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Nathaniel McCormick #1
Isolation Ward
Straight out of today’s hospitals and labs–and tomorrow’s headlines–comes a frightening, scalpel-sharp thriller from medical insider Joshua Spanogle. In an astounding debut, Spanogle takes us on an all-too-real race against time…as a young doctor enters the dark side of scientific research, desperate to stop a terrifying epidemic before it is too late….
In Baltimore’s St. Raphael’s Hospital, three newly admitted patients are among society’s most helpless citizens: female residents of Baltimore’s group homes for the mentally impaired, their bodies racked by a virus the likes of which no one at St. Raphael’s has ever seen.
Dr. Nathaniel McCormick is one of the first on the scene. A young investigator from the Centers for Disease Control, Nate is paid to explore the bizarre, the exotic, and the baffling–from superviruses to bioterrorism. But as soon as Nate begins to investigate the lives and habits of the victims, he knows something is terribly wrong. Using all his skills as a medical detective, Nate soon zeroes in on the “vector”–the one person who had sexual contact with the first victims. And when that suspect is found murdered, Nate fears that the disease he’s chasing may not be an act of nature, but of man.
With his brash style angering his superiors and fellow investigators alike, Nate turns to an old colleague and former lover, Dr. Brooke Michaels, for help. Together the two investigators follow a twisting trail of clues to a discovery that is at once groundbreaking and unspeakable. And as a circle of treachery tightens around him, Nate is about to confront the most chilling revelation of all–and a past Nate himself has been trying to escape.
At once a taut medical thriller and a riveting psychological portrait of a young doctor on the edge, Isolation Ward is a tale of runaway tension–with a brilliant “what-if” premise that is harrowing…heartbreaking…and impossible to wrench from your imagination.
From the Hardcover edition.
In Baltimore’s St. Raphael’s Hospital, three newly admitted patients are among society’s most helpless citizens: female residents of Baltimore’s group homes for the mentally impaired, their bodies racked by a virus the likes of which no one at St. Raphael’s has ever seen.
Dr. Nathaniel McCormick is one of the first on the scene. A young investigator from the Centers for Disease Control, Nate is paid to explore the bizarre, the exotic, and the baffling–from superviruses to bioterrorism. But as soon as Nate begins to investigate the lives and habits of the victims, he knows something is terribly wrong. Using all his skills as a medical detective, Nate soon zeroes in on the “vector”–the one person who had sexual contact with the first victims. And when that suspect is found murdered, Nate fears that the disease he’s chasing may not be an act of nature, but of man.
With his brash style angering his superiors and fellow investigators alike, Nate turns to an old colleague and former lover, Dr. Brooke Michaels, for help. Together the two investigators follow a twisting trail of clues to a discovery that is at once groundbreaking and unspeakable. And as a circle of treachery tightens around him, Nate is about to confront the most chilling revelation of all–and a past Nate himself has been trying to escape.
At once a taut medical thriller and a riveting psychological portrait of a young doctor on the edge, Isolation Ward is a tale of runaway tension–with a brilliant “what-if” premise that is harrowing…heartbreaking…and impossible to wrench from your imagination.
From the Hardcover edition.
544 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 28, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
November 12, 2017
Read this book only if you like snarky, smart-ass doctors who use the word "retarded" constantly, and have no respect for nurses...or anyone else, for that matter. Oh, and there is dog mutilation too. This book is just a winner all around. ::Please note my sarcasm::
June 3, 2015
I wanted to jump in and review this book even before finishing. I can't begin to tell you how hard it is for a book to capture my interest right from the very start and keep it all through to the end. This was fascinating. Definitely for those who love medical stories with tons of terminology. It was a nail biter for sure. I have to admit I didn't like the main character and the ending a bit long, but other than that, this was an exceptionally well written book. I have already recommended it to all I know. Awesome mystery.
www.DebraEasterling.com
www.DebraEasterling.com
October 17, 2020
I do not read this type of story but this is so well written, and the characters so interesting - I enjoyed reading to the end - The experiments conducted by a private lab that gets out of hand - the CDC steps in and the action never stops afterward until the end.
October 30, 2025
really good thriller, kept me entertained throughout, just the ending that dragged a little
March 13, 2022
Okay, this is an entertaining book, with an awful protagonist and a plot with more holes than Gruyère cheese *laughs*
I mean, all that happens it's because the protagonist is set in doing exactly the opposite that their bosses are telling him to do. He's an entitled asshole and I really don't understand how he has any friend willing to help him out :P
And, please, let's lie a pious veil over the romantic sub-plot because it makes no sense at all.
Why did I keep reading then? Because it was like a soap opera: you know it's bad, but you can't stop yourself from wanting to know what is going to happen next.
And yes, I went and read the following book in the series, I have no excuse *dies laughing*
I mean, all that happens it's because the protagonist is set in doing exactly the opposite that their bosses are telling him to do. He's an entitled asshole and I really don't understand how he has any friend willing to help him out :P
And, please, let's lie a pious veil over the romantic sub-plot because it makes no sense at all.
Why did I keep reading then? Because it was like a soap opera: you know it's bad, but you can't stop yourself from wanting to know what is going to happen next.
And yes, I went and read the following book in the series, I have no excuse *dies laughing*
December 15, 2025
having a hard time putting this book down, I've worked in nursing and it was very relatable, realistic and hooked me at the 1st page
Read
July 30, 2024Great book!
December 3, 2012
Lot's of problems ...
1. Too long at 516 pages.
2. Immature characters, including protagonist. Juvenile sub-plot: the "romance."
3. Significant use of profanity -- which also seems to be unnaturally dropped (edited) in. The use seems forced, perhaps even after-the-fact. Almost as if an exec-level publ. editor-in-charge went thru the author's draft and thought ... gotta add more Hollywood-style immature/juvenile sensationalism ... e.g., more f-words, etc. ... that'll sell these paperbacks. I actually started counting: one profanity every 1 - 1 1/2 pages.
Don't misunderstand me ... nothing wrong or offensive about profanity when used in *context*. But the way it seems to be dropped in seems unsophisticated and "markety". Not sure why Spanogle chose this "augmentation" style?
What I liked (not enough to recommend, but enough to mention) ...
1. 1st person narrative.
2. Short chapters (makes excessive length a bit easier to swallow.
3. Author does try to explain medical/biological/scientific terms and concepts to lay audience.
BOTTOM LINE: Not only should you not pay good $$ for this book, but it is not even worth reading a FREE copy of. Hard to believe Stanford Univ. Medical School helped fund THIS project.
For medical suspense, try Michael Palmer, R. Preston, T. Gerritsen, Peter Clement, Michael Crichton, even Robin Cook.
1. Too long at 516 pages.
2. Immature characters, including protagonist. Juvenile sub-plot: the "romance."
3. Significant use of profanity -- which also seems to be unnaturally dropped (edited) in. The use seems forced, perhaps even after-the-fact. Almost as if an exec-level publ. editor-in-charge went thru the author's draft and thought ... gotta add more Hollywood-style immature/juvenile sensationalism ... e.g., more f-words, etc. ... that'll sell these paperbacks. I actually started counting: one profanity every 1 - 1 1/2 pages.
Don't misunderstand me ... nothing wrong or offensive about profanity when used in *context*. But the way it seems to be dropped in seems unsophisticated and "markety". Not sure why Spanogle chose this "augmentation" style?
What I liked (not enough to recommend, but enough to mention) ...
1. 1st person narrative.
2. Short chapters (makes excessive length a bit easier to swallow.
3. Author does try to explain medical/biological/scientific terms and concepts to lay audience.
BOTTOM LINE: Not only should you not pay good $$ for this book, but it is not even worth reading a FREE copy of. Hard to believe Stanford Univ. Medical School helped fund THIS project.
For medical suspense, try Michael Palmer, R. Preston, T. Gerritsen, Peter Clement, Michael Crichton, even Robin Cook.
December 10, 2016
Ha ha after my last discourse on only finishing books I really like here is a 2 star rating. It was okay. It was exciting enough that I wanted to finish it but I didn't really care about the characters and Robin Cook does it better anyway. Besides, the older I get the less I want to read books set in hospitals wherein doctors/nurses/orderlies/researchers are sinister and don't have my best interests at heart. Yikes!
September 17, 2015
Another ok book, predictable. I wouldn't re read it nor will I set out to find a second book (if there is one)
November 23, 2019
Isolation Ward is an excellent medical thriller, on one of my favourite topics, infections diseases. It's well executed and reminds me of a combination of the best parts of Richard Preston & Robin Cook.
It begins with an undetermined disease presenting in a handful of patients who happen to be from group homes of the mentally handicapped, as investigations continue it seems the common thread is an illusive man with a checkered past. The investigating doctor along with way manages to ruffle too many political feathers along the way and gets shipped out to what is meant to be a backwater to follow up a lead deemed not important. However it turns out this lead isn't as unimportant as it initially appeared.
Overall, good pace, enjoyable read. Would recommend.
It begins with an undetermined disease presenting in a handful of patients who happen to be from group homes of the mentally handicapped, as investigations continue it seems the common thread is an illusive man with a checkered past. The investigating doctor along with way manages to ruffle too many political feathers along the way and gets shipped out to what is meant to be a backwater to follow up a lead deemed not important. However it turns out this lead isn't as unimportant as it initially appeared.
Overall, good pace, enjoyable read. Would recommend.
December 12, 2017
This book is a medical thriller that will pull you in and make you forget to do all the stuff you should be doing such as going to bed at a decent hour!!! Although some of the happenings were a bit far fetched, it was very entertaining so four stars for that. It had the same issue that I see in a lot of books where the "bad guy" explains everything just before killing the main character who defying all odds, manages to escape not once but multiple times. The medical testing that was the basis for the story is rather chilling. I'm all for finding cures, but at what cost???!!!??
November 17, 2025
O Jezu, to była książka inna niż wszystkie które do tej pory czytałem. Plot twist był szokujący. Jedynie brakowało mi pokazywania nam więcej relacji. Wiem że były, ale głównie z osobami których nie widzieliśmy wcześniej, tylko są z przeszłości głównego bohatera. Jednak rozwiązanie i ogólnie końcówka była naprawdę dobra. Początek był angażujący. W środku miałem już trochę dość tego że nie wiem o co chodzi.
Widać że jest to debiut autora. Dobra książka, jak ktoś interesuje się medycyną to napewno jeszcze lepiej ją przyjmie.
Widać że jest to debiut autora. Dobra książka, jak ktoś interesuje się medycyną to napewno jeszcze lepiej ją przyjmie.
December 1, 2016
Loved this medical thriller novel. The writing was great...so witty. The main character, Dr Nate McCormick, bantered so much...with himself and the other characters that I found myself chuckling during situations that shouldn't have been funny. The storyline was fascinating and quick moving with science, medical, and action throughout the book.
I quickly ordered the next book about Dr McCormick written in 2007. I'm sad to see that there are no more books by the author after that year.
I quickly ordered the next book about Dr McCormick written in 2007. I'm sad to see that there are no more books by the author after that year.
August 4, 2020
New author for me & I love medical mysteries!
Three mentally impaired female patients from Baltimore group homes present with the same mysterious virus that has never been seen before. A young investigator from the CDC, Nathaniel McCormick has the job of looking into their lives and habits. He teams up with an old colleague and a former lover to follow the clues to a discovery you will not see coming!
Three mentally impaired female patients from Baltimore group homes present with the same mysterious virus that has never been seen before. A young investigator from the CDC, Nathaniel McCormick has the job of looking into their lives and habits. He teams up with an old colleague and a former lover to follow the clues to a discovery you will not see coming!
January 10, 2021
This was entertaining but easy to put down until the very end. I’m a retired ICU nurse so I enjoyed the medical slant but don’t know if non-medical people would enjoy it. The storyteller is a young inspector from the CDC and his dark humor sometimes is a little over the top, making jokes in dangerous situations. I guess his personality is one of a smart ass so in that way the comments would be believable. I did enjoy it.
September 28, 2017
I really enjoyed this medical thriller. It's the usual plot line of unethical doctors and medical companies, plotting for profit - this one deals with xenotransplantation which I found interesting. There were a couple graphic scenes that should have been left out (they added nothing) but otherwise a good, tense storyline and well-developed characters. Recommended 4.25/5 stars.
February 2, 2018
I'm not sure I've read too many medical mystery books, but this one was very interesting. It wasn't too weighed down with medical jargon, and what there was of it was relatively easy to follow. Despite being a medical mystery, it had all the things you want a good mystery to have. Danger, excitement, heroes and villains and even a twist or two.
May 30, 2019
Not a bad medical thriller. There was quite a bit of medical jargon, virus, pathogen, antibody speak that I didn't fully understand-but the author did a good job of attempting to make it understandable. I was able to tell who the "bad guy" was about halfway through, but that didn't take away from the story and it was still a good ending.
December 28, 2021
This book had so much promise. The characters were flat and unlikeable. The premise is timely, but so much of the plot was just ridiculous. I can buy into the comatose patients being kept for parts, but the whole lab scene at the end felt like it was written for an action movie. I did finish the book, but definitely wasted my time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2019
A very interesting medical thriller. Never a dull moment. Non medicos may find a bit of it too technical but can follow the script easily. Very witty. Goes into the organ transplantation from pigs to humans, the flaws and complications of a promising field.
September 14, 2021
My rating would probably be about 2.5.
I think it could have been about 50-60 pages shorter. There was a lot of nothing going on about mid way.
The characters weren't that likeable, but the plot was believable and the dialogue wasn't bad.
Not for the squeamish.
I think it could have been about 50-60 pages shorter. There was a lot of nothing going on about mid way.
The characters weren't that likeable, but the plot was believable and the dialogue wasn't bad.
Not for the squeamish.
May 7, 2024
(Audiobook) slow start but pucks up at the end. Appealed to my medical interests about learning what kind of bug caused the pandemic. Decent medical crime solving story. The main character was difficult to like throughout the story.
July 9, 2017
Creepy cool, horrific medical thriller!
November 4, 2017
I listened to this on CD in the car over several days. The narrator is not a very charming character and gets a bit tiresome. I really got tired of this story and was glad for it to end.
December 11, 2018
Fairly predictable, not good enough to encourage me to read Nathaniel McCormick #2.
August 24, 2019
A very good medical thriller with fast-paced action and interesting characters. I also liked the way Joshua Spanogle added a lot of background information I didn't know about the CDC.
September 17, 2020
нищо нова под слънцето, бюрокрация, мудност, полезен идиот “на бял кон”, амбиции, учени прекрачващи граници, вируси способни да убиват...
December 20, 2020
Soms wat langdradig maar bleef het spannend vinden.
Echt een boek om even "van de wereld" te zijn.
Echt een boek om even "van de wereld" te zijn.
July 10, 2021
Seriously, one of the best medical suspense books I've ever read! I'm sad that this author only has 2 books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews