a project for his new boss which keeps him pretty occupied, and lending less time to his wife who is very disappointed and feeling left alone in a big city. Soon however, Elizabeth takes her life by the reigns and forges her own way and Archer is offer a new opportunity with a short window to accept. Will Archer accept this offer? What are the stakes?

This was a pretty good read. While it started off a bit slow, it fully developed the characters and atmosphere surrounding these characters. The story was told so well that I could actually see the events unfolding. Once the story was well developed, the momentum picked up and kept going. I totally did not see that ending coming. The ending was definitely a shocker! I really like the characters and really loved seeing how they developed, especially Elizabeth. I feel that this book could definitely easily have a sequel. I also loved that the book touches on the issues and secrets of the medical and pharmaceutical society that are kept under wraps and that are not allowed to be spoken, given or shared with the world.

[Taylor Milburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The brilliant Dr. Randall Archer had a tough start to life. Essentially the runt of his family, he was bullied by his father and brothers forcing him to turn to education as an escape. He graduates grade school two years early and with the help of his guidance counselor, gains a full ride to Harvard. He once again completes college in record time, marries a smart and talented girl while there, and breezes through medical school as well. Unfortunately, his wife's privileged family disapproves of her new husband and uses their influence to push him out of his position at Harvard. This occurs in the midst of The Great Depression, leading he and his wife to pursue new professional endeavors in California.

In California, Archer is tasked with re-building his new employer's laboratory, taking up much of his personal time. He is also reunited with a former colleague, and together they begin research that takes up even more of his personal time, leaving his wife Elizabeth all alone in a new city. Just as he is about to gain some of his personal time back, an old friend from his days at Harvard appears with a job offer that has high demands and even higher consequences when he chooses to reject the opportunity.

It took me a couple chapters to hit my stride with this book, though in part due to the narrators accent. He did a great job, but it took me a moment to get used to his style. Starting out slow, the first portion of this book gives some much needed background on the main character, Archer, before diving into the meat and potatoes of the story. Well into the story, the plot was decent and the characters had plenty of depth. The romantic interest, Elizabeth, is a strong woman who honestly could have a book all on her own. There is a slightly spooky element to this story but I wouldn't call it a thriller. The twist at the end is on you won't see coming and will leave you wanting more.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Tonya Hunter]

‘The Human Trial’ written by Audrey Gale and narrated by Scott Graff, is a mystery regarding one student, Randall Archer’s life and challenges he faces both personally and professionally. I loved the concept of this book, a medical fictional novel that could be considered a factual scenario. However, the ending was less than impressive. Personally, I think the author should have continued on with the book as it just ends abruptly. There was a ton of build up to just to fall flat on its face. I would have loved it if it would have been a choose your own ending and the story could have taken a different path.

Gale quickly grabs your attention with this book, making it fast paced. I just wanted to gobble up the crumbs as they were left along the way. However, even in the beginning of this book, the author leaves you a bit perplexed by why certain story lines are included. I wish I could have provided feedback before publishing to try to get the author to tease out different story lines.

Archer grows up in a family where he is bullied by his brothers and father and escapes the bullying by focusing on school. He has a guidance counselor who encourages him to graduate early and attend Harvard, of which she obtains a full ride for him. He breezes through undergrad and moves on to medical school, all the while assisting one of his professors in obtaining information regarding tests being conducted in the lab. He ends up while working in the lab making a best friend in Adam, another lab rat. They create medical advances in secrecy and hope one day to tell the world. Adam also meets, Elizabeth, who becomes his wife, during his time in medical school. Elizabeth and Adam knew each other before because their families ran around in the same circles, high society. This is the story of mystery, romance and medical fiction.

Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this early audio edition in exchange for a review. All opinions and thoughts are those of my own. #TheHumanTrial #NetGalley #HumanTrial

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Randall Archer's journey begins amidst adversity, emerging as a brilliant yet mistreated teenager in Philadelphia. His escape from familial bullying leads him to education, where he excels and earns a scholarship to Harvard with the guidance of a supportive counselor. Swiftly advancing through college and medical school, Randall marries Elizabeth, a bright and talented woman, despite her wealthy family's disapproval. Together, they navigate the challenges of the Great Depression and pursue new opportunities in California.
In California, Randall's career flourishes as he immerses himself in groundbreaking research that was begun at Harvard with physicist Adam Wakefield, while Elizabeth struggles to find her own footing. Despite their love, the demands of Randall's work strain their relationship, leaving Elizabeth feeling isolated in a new city. However, her resilience shines as she forges her own path, finding fulfillment beyond the confines of her husband's career.
Throughout his journey, Randall's relationships with fellow scientists and mentors shape his trajectory, adding depth to his narrative. Collaborations, rivalries, and alliances within the scientific community highlight the intricate dynamics of his professional life, while his bond with Elizabeth underscores the delicate balance between passion and duty, love and ambition.
Set against the backdrop of the tumultuous 1920s to 1930s, the narrative unfolds as a captivating blend of scientific intrigue, personal drama, and societal upheaval. From Randall's humble beginnings to his groundbreaking discoveries, the story delves into the complexities of ambition, and sacrifices. Many thanks to Library thing for an opportunity to read.
Based on the ending, I believe there will be a sequel to this book.

[catiesbooksandthings · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a slow burn and a little strange at the beginning which was hard for me to get into, but I kept with it and thought that this book was well thought out and original. I went into this book completely blind and only requested it because of the cover and title.

This book is about Randall Archer who is a very smart and brilliant 16 year old who is mistreated at both home and school in Philadelphia. His guidance counselor gets him a full scholarship to Harvard which allows him to follow his dreams of becoming a pathologist.

During his time at Harvard, he meets physicist Adam Wakefield one night in his lab and they start working together with Wakefield's revolutionary microscope to try and change the medical field forever. They start to secretly look at different microbes and specimens from humans without the proper paperwork and approval and while what they discover could change medicine forever, it is a dangerous discovery as they are currently in a depression and a lot of big medical companies could lose a lot of money from their discovery.

Overall, I thought this was a good book. I listened to it on audio. The book was multi-layered and the character development was good. I wouldn't necessarily classify this book as a thriller. This book was not my favorite, but it was a good book.

Thank you netgalley and Books Fluent for this free audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

[Debbie Rozier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book that takes place from 1921-1939 and is a combination scientific thriller with intrigue and drama.

The book begins as Randall Archer is a brilliant 16 year old who is mistreated at home and at school in Philadelphia. A guidance counselor gets Randall a full scholarship to Harvard.

Randall knows he wants to be a pathologist and works hard to achieve that goal.

Randall meets a physicist named Adam Wakefield one night working late in the Harvard lab.

With Adam’s revolutionary microscope and Randall’s knowledge of pathology, the two discover what could change the medical field forever. This becomes a dangerous discovery because it’s during the depression and lots of big medical companies could lose money with Adam and Randall’s discovery.

There is some romantic drama as Randall marries a Boston society girl who leaves her lavish lifestyle to move into a one room apartment and become an elementary school teacher.

I really like the way this book is multi-layered as the reader gets to see Randall’s growth professionally and personally along with this aspect of the medical thriller.

[KD · Rating 1 out of 5]

I unfortunately DNF this book at 30% simply because I did not find it interesting. I really struggled with the pacing of this book in the first third. It felt like it was constant exposition without anything significant happening. I’m not sure if the pacing evens out later in the story, but I did not have it in me to continue reading to find out.

While listening to the audiobook I felt like if I missed even a single sentence I was missing so much information in the very beginning because things happened so fast with little explanation. In only the first chapter, it was established that he was in an abusive home life, a school counselor managed to get him a full ride to Harvard when he was 16, and then he shows up at her house later that night and apparently they have sex? All this happening with little emotional reaction from the characters.

To me it felt very “tell” without any “show” and I prefer to be able to feel the emotions of the characters I am reading about and this unfortunately felt very flat.

Thank you to NetGalley and Books Fluent for the free audiobook of this book.

[Jan Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I’m going to echo what some other reviewers have said: more detail about the medical trials themselves and medicine in general at that point in time would have been good; not really a thriller—not yet; there is a narrative distance, though I thought it suited the story in some ways, but we’re used to reading deeper character interiors these days.
I found the plot absorbing, once I got used to the style, and medical history is always interesting to me. There are quite a few twists and turns and medical shenanigans the main characters appear to be pulled in to, but it’s going to get a lot worse for them once they actually begin to achieve something. They’re academics and a bit pedantic but it suits their characters.
One of the biggest struggles seems to be the Great Depression and how it affected not only agricultural people but universities and educators. In general, I thought the book well written and recommend it to readers of historical medical suspense fiction.
thank you Christ Gorman at Books Forward for a copy of this book

[Christine V · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know where to start with this novel. It is not your standard medical fictional novel. When I read the description of this novel, I wasn’t entirely sure how I would like this novel, just because it is not my normal read (I enjoy mystery, murder, thriller, horror, etc). A mixture of history, depressions, science, hands on family, and so much more is not usually the first book I look at.

That said, something about that description also made me say let’s give it a try. I have never been so happy to step outside my comfort zone for reading. This novel grabbed my attention quickly and kept my attention throughout the novel. I enjoyed the characters and the their intertwining storylines. I could feel the pain the characters felt at many times throughout the novel and I feel that allowed me to enjoy/empathize with the characters more.

I will say, the ending took a different turn than what I expected and it wasn’t how I hoped it would end.

Special thanks to Netgalley & Books Fluent for providing me with an advanced listeners copy of this novel.

[Emma Minazza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the concept of this book. Set in the 1930's, two scientist friends - Adam Wakefield and Randall Archer, work together to find new discoveries with a newly made microscope, made by Wakefield. Testing slide upon slide along their long career span.

Elizabeth Perrish is a long standing friend to Adam who meets Randall and forms a relationship. Her family are very well known and powerful within the university world. It puts it in perspective when a well to do family come to meet a not so well to do family, who doesn't like their only daughters choice of husband. Their influence can do no ends of damage if they don't follow your way of life...

It also shows that being in the 1930's, women are very much the housewives, men are the breadwinners and when things take a turn, life can get complicated or lonely when things go the other way. Married to your job is also not the answer if you wish to succeed in married life aswell as your career.

Sometimes it pays to know who has your best interests at heart and who is playing you. Well worth a read!

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say that this book isn't what I was expecting. Unfortunately I found it rather slow for a book that's listed as being a thriller/mystery.

But that doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it. I found the electromedicine element to be utterly fascinating. If it's something that really exists then it seems utterly criminal that it isn't used.

I wasn't a massive fan of Randall, I felt that he should never have married Elizabeth knowing that his work was the most important thing to him. Having said that, it was lovely to see how far he had come from his awful childhood. Elizabeth was lovely though, she felt very ahead of her time, especially taking her family connections into consideration.

I liked the time period that the book was set in, that of the Great Depression. It must have been a terrifying time for so many, and fortunes were lost (and made) almost overnight. It was also interesting to see how much influence some powerful families could have, and how far that power could reach.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have an intellectual curiosity, cheer for an underdog fighting to win from a meager childhood, interest in class wars of the Depression era, and enjoy a satisfying love story, then this is the book for you.

Intriguing and well-written. The research was meticulous. Most readers probably missed on the first pages before the story begins, that this book was inspired by real scientific events.

The story, which focuses on the lives of two scientists and a wife, is engaging and keeps the reader wanting to move forward with the human interest aspect.

But, when other reviewers here have written that there was a lull in the story - that actually was an interesting education for me about what happened in the 1920s and 1930s regarding a medical breakthrough that the leaders of the medical community had no interest in coming to light. Why do we as Americans not know this happened? Perhaps it will be revealed in a sequel, which is sure to follow.

[lori pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Books Fluent for the free audio book in exchange for my honest review. This is narrated by Narrated by Scott Graff who does a great job!

This is such a different historical fiction tale! Randall Archer is poor but brilliant 16 year old who is abused at home and in school in Philadelphia for his small stature, intellect and just not fitting in. A guidance counselor helps Randall obtain a full ride to Harvard where he studies medicine, specifically pathology. There, Randall meets a physicist named Adam Wakefield who is in process of inventing the microscope. The two partner up to make discoveries that will change medicine and potentially threaten drug companies.

The setting of the depression which this is a different take on that period of time. I really enjoyed seeing Randall’s growth professionally and personally along with the aspect of the medical thriller.

Highly recommend.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a much needed break from my typical thrillers, though I would argue this is more of a historical fiction than a mystery or thriller.

The narrator gave this audiobook the dated and old-timey feel that this book needed, and helped set the tone.

I thought the author did a great job of contrasting a boy born in Pittsburg and raised to work in the steel industry with the generationally wealthy families whose children go to Harvard. The scientific procedures and policies outlined were also interesting to follow along, and the relationships formed whether good or bad.

I will say, I am not a prude but the sex scenes and insinuations did not really feel necessary or add to the story at all.

Since this is outside my typical read, I am unable to form a concrete decision on how to rate this. But since I enjoyed it and the story kept my attention for the most part, I am rounding up to 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook copy. These opinions are my own.

[Christina Ruelas-Driscoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I will admit the description and the cover is what peaked my interest in this book, however it’s nowhere near what I was expecting and with that I struggled to get through it though it wasn’t all bad and over time intrigued me. If you are looking for a straight out the gate mystery this isn’t the book for you, the entire first half of the book is plot build, setting the stage and then a GREAT deal of character build and moving key players into place for what I call the second half. The change up to go with a ‘forbidden attraction’ between Elizabeth and Adam really felt very misplaced given that it was budding in the last three chapters of the book and I will admit if there is a second book which given how things where left with a giant who done it, I will be picking up again because this ending left so many unanswered questions, but if she finishes it out in a second book I’ll be happy.

[Kim Wilch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I felt the plot was well thought out, it was a slow listen for me and didn't consider it a thriller. By the end, you can see where each tidbit was fed to us with care.

I did like the characters and the way they developed throughout the story. What I didn't like was the interchanging of the character names. Sometimes Randy, other times, Randall, then lets throw his last name, Archer, into the mix. Same with his lab partner. With these names alone being used A LOT, it led to unnecessary confusion.

Overall, it's a good story about a man fighting for the career he dreamed of (and achieved) and life getting in the way. I'm never a fan of a book ending on a cliffhanger and this is no exception. I understand it's a lead-in to the next book but please wrap up the story. The narrator was good but his accent took some getting used to. I could have done without some of the cheesy sound effects.