The Cure

by David Shobin

An all-natural weight-loss pill that also increases sexual energy is being promoted as the next St. John's Wart, but when some patients begin to report nasty side effects, someone in the pharmaceutical industry will stop at nothing to conceal the truth. 25,000 first printing.

Genres: Mystery

336 pages, Hardcover

First published February 18, 2001

Reviews

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Usually when the main character is really stupid and blinded by love, it's a woman, so props to this author for having a man act like that. That being said, most of the characters in this book were very stupid. The killer may have been the worst killer ever. And if I think about the ending too much, I might come up with some plot holes that didn't get filled.

[Suzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Man, this guy is so naive, I started rooting for the bad guys just to get him out of the gene pool! This could have been a 5 star book, but after about the 3rd thing happened to him and he still doesn't get it... Hello? It's not called "Big-Pharma" for no reason.

[Crosby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like to read novels by authors with experience in the medical field. Robin Cook is one such author that I have read extensively. David Shobin is a physician author and this book is all the better for that background. In fact, the accurate medical descriptions of surgeries, symptoms, diagnoses, outcomes, etc provide legitimacy to the story. The book is written as a medical mystery in which a company selling health supplements claims to have a product that helps improve the female body image but when taken in excessive dosages, turns out to cause medical problems. And many women begin to take the drug because it works as advertised. The rest of the story revolves around an internist who starts out as a spokesman for the company and eventually realizes there are problems with the product not only in his patients but in his friends and family. He must sort out who the bad guys are and who the good guys are while maintaining his medical practice. Of course, he also has to contend with an ex-wife, a friend whose daughter has terminal cancer, a drinking problem, a malpractice suit, a daughter over dosing on the drug and someone trying to kill him. All things considered, it was fairly easy to predict the outcome of a number of situations posed in the book including the ending. For those who prefer surprise endings, this book is not likely to satisfy. On the other hand, it does have its share of tense moments and realistic medical descriptions.

[Alfredo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although a little bit predictable, this book is still a good read.

[Erin Torchia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was ok overall... decent plot, decent amount of medical knowledge used to make the story more realistic.

The main character was a bit too trusting, and the female characters felt underdeveloped. There were several instances (too many) where I would read the ‘internal dialogue’ of a female character only to stop halfway through and think ‘this was written by a man’. The motives of the young female characters were forced and a bit one-sided; teenagers are much more complex than ‘I wish my boobs were bigger’ -particularly when faced with some of the other circumstances these two faced. Similarly, the main character experiences some tough events concerning his daughter (the kind of events any sane parent would address immediately) before a planned vacation- and yet he still proceeds with his vacation. The main character makes several less-than-ideal life decisions, but that was one of the most questionable ones.

Many aspects of the plot were often overtly stated rather than implied, and a few of them felt a bit flat/forced. The ending was also odd. It was a very heavy ending that didn’t match the overall tone of the book, in that it focused on a secondary plot line that deserved to be a bit more thoroughly examined. The ending also brought up a moral conflict that deserved a lot more attention- particularly since the main character spent so much of the book trying to ‘do the right thing’ for the main plot line - yet with this plot line he experienced very little internal conflict for such a huge decision.

[alane gail lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

I chose 5 stars because it was an ideal mix of medical thriller & mystery. As a nurse, I like enough medicine in it, so my questions are answered, and I enjoyed the local descriptions. Plus, there is a subplot that is gripping .

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Herbal gone wild

An herbal supplement that seems like a cure all for women turns into a nightmare for a troubled Doctor McLaren. Quick read thriller.

[Perkimom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark,diabolical, and full of love.

[Belinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking forward to reading more of Shobin's books.

[Kelsey Bhasker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot unreels from alternative perspectives of several key characters but it mostly centers around an intelligent (though not the best detective) doctor. As a reader, you will be impressed by the doctor's sympathy yet also irked with his pace in discovering the truth.. but this gives space for more captivating prose, plot detours and developments. Here's what I think of the novel without giving spoilers.

This book has a mysterious array of characters and patient cases that are interconnected in an intelligent, humorous, and sometimes scandalous narrative. It's been hard not to blush or laugh at certain scenes while reading this book. It's a well written medical thriller novel and I'm not surprised to find that the author has medical expertise. I enjoyed reading the plot and meeting different scenarios and character personalities.

Albeit, parts of the plot may be a little predictable at times, but you still want to turn through the pages since it can catch you off guard. Also, you also build patience for certain characters, whom you sympathize with, and desire to follow alongside them. The medical descriptions are not technical as they are understandable, and accurately described.

It's been a fun and mysterious book to learn from and read through. I suggest this book as a good recommendation. I enjoy it a lot and I'm sure I will revisit it with a re-read in the future.

[Merrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, i enjoyed the mysteries was fascinating and the characters were dynamic. SPOILER! the reason i am not giving 5 star rating is b/c in last chapter the protagonist a family physician Euthanasia a terminally ill child to save her from pain, when hospitals could help the whole family.

[Judith Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Modern medicine gone wrong

[Katharine Ott · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Cure" - written by David Shobin and published in 2001 by St Martin's Press. A fairly ordinary medical thriller.