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Noah Rothauser jest rezydentem w Boston Memorial Hospital. Szpital słynie z nowoczesnego wyposażenia, w tym „hybrydowych sal operacyjnych przyszłości”, które wydają się istnym dobrodziejstwem - do czasu, aż w jednej z nich umiera pacjent. Noah obwinia światowej sławy chirurga, doktora Williama Masona, który nie potraktował operacji z należytą uwagą, a następnie sfałszował zapis w karcie pacjenta.
Mason z kolei oskarża doktor Avę London, anestezjolożkę, która znieczulała pacjenta. Noah stopniowo zaczyna kwestionować dotychczasowe ustalenia, a także postawę Avy, która, jak się okazuje, prowadzi znacznie ciekawsze życie, niż mu się wydawało. Gdy stawką są jego wiarygodność i posada, Noah nie ma wyboru: musi ustalić, gdzie leży prawda, który z lekarzy ponosi winę i komu można zaufać.
Mason z kolei oskarża doktor Avę London, anestezjolożkę, która znieczulała pacjenta. Noah stopniowo zaczyna kwestionować dotychczasowe ustalenia, a także postawę Avy, która, jak się okazuje, prowadzi znacznie ciekawsze życie, niż mu się wydawało. Gdy stawką są jego wiarygodność i posada, Noah nie ma wyboru: musi ustalić, gdzie leży prawda, który z lekarzy ponosi winę i komu można zaufać.
504 pages, Paperback
First published August 22, 2017
1818 people are currently reading
3492 people want to read
About the author
Robin Cook
190 books5,056 followersLibrarian Note: Not to be confused with British novelist Robin Cook a pseudonym of Robert William Arthur Cook.
Dr. Robin Cook (born May 4, 1940 in New York City, New York) is an American doctor / novelist who writes about medicine, biotechnology, and topics affecting public health.
He is best known for being the author who created the medical-thriller genre by combining medical writing with the thriller genre of writing. His books have been bestsellers on the "New York Times" Bestseller List with several at #1. A number of his books have also been featured in Reader's Digest. Many were also featured in the Literary Guild. Many have been made into motion pictures.
Cook is a graduate of Wesleyan University and Columbia University School of Medicine. He finished his postgraduate medical training at Harvard that included general surgery and ophthalmology. He divides his time between homes in Florida, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts where he lives with his wife Jean. He is currently on leave from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. He has successfully combined medical fact with fiction to produce a succession of bestselling books. Cook's medical thrillers are designed, in part, to make the public aware of both the technological possibilities of modern medicine and the ensuing ethical conundrums.
Cook got a taste of the larger world when the Cousteau Society recruited him to run its blood - gas lab in the South of France while he was in medical school. Intrigued by diving, he later called on a connection he made through Jacques Cousteau to become an aquanaut with the US Navy Sealab when he was drafted in the 60's. During his navy career he served on a nuclear submarine for a seventy-five day stay underwater where he wrote his first book! [1]
Cook was a private member of the Woodrow Wilson Center's Board of Trustees, appointed to a six-year term by the President George W. Bush.[2]
[edit] Doctor / Novelist
Dr. Cook's profession as a doctor has provided him with ideas and background for many of his novels. In each of his novels, he strives to write about the issues at the forefront of current medical practice.
To date, he has explored issues such as organ donation, genetic engineering,fertility treatment, medical research funding, managed care, medical malpractice, drug research, drug pricing, specialty hospitals, stem cells, and organ transplantation.[3]
Dr. Cook has been remarked to have an uncanny ability to anticipate national controversy. In an interview with Dr.Cook, Stephen McDonald talked to him about his novel Shock; Cook admits the timing of Shock was fortuitous. "I suppose that you could say that it's the most like Coma in that it deals with an issue that everybody seems to be concerned about," he says, "I wrote this book to address the stem cell issue, which the public really doesn't know much about. Besides entertaining readers, my main goal is to get people interested in some of these issues, because it's the public that ultimately really should decide which way we ought to go in something as that has enormous potential for treating disease and disability but touches up against the ethically problematic abortion issue."[4]
Keeping his lab coat handy helps him turn our fear of doctors into bestsellers. "I joke that if my books stop selling, I can always fall back on brain surgery," he says. "But I am still very interested in being a doctor. If I had to do it over again, I would still study medicine. I think of myself more as a doctor who writes, rather than a writer who happens to be a doctor." After 35 books,he has come up with a diagnosis to explain why his medical thrillers remain so popular. "The main reason is, we all realize we are at risk. We're all going to be patients sometime," he says. "You can write about great white sharks or haunted houses, and you can say I'm not going into the ocean or I'm not going in haunted houses, but you can't say you're n
Dr. Robin Cook (born May 4, 1940 in New York City, New York) is an American doctor / novelist who writes about medicine, biotechnology, and topics affecting public health.
He is best known for being the author who created the medical-thriller genre by combining medical writing with the thriller genre of writing. His books have been bestsellers on the "New York Times" Bestseller List with several at #1. A number of his books have also been featured in Reader's Digest. Many were also featured in the Literary Guild. Many have been made into motion pictures.
Cook is a graduate of Wesleyan University and Columbia University School of Medicine. He finished his postgraduate medical training at Harvard that included general surgery and ophthalmology. He divides his time between homes in Florida, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts where he lives with his wife Jean. He is currently on leave from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. He has successfully combined medical fact with fiction to produce a succession of bestselling books. Cook's medical thrillers are designed, in part, to make the public aware of both the technological possibilities of modern medicine and the ensuing ethical conundrums.
Cook got a taste of the larger world when the Cousteau Society recruited him to run its blood - gas lab in the South of France while he was in medical school. Intrigued by diving, he later called on a connection he made through Jacques Cousteau to become an aquanaut with the US Navy Sealab when he was drafted in the 60's. During his navy career he served on a nuclear submarine for a seventy-five day stay underwater where he wrote his first book! [1]
Cook was a private member of the Woodrow Wilson Center's Board of Trustees, appointed to a six-year term by the President George W. Bush.[2]
[edit] Doctor / Novelist
Dr. Cook's profession as a doctor has provided him with ideas and background for many of his novels. In each of his novels, he strives to write about the issues at the forefront of current medical practice.
To date, he has explored issues such as organ donation, genetic engineering,fertility treatment, medical research funding, managed care, medical malpractice, drug research, drug pricing, specialty hospitals, stem cells, and organ transplantation.[3]
Dr. Cook has been remarked to have an uncanny ability to anticipate national controversy. In an interview with Dr.Cook, Stephen McDonald talked to him about his novel Shock; Cook admits the timing of Shock was fortuitous. "I suppose that you could say that it's the most like Coma in that it deals with an issue that everybody seems to be concerned about," he says, "I wrote this book to address the stem cell issue, which the public really doesn't know much about. Besides entertaining readers, my main goal is to get people interested in some of these issues, because it's the public that ultimately really should decide which way we ought to go in something as that has enormous potential for treating disease and disability but touches up against the ethically problematic abortion issue."[4]
Keeping his lab coat handy helps him turn our fear of doctors into bestsellers. "I joke that if my books stop selling, I can always fall back on brain surgery," he says. "But I am still very interested in being a doctor. If I had to do it over again, I would still study medicine. I think of myself more as a doctor who writes, rather than a writer who happens to be a doctor." After 35 books,he has come up with a diagnosis to explain why his medical thrillers remain so popular. "The main reason is, we all realize we are at risk. We're all going to be patients sometime," he says. "You can write about great white sharks or haunted houses, and you can say I'm not going into the ocean or I'm not going in haunted houses, but you can't say you're n
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 751 reviews
April 13, 2018
Charlatans by Robin Cook is a 2017 G.P. Putnam’s Sons publication.
I don’t read medical thrillers on a regular basis, but do enjoy one from time to time as a change of pace. Although other authors have carved out a niche in this genre, anytime the mood strikes, Robin Cook is the first name that comes to my mind. But over the years, I’d lost track of Robin, and even began to wonder what had happened to him. After looking him up on Goodreads, I was relieved to discover he had been writing, maybe not as prolifically as he once had, but steadily, over the past several years. It seemed serendipitous that just as this author and his trademark genre crossed my mind, I noticed a publishing push for this book. But, after a string of bad luck with established authors from decades past, I didn’t immediately add it to the TBR pile. But, when the book kept cropping up on my overdrive account, I decided to put a hold on it, giving me a little time to work on my wary attitude.
As it turns out, my streak of bad luck has not run out just yet. However, this book did make me think about a few hot button issues. Although the book’s attempt at leaving me unsettled didn’t quite work, the author’s note explaining that yes indeed, there really are charlatans in the medical profession might make readers look at their doctor’s medical school credentials a little more closely and really does make me feel a little nervous.
Excepting the keen timing in raising issues like the effect social media has on our society, the ease in which a new identity can be made, and the pros or cons of nutritional supplements and alternative medical treatments, keep in mind that Cook is a doctor, and pointedly painted that industry in a very shady light. But, the debate is a good one to have, since doctors do tend to over prescribe and refuse to acknowledge any benefits of natural treatments or alternative medicines, and regulators like the FDA are kept at bay when it comes to the safety and effectiveness of supplements. The conflict between the two industries is a contentious one, for sure, and I’d say this book could bring about a little heated debate between those who firmly come down on one side or the other.
But….
If you loved this book or are a huge fan of Robin Cook- proceed with caution- incoming rant.
The book is a mess. The writing is horrible, the plot is insanely ridiculous and don’t even get me started on the amount of belief this author is requiring me suspend. It was almost as though the author decided to outline his issues with social media and the lobbyist who keep regulators away from the dietary and nutritional supplement industry, and the amount of work or education doctors should or should not be required to attend or pass, then created the most outlandish plot imaginable as a platform to push his own opinions or agendas.
I’m not saying the book didn’t raise concerns or draw attention to a problem spiraling out of control, or raise valid questions, because it certainly did do that. But, the timing is out of synch, as is the time frame for some events that took place in the past, and the dialogue is absolutely absurd!!! The entire story is so bizarre it invalidated any points scored by Cook for the arguments he so blatantly debated. It reads like pure science fiction, which would keep anyone from taking his concerns seriously. But, maybe I'm the one who took things too seriously?
The pacing was another issue, as the first half of the book dragged along with hospital politics, God complexes and medical errors, and so on. Medical enthusiast might enjoy the extreme details Cook provides, which is something I actually do find interesting, but it was not necessary to the plot and slowed the momentum down tremendously.
The second half of the book does pick up steam, but then it spiraled out of control and ended on a highly implausible note, meant to leave the reader feeling uneasy, which was so ridiculous I rolled my eyes in exasperation and then laughed out loud.
I did notice this book was well received by the Goodreads community, which is great. I'm always happier knowing people enjoy their books. Besides, that's what makes the world go around.
But, obviously, I'm a very opinionated person, so I’m afraid I’m going to have to stay on the side of the minority on this one. Not only that, I want those doctors to go through every tiny bit of education and training possible before they treat patients. To suggest otherwise, is dangerous in my opinion.
But, I will say this. I’m rounding my rating up because despite the outlandish plot, the premise just might prompt someone to take more precautions, ask more questions, and do more research, which is always, always, always a good thing. Be aware, be cautious, and never take anything or anyone at face value- cynical- but true.
1.5 stars
I don’t read medical thrillers on a regular basis, but do enjoy one from time to time as a change of pace. Although other authors have carved out a niche in this genre, anytime the mood strikes, Robin Cook is the first name that comes to my mind. But over the years, I’d lost track of Robin, and even began to wonder what had happened to him. After looking him up on Goodreads, I was relieved to discover he had been writing, maybe not as prolifically as he once had, but steadily, over the past several years. It seemed serendipitous that just as this author and his trademark genre crossed my mind, I noticed a publishing push for this book. But, after a string of bad luck with established authors from decades past, I didn’t immediately add it to the TBR pile. But, when the book kept cropping up on my overdrive account, I decided to put a hold on it, giving me a little time to work on my wary attitude.
As it turns out, my streak of bad luck has not run out just yet. However, this book did make me think about a few hot button issues. Although the book’s attempt at leaving me unsettled didn’t quite work, the author’s note explaining that yes indeed, there really are charlatans in the medical profession might make readers look at their doctor’s medical school credentials a little more closely and really does make me feel a little nervous.
Excepting the keen timing in raising issues like the effect social media has on our society, the ease in which a new identity can be made, and the pros or cons of nutritional supplements and alternative medical treatments, keep in mind that Cook is a doctor, and pointedly painted that industry in a very shady light. But, the debate is a good one to have, since doctors do tend to over prescribe and refuse to acknowledge any benefits of natural treatments or alternative medicines, and regulators like the FDA are kept at bay when it comes to the safety and effectiveness of supplements. The conflict between the two industries is a contentious one, for sure, and I’d say this book could bring about a little heated debate between those who firmly come down on one side or the other.
But….
If you loved this book or are a huge fan of Robin Cook- proceed with caution- incoming rant.
The book is a mess. The writing is horrible, the plot is insanely ridiculous and don’t even get me started on the amount of belief this author is requiring me suspend. It was almost as though the author decided to outline his issues with social media and the lobbyist who keep regulators away from the dietary and nutritional supplement industry, and the amount of work or education doctors should or should not be required to attend or pass, then created the most outlandish plot imaginable as a platform to push his own opinions or agendas.
I’m not saying the book didn’t raise concerns or draw attention to a problem spiraling out of control, or raise valid questions, because it certainly did do that. But, the timing is out of synch, as is the time frame for some events that took place in the past, and the dialogue is absolutely absurd!!! The entire story is so bizarre it invalidated any points scored by Cook for the arguments he so blatantly debated. It reads like pure science fiction, which would keep anyone from taking his concerns seriously. But, maybe I'm the one who took things too seriously?
The pacing was another issue, as the first half of the book dragged along with hospital politics, God complexes and medical errors, and so on. Medical enthusiast might enjoy the extreme details Cook provides, which is something I actually do find interesting, but it was not necessary to the plot and slowed the momentum down tremendously.
The second half of the book does pick up steam, but then it spiraled out of control and ended on a highly implausible note, meant to leave the reader feeling uneasy, which was so ridiculous I rolled my eyes in exasperation and then laughed out loud.
I did notice this book was well received by the Goodreads community, which is great. I'm always happier knowing people enjoy their books. Besides, that's what makes the world go around.
But, obviously, I'm a very opinionated person, so I’m afraid I’m going to have to stay on the side of the minority on this one. Not only that, I want those doctors to go through every tiny bit of education and training possible before they treat patients. To suggest otherwise, is dangerous in my opinion.
But, I will say this. I’m rounding my rating up because despite the outlandish plot, the premise just might prompt someone to take more precautions, ask more questions, and do more research, which is always, always, always a good thing. Be aware, be cautious, and never take anything or anyone at face value- cynical- but true.
1.5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2017
Can't believe that so many readers gave it such a high rating. This book is so unbelievable that it was hard to finish. Having worked in medicine for over forty years there is so much that happened in this book that would never happened in a real hospital. An anesthesiologist involved in three deaths over a short time would have been suspended and investigated before being allowed to continue to practice. And what a terrible ending. No gratification at all. Very disappointing for an author that I have enjoyed in the past.
October 7, 2017
A bumper surprise!
Plot :
The story explodes with a death of an extremely kind-hearted and popular-among-the-hospital- staff man named Bruce who was going to get Hernia operation. The hospital staff is well-versed in their degrees and practice of decades. But the tables will turn this time.
The author lets you expect Bruce's brutal farewell since page no. 2 and his final moments come on page no 34. These in-between moments seem beyond treacherous. Hoping for a least probable miracle, the pages turn themselves frequently.
Bruce was being operated by Dr. William Mason and Anesthesiologist, Dr. Ava London. The tragic and unusual incident beckons a series of deaths and Dr. Noah Rothauser, a new super chief resident of Boston Memorial Hospital is forced to investigate the crime.
Exciting, betraying and adventurous ride.
Writing:
The first rule of investigation : Don't be biased.
And that's where everyone makes grave mistake. The author traps you into believing the most obvious person to be hanged as a criminal in your imagination with sheer and stark evidences convicting him and you fall for it. Totally.
My first encounter with Robin Cook's book and it didn't disappoint. Medical thrillers have always got high ranks in my lists so has this one. As much as the book, I enjoyed the fitting to the story title. Cover is Apt, Puncturing and Nailing. Couldn't have thought of anything better. Excited to read more of his work.
I recommend it to you if you haven't yet read any book by Robin Cook.
Plot :
The story explodes with a death of an extremely kind-hearted and popular-among-the-hospital- staff man named Bruce who was going to get Hernia operation. The hospital staff is well-versed in their degrees and practice of decades. But the tables will turn this time.
The author lets you expect Bruce's brutal farewell since page no. 2 and his final moments come on page no 34. These in-between moments seem beyond treacherous. Hoping for a least probable miracle, the pages turn themselves frequently.
Bruce was being operated by Dr. William Mason and Anesthesiologist, Dr. Ava London. The tragic and unusual incident beckons a series of deaths and Dr. Noah Rothauser, a new super chief resident of Boston Memorial Hospital is forced to investigate the crime.
Exciting, betraying and adventurous ride.
Writing:
The first rule of investigation : Don't be biased.
And that's where everyone makes grave mistake. The author traps you into believing the most obvious person to be hanged as a criminal in your imagination with sheer and stark evidences convicting him and you fall for it. Totally.
My first encounter with Robin Cook's book and it didn't disappoint. Medical thrillers have always got high ranks in my lists so has this one. As much as the book, I enjoyed the fitting to the story title. Cover is Apt, Puncturing and Nailing. Couldn't have thought of anything better. Excited to read more of his work.
I recommend it to you if you haven't yet read any book by Robin Cook.
September 17, 2017
I did not enjoy this book. Can not believe it was released by Robin Cook. A good 3/4 of the book was drivel about hospital routines, pre operative guidelines, medical school, residents, anesthesiologists physicians..... Then cases gone wrong..what happened, present at M&M rounds.
The rest was non impressive, and I found great pleasure when I finally got to the end. Not necessarily the ending, but rather the end of the book. Charlatan? -for you to determine.
The rest was non impressive, and I found great pleasure when I finally got to the end. Not necessarily the ending, but rather the end of the book. Charlatan? -for you to determine.
August 29, 2017
Disappointing
Was looking forward to this book, as I like medical mysteries. This book was disappointing. Superficial with an ending that was unsatisfying. Dave your money.
Was looking forward to this book, as I like medical mysteries. This book was disappointing. Superficial with an ending that was unsatisfying. Dave your money.
September 20, 2017
“We can't possibly have a summer love. So many people have tried that the name's become proverbial. Summer is only the unfulfilled promise of spring, a charlatan in place of the warm balmy nights I dream of in April. It's a sad season of life without growth...It has no day.”
----F. Scott Fitzgerald
Dr. Robin Cook, the international best-selling author, is back with a bang and this time with an intriguing and pot-boiling medical thriller called, Charlatans that no-doubt, revolves around the cutting edge technology and advancements in the field of medicine and medical practices, but mainly centers around the educational backgrounds of the doctors, where the two protagonists, one, a chief medical resident and the other, a star anesthesiologist of the Boston Memorial Hospital who get tangled up in the OR deaths of three patients, and the investigation behind the death puts doubt in the minds of the chief medical resident about the star anesthesiologist's training and the fancy educational background, even though they get emotionally and sexually involved with one another beyond the premises of the hospital.
Synopsis:
"Charlatans is an explosive thriller from New York Times bestselling author and master of the medical thriller Robin Cook.
Noah Rothauser is the new super chief resident at Boston Memorial Hospital. Housing state-of-the-art medical facilities, it’s always been Noah’s dream to work for such an esteemed institution. But the pressures of the role become all too clear when a seemingly routine operation results in the tragic death of an otherwise healthy man. With potential malpractice suspected it falls to the newly appointed surgical doctor to investigate what happened.
Questioning those involved uncovers bitter feuds within the hospital’s surgical staff when Dr. William Mason, the egotistical, world-class surgeon who performed the operation, is quick to blame staff anaeshtetist Dr. Ava London for the disastrous outcome. However Dr. London, along with the nursing staff, point the finger at the surgeon.
When two more anesthesia-related deaths occur, Noah is forced to look closer at the impressively competent, charming, yet mysterious Dr. London, and he quickly realizes there’s far more to her than meets the eye. With his own job and integrity coming into jeopardy, Noah must decide which doctor is at fault and who he can believe – before any more lives are lost."
Little did Dr. Noah Rothauser knew that right from the very first day, his job as the chief medical resident at Boston Memorial Hospital would be a challenging one, especially three patient deaths on a weekly basis would keep his schedule tightly packed. And not to mention, his new and secret affair with the hospital's star anesthesiologist, Dr. Ava London, would almost cost him his job in the hospital, as haters of London, namely a celebrated surgeon, Dr. William Mason, is constantly hinting on firing the young and ambitious doctor. So when Noah reluctantly gets to the bottom of the mystery behind London's palatial house at an upscale area in Boston and her educational and medical training background, alongside her many social media avatars, Noah discovers a lot of layers and many prodding mysteries, but can Noah keep himself safe from unveiling the past of a woman who has created a fake version of herself in almost every social media out there? Can doctors kill despite of their fancy degrees?
After reading the previous book of Cook, I was very skeptical in picking up a copy of his new book, Charlatans. But upon getting my hands on the book, and reading the merely the prologue, got me hooked into the story line and I guessed that this plot is going to rock, and my, oh my, it surely did. I'm glad that Cook got back into his previous form whilst maintaining his old flair of medical analogies and terminologies and jargon that only sounds good while reading a medical thriller penned by Dr. Cook. I've always been a fan of this author and have never ever missed any book from him, be it good or bad, Cook is a personal favorite of mine. So here I'm swearing to pen the review in an unbiased manner.
The writing style of the author is eloquent and is laced with medical terminologies and tight suspense, which is not that tasteful but somehow will keep the readers glued to their edges. The narrative is engaging, but most of the time, it kept on diverting into trivial matters rather than staying focused on the main mystery plot. Otherwise, the dialogues are authentic and striking enough to make the readers comprehend with the characters' ongoing plot. The pacing is really fast, mainly because of the thrill and the suspense that made me breeze through the entire book in almost no time.
The mystery portrayed and depicted by the author is tightly wrapped under thick layers of twists and turns, although I won't say that they were unpredictable. The plot is painted with edgy suspense, high octane medical OR drama which are very vividly captured with enough depth and are pulsating enough to keep the readers engaged. Also the scenes are visually strikingly arrested, as a result, the readers can see each and every scene unfolding right before their own eyes. The end isn't that satisfying and unlike his past bestselling books, here the ending will subtly disappoint Cook's dedicated fans.
The characters from this book are well developed but not that good enough to leave an impression in the minds of the readers. The main character, Noah, is an interesting man, who believes in his instincts instead of believing in other people's opinion, very hard working, smart, clever and handsome yet a bit brooding. Overall, he makes a great protagonist for the story. On the other hand, the character of Ava London is very platonic and static, and kind of unreal, at times, she annoyed me a lot. Moreover, the author has failed to explore her past or background in depth, like he did for Noah's character. The supporting ones aren't that interesting enough to strike a chord.
In a nutshell, the book is enthralling and subtly electrifying enough to peak the readers' interest in the world of medicine and medical technologies.
PS: Next time when you visit your Doctor either in a hospital or in his clinic, beware of all those degrees framed up on the wall.
Verdict: King of medical thrillers is back!
----F. Scott Fitzgerald
Dr. Robin Cook, the international best-selling author, is back with a bang and this time with an intriguing and pot-boiling medical thriller called, Charlatans that no-doubt, revolves around the cutting edge technology and advancements in the field of medicine and medical practices, but mainly centers around the educational backgrounds of the doctors, where the two protagonists, one, a chief medical resident and the other, a star anesthesiologist of the Boston Memorial Hospital who get tangled up in the OR deaths of three patients, and the investigation behind the death puts doubt in the minds of the chief medical resident about the star anesthesiologist's training and the fancy educational background, even though they get emotionally and sexually involved with one another beyond the premises of the hospital.
Synopsis:
"Charlatans is an explosive thriller from New York Times bestselling author and master of the medical thriller Robin Cook.
Noah Rothauser is the new super chief resident at Boston Memorial Hospital. Housing state-of-the-art medical facilities, it’s always been Noah’s dream to work for such an esteemed institution. But the pressures of the role become all too clear when a seemingly routine operation results in the tragic death of an otherwise healthy man. With potential malpractice suspected it falls to the newly appointed surgical doctor to investigate what happened.
Questioning those involved uncovers bitter feuds within the hospital’s surgical staff when Dr. William Mason, the egotistical, world-class surgeon who performed the operation, is quick to blame staff anaeshtetist Dr. Ava London for the disastrous outcome. However Dr. London, along with the nursing staff, point the finger at the surgeon.
When two more anesthesia-related deaths occur, Noah is forced to look closer at the impressively competent, charming, yet mysterious Dr. London, and he quickly realizes there’s far more to her than meets the eye. With his own job and integrity coming into jeopardy, Noah must decide which doctor is at fault and who he can believe – before any more lives are lost."
Little did Dr. Noah Rothauser knew that right from the very first day, his job as the chief medical resident at Boston Memorial Hospital would be a challenging one, especially three patient deaths on a weekly basis would keep his schedule tightly packed. And not to mention, his new and secret affair with the hospital's star anesthesiologist, Dr. Ava London, would almost cost him his job in the hospital, as haters of London, namely a celebrated surgeon, Dr. William Mason, is constantly hinting on firing the young and ambitious doctor. So when Noah reluctantly gets to the bottom of the mystery behind London's palatial house at an upscale area in Boston and her educational and medical training background, alongside her many social media avatars, Noah discovers a lot of layers and many prodding mysteries, but can Noah keep himself safe from unveiling the past of a woman who has created a fake version of herself in almost every social media out there? Can doctors kill despite of their fancy degrees?
After reading the previous book of Cook, I was very skeptical in picking up a copy of his new book, Charlatans. But upon getting my hands on the book, and reading the merely the prologue, got me hooked into the story line and I guessed that this plot is going to rock, and my, oh my, it surely did. I'm glad that Cook got back into his previous form whilst maintaining his old flair of medical analogies and terminologies and jargon that only sounds good while reading a medical thriller penned by Dr. Cook. I've always been a fan of this author and have never ever missed any book from him, be it good or bad, Cook is a personal favorite of mine. So here I'm swearing to pen the review in an unbiased manner.
The writing style of the author is eloquent and is laced with medical terminologies and tight suspense, which is not that tasteful but somehow will keep the readers glued to their edges. The narrative is engaging, but most of the time, it kept on diverting into trivial matters rather than staying focused on the main mystery plot. Otherwise, the dialogues are authentic and striking enough to make the readers comprehend with the characters' ongoing plot. The pacing is really fast, mainly because of the thrill and the suspense that made me breeze through the entire book in almost no time.
The mystery portrayed and depicted by the author is tightly wrapped under thick layers of twists and turns, although I won't say that they were unpredictable. The plot is painted with edgy suspense, high octane medical OR drama which are very vividly captured with enough depth and are pulsating enough to keep the readers engaged. Also the scenes are visually strikingly arrested, as a result, the readers can see each and every scene unfolding right before their own eyes. The end isn't that satisfying and unlike his past bestselling books, here the ending will subtly disappoint Cook's dedicated fans.
The characters from this book are well developed but not that good enough to leave an impression in the minds of the readers. The main character, Noah, is an interesting man, who believes in his instincts instead of believing in other people's opinion, very hard working, smart, clever and handsome yet a bit brooding. Overall, he makes a great protagonist for the story. On the other hand, the character of Ava London is very platonic and static, and kind of unreal, at times, she annoyed me a lot. Moreover, the author has failed to explore her past or background in depth, like he did for Noah's character. The supporting ones aren't that interesting enough to strike a chord.
In a nutshell, the book is enthralling and subtly electrifying enough to peak the readers' interest in the world of medicine and medical technologies.
PS: Next time when you visit your Doctor either in a hospital or in his clinic, beware of all those degrees framed up on the wall.
Verdict: King of medical thrillers is back!
November 24, 2017
I haven't read a Robin Cook novel for many years. I was definitely thrilled by "Coma", his first medical thriller. This book was, in my opinion, overly long and should have been edited a bit more. That being said, after the first half, I was really glued to the increasingly intriguing story.
The book's main character, Dr. Noah Rothauser, Chief Surgical Resident at Boston Memorial Hospital, is in charge of all the new surgical residents, a huge job, along with surgeries he performs on his own patients. He loves his job, so he is not overly burdened with the long hours spent at the hospital. That coupled with a non-existent social life, is about to change when he develops a romantic relationship with an anesthesiologist, Ava London.
At first all seems perfect in their relationship, but over time, Noah has to deal with several incidents at the hospital all related to his new lover. Patients are dying! A chief surgeon develops a hatred of Noah. Is Dr. London really who she appears to be?
The book's main character, Dr. Noah Rothauser, Chief Surgical Resident at Boston Memorial Hospital, is in charge of all the new surgical residents, a huge job, along with surgeries he performs on his own patients. He loves his job, so he is not overly burdened with the long hours spent at the hospital. That coupled with a non-existent social life, is about to change when he develops a romantic relationship with an anesthesiologist, Ava London.
At first all seems perfect in their relationship, but over time, Noah has to deal with several incidents at the hospital all related to his new lover. Patients are dying! A chief surgeon develops a hatred of Noah. Is Dr. London really who she appears to be?
April 18, 2018
You can safely forgo reading this one and not loose any sleep.
I have been a big fan of Robin Cook in the past and considered him on par with John Grisham only regarding doctors. Well, this really didn't meet my expectations for several reasons.
After reading the first 100 pages about a hospital drama that seemed to be a little weak, I saw some uncomplimentary reviews on GR. I thought they might be overly critical. I asked some questions and decided that I would complete the book rather than abandon, it to satisfy my curiosity.
I should have abandoned the story. In essence, Noah Rothauser is the new chief of interns (he is the top dog of the doctors completing their residency and having been selected for this position, he is guaranteed a position on the hospital staff, once his final year of residency is completed). He is placed in a precarious situation where he is presenting facts to a panel of doctors regarding the factors involved in the death of a patient (who was also a popular employee) due in part to issues with anesthesia (and Noah's flame, Ava, the doctor, who was "gassing" the patient is on the hot seat); he must research and explore the possibility of how this death could have been avoided and in his preparation of his presentation he asks some detailed questions of Ava. Initially, she and he work together to protect them both from censure (as he got involved at the tail end of the case).
Tthey formulate how he will deliver his assessment. However, in their meetings her responses to his inquiries just aren't copacetic. She is all hot for his bod and he is also a dog in heat, so he dismisses his concerns at first. By doing so, he shines the light on some questionable behavior of another doctor, who in turn threatens Noah. Things spiral into a lot of weird events including a side story about two goons working for a security company but pretending to be FBI agents that seem to have no connection to the hospital story. When Noah decides to challenge Ava's story about her past, she gets very defensive and stops all communications. Soon Noah does further digging and then the goons are after him. They have killed before is Noah next? By the time things turn bad for Noah, you are pretty much over Noah and his self-centered, self-absorbed life and his lack of affection (if you get what I'm saying). Ava is strange and you the reader thinks that Noah needs to think with his big head for once and be grateful, that she doesn't have any interest in being romantically involved with him anymore. C'mon, there are lots of nurses at the hospital and Noah is of course a handsome, available, intelligent man.
Cook concludes his book with a nod to all the doctors, who were quacks before the AMA came along and made the profession great. It eliminated those who did more harm than good (right, sure, let me tell you about my 3 knee surgeries that led to an artificial knee at a young age) and stopped those who pretended to be doctors without training. What is so laughable is that he spends a page telling us that as science improves doctors will be more competent, require less schooling and average medical costs will become more reasonable, while quality increases. SERIOUSLY?!
This book was published 12 years ago, Cook not only missed the mark with this book, he makes a lousy prognosticator, too.
I won't ruin the ending if you are compelled, as I was to read to the last page. Suffice it to say, that I spurred on to finish because I remember the hearing a story when I was a youngun' about "The Great Imposter" Ferdinand Waldo Demara. Ferdinand Demara had practiced medicine without any medical training and was very well liked by patients before he was arrested. Demara had quite a colorful life and he had done participated in many different careers including having masqueraded as a monk, a surgeon and even as a prison warden. "The Great Impostor" was made into movie in 1961 and was based on Robert Crichton's 1959 biography of the same name, it starred Tony Curtis as Demara. I vaguely remember seeing it at some point and it was interesting. I remember him being on the television show "To Tell The Truth".
Maybe you should read Crichton's book instead, the choice is yours. Life is short, choose wisely!
I have been a big fan of Robin Cook in the past and considered him on par with John Grisham only regarding doctors. Well, this really didn't meet my expectations for several reasons.
After reading the first 100 pages about a hospital drama that seemed to be a little weak, I saw some uncomplimentary reviews on GR. I thought they might be overly critical. I asked some questions and decided that I would complete the book rather than abandon, it to satisfy my curiosity.
I should have abandoned the story. In essence, Noah Rothauser is the new chief of interns (he is the top dog of the doctors completing their residency and having been selected for this position, he is guaranteed a position on the hospital staff, once his final year of residency is completed). He is placed in a precarious situation where he is presenting facts to a panel of doctors regarding the factors involved in the death of a patient (who was also a popular employee) due in part to issues with anesthesia (and Noah's flame, Ava, the doctor, who was "gassing" the patient is on the hot seat); he must research and explore the possibility of how this death could have been avoided and in his preparation of his presentation he asks some detailed questions of Ava. Initially, she and he work together to protect them both from censure (as he got involved at the tail end of the case).
Tthey formulate how he will deliver his assessment. However, in their meetings her responses to his inquiries just aren't copacetic. She is all hot for his bod and he is also a dog in heat, so he dismisses his concerns at first. By doing so, he shines the light on some questionable behavior of another doctor, who in turn threatens Noah. Things spiral into a lot of weird events including a side story about two goons working for a security company but pretending to be FBI agents that seem to have no connection to the hospital story. When Noah decides to challenge Ava's story about her past, she gets very defensive and stops all communications. Soon Noah does further digging and then the goons are after him. They have killed before is Noah next? By the time things turn bad for Noah, you are pretty much over Noah and his self-centered, self-absorbed life and his lack of affection (if you get what I'm saying). Ava is strange and you the reader thinks that Noah needs to think with his big head for once and be grateful, that she doesn't have any interest in being romantically involved with him anymore. C'mon, there are lots of nurses at the hospital and Noah is of course a handsome, available, intelligent man.
Cook concludes his book with a nod to all the doctors, who were quacks before the AMA came along and made the profession great. It eliminated those who did more harm than good (right, sure, let me tell you about my 3 knee surgeries that led to an artificial knee at a young age) and stopped those who pretended to be doctors without training. What is so laughable is that he spends a page telling us that as science improves doctors will be more competent, require less schooling and average medical costs will become more reasonable, while quality increases. SERIOUSLY?!
This book was published 12 years ago, Cook not only missed the mark with this book, he makes a lousy prognosticator, too.
I won't ruin the ending if you are compelled, as I was to read to the last page. Suffice it to say, that I spurred on to finish because I remember the hearing a story when I was a youngun' about "The Great Imposter" Ferdinand Waldo Demara. Ferdinand Demara had practiced medicine without any medical training and was very well liked by patients before he was arrested. Demara had quite a colorful life and he had done participated in many different careers including having masqueraded as a monk, a surgeon and even as a prison warden. "The Great Impostor" was made into movie in 1961 and was based on Robert Crichton's 1959 biography of the same name, it starred Tony Curtis as Demara. I vaguely remember seeing it at some point and it was interesting. I remember him being on the television show "To Tell The Truth".
Maybe you should read Crichton's book instead, the choice is yours. Life is short, choose wisely!
November 17, 2017
I liked the book until the ending and I thought WHAT!!! Totally unsatisfactory. Had to downgrade to a one!
March 17, 2021
The King of Medical Thrillers poses some very interesting and scary questions - what if the Doctor treating you doesn't actually have the degrees displayed on the walls? Has the hospital diligently checked his/her antecedents? What happens if a Doctor turns into a killer?? Please read my detailed review from the link below
https://www.aniblogshere.com/book-rev...
Do read, like or comment.... Thank You!
#medicalthriller #robincook #medicalmalpractice #killers #thrillernovel
https://www.aniblogshere.com/book-rev...
Do read, like or comment.... Thank You!
#medicalthriller #robincook #medicalmalpractice #killers #thrillernovel
September 30, 2017
3.5 stars...
I enjoy Robin Cook and well written medical mysteries. I don’t seem to get around to reading much of them anymore, so it was a nice change of pace from what I’ve been reading lately.
One thing I like about Robin Cook is that he inserts current topics and events of the moment etc into his books. This one had a big focus on social media and the internet and how they are changing not only life in general, but medicine and other specialized industries. Very thought provoking. And highly plausible! Worth a read, particularly for fans of his writing already.
I enjoy Robin Cook and well written medical mysteries. I don’t seem to get around to reading much of them anymore, so it was a nice change of pace from what I’ve been reading lately.
One thing I like about Robin Cook is that he inserts current topics and events of the moment etc into his books. This one had a big focus on social media and the internet and how they are changing not only life in general, but medicine and other specialized industries. Very thought provoking. And highly plausible! Worth a read, particularly for fans of his writing already.
March 26, 2020
"We're all becoming narcissistic charlatans to one degree or another."
Dr. Noah Rothauser, super chief surgery resident, is in his element as he's finally achieved his dream at Boston Memorial Hospital. He revels in his job and loves everything about his work. His climb has not been without its drawbacks -- his live-in girlfriend finally got the message loud and clear that Noah is married to surgery and has left their apartment and gone on to find a new love who can give her more attention. Dr. Ava Landon is a highly regarded staff anesthesiologist at BMH and she, too, is devoted to her work. When an unexpected death of a patient occurs in the OR, the two join forces to avoid being scapegoats of the hospital's hierarchy. Two more unusual cases follow and the two align to protect themselves, but there's a lot more going on besides trouble in the operating rooms. It's almost inevitable that they would be drawn to each other and a fledgling romance is born. But something is not quite sitting right in Noah's organized, orderly world -- and he's soon to find out just how messy things can be.
Part medical thriller, part social commentary, this book is Robin Cook at his best. With medical details as only a bonafide physician could relate, and a plot that keeps you guessing, this combines all the attributes of riveting fiction. I could not put it down. I loved the description of the life of a surgery resident and hospital activities. As most who read any of my reviews know, medical thrillers are my absolute favorite and I have a proclivity toward anything involving surgery having worked as an OR nurse and with a daughter who is a surgeon. It's hard to find books with realistic scenes and accurate depictions these days.
So, welcome back to my life Robin Cook. His last few books left me horrified, so I approached this one with a bit of trepidation, but am happy to say that it met all my needs for a satisfying read that ended up leaving me a bit chilled. The characters were interesting and I loved seeing Noah's social ineptness and vulnerability. Ava was a bit of an enigma and, though I didn't like her much, her motives were complex and unusual. I loved how it all came together and the chapter sequences. There's always a moral and ethical point this author attempts to make. Dr. Cook explains his rationales for writing about this topic in an end note and I will not give any spoilers as to the resolution of the story or hint as to what this novel is really about. I have read every novel he has written and will always do so even if I hate them by the end. This one's a winner. Enjoy!
Dr. Noah Rothauser, super chief surgery resident, is in his element as he's finally achieved his dream at Boston Memorial Hospital. He revels in his job and loves everything about his work. His climb has not been without its drawbacks -- his live-in girlfriend finally got the message loud and clear that Noah is married to surgery and has left their apartment and gone on to find a new love who can give her more attention. Dr. Ava Landon is a highly regarded staff anesthesiologist at BMH and she, too, is devoted to her work. When an unexpected death of a patient occurs in the OR, the two join forces to avoid being scapegoats of the hospital's hierarchy. Two more unusual cases follow and the two align to protect themselves, but there's a lot more going on besides trouble in the operating rooms. It's almost inevitable that they would be drawn to each other and a fledgling romance is born. But something is not quite sitting right in Noah's organized, orderly world -- and he's soon to find out just how messy things can be.
Part medical thriller, part social commentary, this book is Robin Cook at his best. With medical details as only a bonafide physician could relate, and a plot that keeps you guessing, this combines all the attributes of riveting fiction. I could not put it down. I loved the description of the life of a surgery resident and hospital activities. As most who read any of my reviews know, medical thrillers are my absolute favorite and I have a proclivity toward anything involving surgery having worked as an OR nurse and with a daughter who is a surgeon. It's hard to find books with realistic scenes and accurate depictions these days.
So, welcome back to my life Robin Cook. His last few books left me horrified, so I approached this one with a bit of trepidation, but am happy to say that it met all my needs for a satisfying read that ended up leaving me a bit chilled. The characters were interesting and I loved seeing Noah's social ineptness and vulnerability. Ava was a bit of an enigma and, though I didn't like her much, her motives were complex and unusual. I loved how it all came together and the chapter sequences. There's always a moral and ethical point this author attempts to make. Dr. Cook explains his rationales for writing about this topic in an end note and I will not give any spoilers as to the resolution of the story or hint as to what this novel is really about. I have read every novel he has written and will always do so even if I hate them by the end. This one's a winner. Enjoy!
August 21, 2017
This is a good medical thriller. It kept me engaged all the way until the end. Yet, I was majorly frustrated with Dr. Noah. He may be smart and a good doctor but when it came to people, he was not a good judge of character. Yes, Dr. Mason may have been egotistical and not a very likable man himself but he did bring up many valid points. Ones that Dr. Noah did not give any thought to when it came to Ava.
Speaking of Ava; I thought she was not that great of a con artist. Yet, it goes to show that "lust" can make people blind to the truth. It was sad and unfortunate that several innocent people had to lose their lives in the process. When it came to the ending, it was fine. At this point I had come to expect the ending. While, this was a good read, I just wished that there was a dash more "intensity". Although, I do look forward to seeing what the author comes out with next.
Speaking of Ava; I thought she was not that great of a con artist. Yet, it goes to show that "lust" can make people blind to the truth. It was sad and unfortunate that several innocent people had to lose their lives in the process. When it came to the ending, it was fine. At this point I had come to expect the ending. While, this was a good read, I just wished that there was a dash more "intensity". Although, I do look forward to seeing what the author comes out with next.
December 24, 2022
I was more than disappointed with this Cook book. Could not stand either of the two main characters. Two supposedly brilliant MDs behaved like not very savvy, immature, spoiled brats. This was a completely implausible story line, IMHO. The ending left more questions than answers. Not the
Cook of old. A shame.
Cook of old. A shame.
June 11, 2022
ARC received courtesy of Goodreads.com First Reads Giveaway
Perhaps reading a Robin Cook novel after major surgery wasn't my best choice! However, I did enjoy some parts of the novel more than others. The novel is about a chief surgical resident, Noah Rothauser and anesthesiologist, Ava London. As super chief resident, Noah is so busy that he usually only leaves the hospital once a week or so. He prefers to stay at he hospital so he's totally immersed in everything going on there. Ava London, anesthesiologist, has a stellar record at the hospital until things start going wrong and she loses 3 patients in near succession. Noah and Ava become involved as they work together to save her career and, eventually, his as well.
While I enjoyed the story, I just couldn't like the character, Noah. He was too naive, too ready to explain things away, too willing to look the other way. He had no common sense and that was tough for me to get past.
Perhaps reading a Robin Cook novel after major surgery wasn't my best choice! However, I did enjoy some parts of the novel more than others. The novel is about a chief surgical resident, Noah Rothauser and anesthesiologist, Ava London. As super chief resident, Noah is so busy that he usually only leaves the hospital once a week or so. He prefers to stay at he hospital so he's totally immersed in everything going on there. Ava London, anesthesiologist, has a stellar record at the hospital until things start going wrong and she loses 3 patients in near succession. Noah and Ava become involved as they work together to save her career and, eventually, his as well.
While I enjoyed the story, I just couldn't like the character, Noah. He was too naive, too ready to explain things away, too willing to look the other way. He had no common sense and that was tough for me to get past.
October 29, 2022
Lo venden como thriller médico, pero de thriller tiene bien poco.
Una lectura monótona y muy previsible que no me ha dicho gran cosa.
📖❤️
Una lectura monótona y muy previsible que no me ha dicho gran cosa.
📖❤️
August 21, 2021
No se gana la quinta estrella porque en algún momento me ha parecido lento y/o repetitivo de más y porque el final no ha estado, es mi humilde y subjetiva opinión, a la altura de mis espectativas.
La historia adictiva, gratamente "mareante" (ahora piensas esto, luego te hace pensar lo contrario, luego te da otra vuelta ...), el ritmo siempre bueno, la verdad es que ha sido como ver un capítulo de Urgencias o The Good Doctor o una serie de ese estilo pero un poco más largo.
En fín, que me da algo de pena no darle la quinta estrella, pero se queda en 4 por esos dos detalles absolutamente subjetivos ... ¡ igual para tí es un 5 estrellas !
La historia adictiva, gratamente "mareante" (ahora piensas esto, luego te hace pensar lo contrario, luego te da otra vuelta ...), el ritmo siempre bueno, la verdad es que ha sido como ver un capítulo de Urgencias o The Good Doctor o una serie de ese estilo pero un poco más largo.
En fín, que me da algo de pena no darle la quinta estrella, pero se queda en 4 por esos dos detalles absolutamente subjetivos ... ¡ igual para tí es un 5 estrellas !
April 16, 2019
Excellent. I love the way Robin Cook uses fiction as a way to highlight real medical concerns, advances and training. This time he highlights the way so much medical information is freely available over the internet. In addition, that so much training can be done by simulation. Also highlighting the need to review all medical training. BTW it is unputdownable reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2018
3.75 stars. Dr Noah Rothauser is chief resident in the surgery unit of a large Boston hospital. He spends over 15 hours a day at the hospital and loves his job. In addition to his surgeries, he coordinates schedules of all the residents and investigates any surgical outcomes of deaths to present to the hospital staff. A hernia surgery results in the patient's death and pits Dr Ava London, anesthesiologist, against a prominent surgeon. Of course Noah becomes involved with Ava. Does this cause him to lose his objectivity as other deaths occur?
I don't read many medical thrillers but I always choose a book by Robin Cook when I want to read one. I enjoyed the medical situations in this story. The author made me doubt Ava when Noah started to have his doubts. I had to rate the book up with so many twists at the end, which I love.
I don't read many medical thrillers but I always choose a book by Robin Cook when I want to read one. I enjoyed the medical situations in this story. The author made me doubt Ava when Noah started to have his doubts. I had to rate the book up with so many twists at the end, which I love.
September 5, 2017
I've always enjoyed Robin Cook's stories, especially when they touch on physician credentialing, which I was involved with for most of my career. However, I found this story implausible and disappointing. The characters were almost non-human, the dialogue was stilted in the extreme and the story line was convoluted and not believable. The only part I really appreciated was the brief but frank treatise on the need for reform in the educating and training of physicians. Cook's solutions should have been expounded, but what he does say seems to advocate training of micro specialties with little regard for the training necessary to see the big picture and coordinate the care between specialties.
September 2, 2017
I typically love Cook, but this one was disappointing. The characters were stiff and the whole story seemed like a treatise on a couple of current medical issues rather than a developed story. And how could Noah not have suspected more about Ava earlier? I found the story line hard to swallow.
August 16, 2023
1.5 stars. This was actually so bad. All the dialogue was so cringey. You could tell that the author is over 80 but trying to seem hip by talking about social media. The only reason it’s not 1 star is bc my mom recommended it and the ending was kind of ok. Sorry mom
October 10, 2017
Unnecessarily long and drawn out. Not even that great of a story.
Don't waste your time.
Don't waste your time.
August 2, 2021
This started out excitingly, with a patient - the director of hospital parking - undergoing surgery for an inguinal hernia. Bruce is 44 years old and healthy, but he's also a big idiot. He ignores the instructions not to eat or drink after midnight, and has a huge breakfast because he has asked for spinal anesthesia. Then he's late for the surgery, which means the junior surgical resident doesn't have time to go over his medical history. He's admitted to surgery and goes under spinal anesthetic, but the surgeon, a big hotshot, is late because he's responsible for concurrent surgeries. By the time he gets there, Bruce has already been under spinal anesthesia for 1 hr. 12 minutes. Then there's a problem: a portion of bowel is caught up in the hernia, meaning they have to go into the abdomen. This requires switching to general anesthesia. The anesthesiologist inserts the endotracheal tube - and suddenly Bruce regurgitates his whole undigested breakfast. He aspirates some of it into his lungs, including chunks of French toast and bacon. His blood pressure falls, he has to be defibrillated, his oxygen falls, they have to cut into his chest and palpate his heart, pour cold saline into his chest cavity, put him on a heart-lung machine, insert an internal pacemaker, do a bronchoscopy, defibrillate again, but all for naught. Bruce croaks due to that giant breakfast. Also there was no evidence he had ever gotten the Covid vaccine!
The whole book would have been exciting if it were made up of case studies like this. But the protagonist, good-looking chief resident Noah Rothauser, is a high-achieving tool who spends 155 hours a week at the hospital, has zero social life, and doesn't seem to know how to interact with other humans. After two more patients die during surgeries in which Dr. Ava London was the anesthesiologist, Noah is responsible for presenting these cases at the monthly Morbidity & Mortality conferences. He interviews Dr. London in her Beacon Hill manse, immediately humbled by her incomparably toned body in yoga pants and tank top. He's such a dimwit he has to force his eyes away from her body in order to converse with her. Soon the two sawbones are making love like ferrets. Is Dr. London helping Noah to see that she is not at fault in these surgical deaths? Noah doesn't bother asking himself this until hundreds of pages later.
Meantime, Dr. London is odd. Not only is she a skilled anesthesiologist, she's also the chief lobbyist for the nutritional supplements industry. Never mind that lobbyists are normally lawyers, or that she apparently has two enormously complex fulltime jobs. Noah is strongly against the supplement industry, but he sets this moral qualm aside in order to continue his concupiscence with Ava. But Ava is weird in other ways too: she's absolutely obsessed with her social media profile, has thousands of followers on all the sites, and has created sockpuppet accounts who like and comment on all her other accounts. She tells Noah all this, but Noah doesn't run screaming from the manse. He merely asks if she ever becomes confused by having so many online personas. "I keep extensive files on them, which I update on a regular basis. I even have developed my own algorithms to alert me if I say something out of character. It is part of the challenge to be consistent," vocalizes the healer.
Dialogue tags! Cook loves them, the more the merrier. His favorite is "questioned." "He said that specifically?" Ava questioned. "Excuse me?" Noah questioned. "Ready?" George questioned. "Is that all?" she questioned. Cook's characters responded, answered, commented, blurted, explained, exclaimed, admitted, persisted, managed, jeered, screamed, yelled, snarled, snapped, snapped back, pleaded, scolded, practically shouted, said challengingly.
"Who are you?" Noah asked existentially.
"Damn!" Noah voiced.
Outside of the medical scenes, which are fine, Cook is an awkward writer. "Although Noah had asked Bert to keep Noah's presence in the on-call room a secret, Noah knew that it was only a matter of time before word got out." Who, now? In 2017 no author should be writing this: "Noah had always known he depended heavily on electronic media, but he wasn't aware to what extent. What he needed was access to the Internet to help with his investigations."
Perhaps this is for 19th century readers? "Noah put on his blinker to indicate he intended to take the spot once the woman had vacated. Part of the reason he used the blinker was that he'd noticed in the rearview mirror that a large black SUV was coming slowly in his direction, which he assumed was looking for a spot as well. The slot soon to be freed was conveniently located close to the hospital entrance, and Noah wanted it known he planned on taking it."
Errata: "flaunt" for "flout"
"copasetic" for "copacetic"
"Like she, he didn't like to talk about such things..." [Oof.]
"As Noah approached, he wondered when the last time the BMH emergency room looked equally calm." Needs a verb....
February 20, 2019
Existe uma frase muito portuguesa que diz que não devemos voltar a onde já fomos felizes, acho que se aplica na totalidade à minha experiencia com a leitura deste livro. Das minhas memórias enquanto leitora, tenho as coleções lidas e relidas dos Classicos pelo Circulo de leitores, a coleção vampiro e os livrinhos de capa branca da Europa America do pai do thriller médico Robin Cook, na altura, devo ter lido quase tudo o que estava editado pelo autor, portanto voltar a um novo livro do autor seria à partida uma vitória garantida.
Nada mais longe da verdade, apesar de todo o livro estar alicercado num irrepreensivel conhecimento médico, tudo o resta falha redondamente, não consegui criar minima empatia com o nosso herói, os vilões da história são totalmente previsiveis, os momentos de emoção são mal conseguidos e o autor não se decide se quer escrever um thriller médico ou se quer fazer uma critica social ao novo mundo virtual e incapacidade de gestão de relações humanas modernas. O final não tem ponta por onde se pegue e a tradução do livro deixa passar uma gralha gigante.
É com pena, mas não recomendo.
Nada mais longe da verdade, apesar de todo o livro estar alicercado num irrepreensivel conhecimento médico, tudo o resta falha redondamente, não consegui criar minima empatia com o nosso herói, os vilões da história são totalmente previsiveis, os momentos de emoção são mal conseguidos e o autor não se decide se quer escrever um thriller médico ou se quer fazer uma critica social ao novo mundo virtual e incapacidade de gestão de relações humanas modernas. O final não tem ponta por onde se pegue e a tradução do livro deixa passar uma gralha gigante.
É com pena, mas não recomendo.
July 18, 2022
I found this medical thriller edgy and absorbing— until the last third. The denouement was quite a disappointment.
January 17, 2018
**3 Goodreads Stars**
Let me preface this review by saying I've been a longtime Cook fan (since the early 1990s), so my review is colored by my love of medical thrillers (which Cook essentially pioneered). Other readers who are not into medical thrillers may be bored by the level of detail he provides, or the often awkwardly written dialogue (who says "ergo" in casual conversation?!) between characters. His characters seem like they are written for an older generation of readers, and may feel dated to some.
That being said, Cook tries to tackle so many issues in Charlatans . He sees these issues/problems as timely and relevant to society and medicine, but this book went in so many directions that at times I was frustrated. For example, Cook looks at the issue of concurrent surgery, which refers to the practice of having a surgeon or anesthesiologist preside over several surgeries at once (you can probably guess why that might be slightly problematic!). He also looks at the prevalence of social media in our lives and how that has caused some people to create "sockpuppets," or online fake identities. Finally, as the title of the book conveys, he looks at narcissism within the profession of medicine and how that can influence the culture of a hospital.
What else didn't I like about the book? For one, the two lead characters are my age, and Cook seemed to be confused about the emergence of digital/online culture during that time period. Cook goes back and forth about how the digital world was back in the 90s and early 2000s, in some places presenting it as a digital dark age while in other parts of the book making it seem as though it was easy to get online and meet people like it is today. I was online much earlier than nearly all my friends, and it would have been hard to find my "real life" friends online in the early and mid-90s. One of the lead characters in the book was supposedly cyberbullied by her peers during high school, which, to my knowledge, was nearly impossible at that time. Cook also discusses one of the characters buying a college essay online for a college course, which would be easy to do today, but nearly impossible back when the character was in college.
Cook's lack of knowledge about the digital world is evident when he discusses how one of the character's doctoral theses is locked in some cage at a library, with only two copies available. Newsflash: you can get most theses online through interlibrary loan these days, and even back when I graduated (when the other characters graduated) my doctoral thesis was submitted digitally and in hard copy. Also, Cook emphasizes that the digitization of personal records, such as transcripts, photographs, and diplomas, has made them easy to alter. Sure, that may be true for the best hackers, but I found it hard to believe that some of the characters in this book got away with so many lies without ever being caught.
Lastly, as someone who is a college professor and who also completed a Ph.D., I found it a bit shocking that one of the lead characters gets away with both falsifying data for their doctoral thesis and buying a paper to submit in college as their own (plagiarism). I certainly wouldn't want them practicing medicine on me, and most people in academia would consider this completely unethical behavior.
Given his training as a doctor, Cook does his best when he sticks to medicine, which is why I rated this book only 3 stars. Note that I think those 3 stars are probably generous. First time Cook readers or casual fans of thrillers/suspense may not enjoy this book as much.
For more of my reviews, check out my blog I Dig Books (and Dirt).
Let me preface this review by saying I've been a longtime Cook fan (since the early 1990s), so my review is colored by my love of medical thrillers (which Cook essentially pioneered). Other readers who are not into medical thrillers may be bored by the level of detail he provides, or the often awkwardly written dialogue (who says "ergo" in casual conversation?!) between characters. His characters seem like they are written for an older generation of readers, and may feel dated to some.
That being said, Cook tries to tackle so many issues in Charlatans . He sees these issues/problems as timely and relevant to society and medicine, but this book went in so many directions that at times I was frustrated. For example, Cook looks at the issue of concurrent surgery, which refers to the practice of having a surgeon or anesthesiologist preside over several surgeries at once (you can probably guess why that might be slightly problematic!). He also looks at the prevalence of social media in our lives and how that has caused some people to create "sockpuppets," or online fake identities. Finally, as the title of the book conveys, he looks at narcissism within the profession of medicine and how that can influence the culture of a hospital.
What else didn't I like about the book? For one, the two lead characters are my age, and Cook seemed to be confused about the emergence of digital/online culture during that time period. Cook goes back and forth about how the digital world was back in the 90s and early 2000s, in some places presenting it as a digital dark age while in other parts of the book making it seem as though it was easy to get online and meet people like it is today. I was online much earlier than nearly all my friends, and it would have been hard to find my "real life" friends online in the early and mid-90s. One of the lead characters in the book was supposedly cyberbullied by her peers during high school, which, to my knowledge, was nearly impossible at that time. Cook also discusses one of the characters buying a college essay online for a college course, which would be easy to do today, but nearly impossible back when the character was in college.
Cook's lack of knowledge about the digital world is evident when he discusses how one of the character's doctoral theses is locked in some cage at a library, with only two copies available. Newsflash: you can get most theses online through interlibrary loan these days, and even back when I graduated (when the other characters graduated) my doctoral thesis was submitted digitally and in hard copy. Also, Cook emphasizes that the digitization of personal records, such as transcripts, photographs, and diplomas, has made them easy to alter. Sure, that may be true for the best hackers, but I found it hard to believe that some of the characters in this book got away with so many lies without ever being caught.
Lastly, as someone who is a college professor and who also completed a Ph.D., I found it a bit shocking that one of the lead characters gets away with both falsifying data for their doctoral thesis and buying a paper to submit in college as their own (plagiarism). I certainly wouldn't want them practicing medicine on me, and most people in academia would consider this completely unethical behavior.
Given his training as a doctor, Cook does his best when he sticks to medicine, which is why I rated this book only 3 stars. Note that I think those 3 stars are probably generous. First time Cook readers or casual fans of thrillers/suspense may not enjoy this book as much.
For more of my reviews, check out my blog I Dig Books (and Dirt).
September 16, 2017
Good story. Interesting (disturbing) stuff which will make you think pretty hard about the medical profession and social media in general.
I realize Robin Cook doesn't need a good rating or a review from me to keep selling tons of books, but I try to write honest reviews...so I have to say, as a reader, I really don't care for too many descriptives, repetition of something that has already been mentioned -- and being led by the nose. That's why we have imaginations to go along with great stories. And while I also understand the value of making protagonists sympathetic and that they should have vulnerabilities and weaknesses, I had a very hard time not seeing the main character of this novel as anything but a naive schmuck. Read the book, and you'll see.
The IDEA is very thought provoking and of course, Robin Cook can write a book worth reading...it was the in between stuff that will probably turn me away from this author for the foreseeable future.
I realize Robin Cook doesn't need a good rating or a review from me to keep selling tons of books, but I try to write honest reviews...so I have to say, as a reader, I really don't care for too many descriptives, repetition of something that has already been mentioned -- and being led by the nose. That's why we have imaginations to go along with great stories. And while I also understand the value of making protagonists sympathetic and that they should have vulnerabilities and weaknesses, I had a very hard time not seeing the main character of this novel as anything but a naive schmuck. Read the book, and you'll see.
The IDEA is very thought provoking and of course, Robin Cook can write a book worth reading...it was the in between stuff that will probably turn me away from this author for the foreseeable future.
August 31, 2017
since reading COMA, Robin Cook has been a great favorite of mine and have read many books by him. Another great read. He knows his way around hospital settings and is awesome with suspense.
Do yourself a favor and read one of his books. You may end up liking him.
Do yourself a favor and read one of his books. You may end up liking him.
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