Tainted

A Dr. Zol Szabo Medical Mystery #1

by Ross Pennie

When incidents of food supply contamination dominate the news media, two investigators, Zol Szabo, a public health doctor, and Hamish Wakefield, a young infectious diseases specialist come under immense pressure to find the cause of a mysterious epidemic before more victims show up on the autopsy table.

In a race against the clock, the two doctors must navigate the treacherous political minefields of the medical community and the media while the disease spreads. The situation soon spins wildly out of control and more lives are threatened after a government-appointed investigator hijacks the investigation and allows his inflated ego to supersede common sense.

Speaking to contemporary concerns about food safety, this fast-paced medical thriller illustrates the potential for disastrous consequences when total responsibility for food safety is placed in the hands of manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies.

Genres: Mystery, Medical Thriller, Canada, Fiction, Crime, Medical, Suspense

305 pages, Hardcover

Published April 1, 2009

About the author

Dr. Ross Pennie’s career as a jungle surgeon, intensive-care paediatrician, and infectious-diseases specialist spanned the globe and four decades. Now recently retired, he taught two generations of physicians and took care of hockey stars, doughnut lovers, long-haul truckers, and warrior clansmen, among others. He started writing at age ten by chronicling the four-day train trip he made solo across the Prairies and Rockies between his home near Medicine Hat, Alberta and Vancouver, B.C.
His memoir of Papua New Guinea, THE UNFORGIVING TIDES (2004), continues to delight readers with its grit and charm. His four Dr. Zol Szabo mystery novels, TAINTED (2009), TAMPERED (2011), UP IN SMOKE (2013), and BENEATH THE WAKE (2017) have garnered excellent reviews and two literary prizes for adult fiction. Father of two grown children, Ross lives with his wife in southern Ontario. Visit his Web site at http://www.rosspennie.ca

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great fan of finding new authors, especially Canadian ones, I was eager to read the debut thriller by Ross Pennie. Dr. Zol Szabo is an established public health doctor in Hamilton who is able to balance being a single father. When he receives word that a few random deaths in the area all have similar results that came up in their brain autopsies, he is quite alarmed. Now, before causing a public outcry, Dr. Szabo and those close to him must trace it back to determine what happened and how to stop the epidemic from spreading. A tense medical thriller that kept me hooked until the final page. Ross Pennie has done well with this debut and has me eager to read on!

News that a handful of recently deceased individuals might have suffered from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a severe brain infection, has Dr. Zol Szabo on edge. Working as a Public Health doctor, Dr. Szabo has a great deal of pressure put on him with this news, as does Dr. Hamlisch Wakefield, a local infectious diseases specialist in the Hamilton area. While Drs. Szabo and Wakefield are struggling to make a connection between the list of victims, the number climbs and their backstories are cross referenced. Whatever is going on, it appears an epidemic is surely in the making. Scrambling with two investigators to make sense of it all and determining when to share the news with the general public, this could be a massive gamble that costs people their livelihoods. However, an odd discovery in a food item could explain it all, though connecting the dots will prove to be harder than it first appears. Dr. Szabo has his plate full, but a personal issue clouds his judgment and has him second-guessing himself. Pennie pens a stunning debut that had me hooked until the very end.

I enjoy thrillers of all types and Ross Pennie did well to keep me enthralled with all he had going on. The narrative flows well, as the reader stays hooked with each page as they learn about the ins and outs of infectious disease. The momentum finds traction while the reader speculates about the crux of this epidemic and how Dr. Szabo will work to uncover the truth before it all comes crashing down. There is a heavy science factor here, though the language is balanced nicely with subtle explanations for the lay reader. I felt in the middle of the action from the outset and enjoyed the Canadian perspective presented by Pennie.

Characters provide great pathways to strengthen the story at every turn. Pennie sets the stage well with a strong set of core characters, Dr. Zol Szabo in the middle of it all. His backstory and development occur fluidly and keep the reader hooked as they seek to learn more. Strong supporting characters help enrich the story, especially from the medical perspective. Pennie keeps everyone moving in their own spheres and never lets up until the case finds its resolution. The Canadian perspectives shine through with well-placed locals. A wonderful cast to be sure.

Plot points keep the story from being too predictable, though there is nothing that the attentive reader could predict here with ease. Pennie makes sure to add surprises to the various twists that emerge, teasing the reader to wonder if things are on a clear path or whether forks await them before too long. I am eager to see how Dr. Zol Szabo will develop in this series and what other medical events he will discover. This debut was highly addictive and so well written that I am rushing to get the next book now.

Kudos Mr. Pennie, for an p[ening novel that checked all the boxes!

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

For fans of epidemiology fiction/suspense, this won't be a lasting favorite but is a fairly engaging read with plenty of red herrings and a surprise twist at the end. The characters are also likable and interesting. The quality of the writing is just a shade under what I would usually enjoy--the transitions between scenes, character arcs, and times are in a few places so sudden and not-set-up that I wondered if I had missed part of the book or a chunk had fallen out. Also, I see no need for the turn to melodrama and violence at the end; solving the epidemic puzzle is sufficient to carry the plot without putting the hero in danger--it's a stretch.So the epidemiology aspect is what kept me going, and I will read Pennie's next book, Tampered, to see what happens with the characters and what new puzzles arise.

[Pamela Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. Took a bit to get into but quite thrilling near the end. Fun to read about local places (setting is Hamilton Ontario). Looking forward to reading the next one of the series.

[Jennifer Scace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting storyline.
Too many characters to remember
Kept me guessing though.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Zol Szabo is a assistant health officer in Hamilton, Ont. He receives a call from a colleague informing him of 4 recent deaths caused by CJacob Disease. He is in a race for time as he tries to find out the cause before his boss calls in the provincial experts. He enlists the help from another health officer, Natasha, a young bright employee and a colleague in infectious disease, Hamish. He also decides to hire a private detective, Colleen to assist in the investigation. Lots of twists and turns as some of their findings almost prove disastrous for Zol's career and for his young son. The story includes a fair amount of medical jargon so a health background for the reader is invaluable. I'm looking forward to reading another of this author's books.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an epidemiology and biostatistics graduate, and PhD student in infectious diseases, I found this book to be extremely entertaining! It was so REAL.

I especially enjoyed ... well, I won't spoil it, but suffice it to say that there is a REALLY good mystery in there.

Read this book! This is what infectious disease epidemiology outbreak investigations are really like - if they are good (or, as the public may say, "Bad!").

To paraphrase the book, "Is it wrong to love outbreak investigations as much as I do?"

I answer: Yes. Deliciously, sinfully, yes.

Medical thriller, real infectious diseases, detective-noir, Hot Zone, the Ghost Map, and police procedural all rolled into one fast paced book.

[Paulette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr Pennie is an infectious disease specialist and is well-qualified to write a medical mystery. Tainted is the first book in the series and had its strengths and its flaws. The medical part of the mystery was fascinating and complex. That was my favorite part and it kept my attention. I thought the characters were promising but underdeveloped. It's also possible that I was not fond of any of them, really. Definitely worth reading.

[Leslie Zampetti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really, it's books like this that require half-stars. A little to predictable with abit too much backstory. Pennie's Zol Szabo is an interesting new detective - and the medical mystery is excellently derived. Not yet worthy of a 4, though. Here's hoping there's a sophomore effort and that it's even better.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Tainted by Ross Pennie. It was especially interesting to read a novel with a setting that is so close to where I live. Pennie does an excellent job of building up the medical mystery and he has developed a set of characters that the reader can care about.

In all, it was well-crafted and entertaining. I look forward to reading his next novel.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each of the characters in this book will remind you of someone you work with or personally know. Their personalities and foibles will have you shaking your head but cheering them on. It will make you think twice about retirement homes. You can't put it down once you've started. An excellent read.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Food supply contamination dominate the news media and two investigators, Zol Szabo, a public health doctor, and Hamish Wakefield, an infectious diseases specialist, come under pressure to find the cause before more victims show up on the autopsy table. Considering recent food contamination outbreaks, this is a very timely book.

[Rennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always interesting to read a book set in Canada that refers to communities like Guelph, Hamilton and Dundas. My apologies to the author if this element deflects the interest of some potential readers. A little uneven in places but overall a good story and I will likely read another one in this series.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very easy-to-read medical thriller about mad cow disease. Nothing as sophisticated as a Patricia Cornwell read but nevertheless entertaining and, for me, a little paranoia that settled in about food, especially meat, and not knowing exactly what's in it. When I see a mink coat, I'll definitely remember this book.

[Malcolm Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read! It's Dan Brown's DaVinci Code meets Michael Crighton's Andromeda Strain. Great characters, fast-paced, intellectually stimulating, and one heckuva ride! (And I had the pleasure of meeting Ross at a recent presentation hosted by the Canadian Authors Association.)

[Scotchneat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had the potential to be a bit ReGenesis but never really lived up to that. Definitely got the science geek character right. Makes you look at sausage twice.

A local book, since it's set in Hamilton, ON.

[Caroline Ingvaldsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Convincingly set in the Niagara Penninsula this first in a series of medical thrillers starring public health physician Dr. Zol Szabo supported by a cast of likeable colleagues and an appealing private investigator and love interest is an enjoyable read.

[GlenK · Rating 4 out of 5]

An expert medical mystery/thriller that is less whodunit (although there are elements of that) and more whatdunit. I like the well-drawn characters (especially Dr. Zol Szabo, a basically decent and struggling single father) and appreciate how clearly the very complicated science is presented.

[Sarah Camp · Rating 5 out of 5]

A completely engrossing medical mystery set in the Niagara Region written by a Hamilton Doctor. I couldn’t put it down - and has made me think twice about where our products comes from, and if the labels we read really are accurate.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story line. Could be a bit hard to follow if you are unfamiliar with Canadian medical system.

[ette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good mystery--it's a mystery that involves epidemiologists and others trying to find the source of a disease. I enjoyed it, but I also really enjoy books about real epidemiologists doing this.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Didn't hate, didn't love. Overall not a bad medical mystery. Full review coming.

[Jack Coleman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't hate it didn't love it. Liked the Canadian content otherwise another good guy beats bad guy
mystery better for a TV script.

[Bryan Nothem · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book with amazing characters. A must read for everyone who likes medicine and biology.

[Ratforce]

The first in a new medical thriller series written by Ross Pennie is entitled Tainted. The main character, Zol Szabo, is a public health doctor, and the plot involves widespread corruption.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Medical mystery, pretty good. Read on cruise

[Goldiegolfer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very current and a page turner. A local/familiar setting. Loved it!

[Robin Spano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smart writing. Tactile and wry. Really enjoyed the read.

[Pat Malon]

Good read, interesting ending. Wish the author had written closure for "Natalie and her mother".

[Cynthisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. Decently handled mystery. Writing a bit workman-like, but solid plot and characters.

[Rebecca Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO good and right up my alley. CJD and epidemiological mystery/thriller. Fast reading with great subplots and characters.