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Code 15
“Dr. Gary Birken knows how to write and has fashioned a riveting tale.” —Michael Palmer, New York Times bestselling author of The Second Opinion
FIRST, DO NO HARM.
As the Chief of Emergency Medicine at Dade Presbyterian Hospital, Dr. Morgan Connolly faces death and suffering on a daily basis. So when two brothers in her care die suddenly as a result of rapidly advanced cases of meningitis, she is saddened but knows she has to let it go . . .
THEN, TRY TO SURVIVE.
Not long after, Morgan’s own father is killed in what seems to be a random attack. Then, the number of patients dying due to seemingly preventable medical errors—also known as a Code 15—begins rising throughout the hospital, including the ER. And Morgan’s own superiors think she is losing her edge. But she suspects that someone is cutting a deadly path of vengeance through Dade Presbyterian—a path that may end with Morgan facing her own demise at the hands of a madman . . .
“Fast-paced, with a heroine you’ll root for, satisfying medical work, and a surprise ending I didn’t see coming.”
—Philip Margolin, author of Fugitive
FIRST, DO NO HARM.
As the Chief of Emergency Medicine at Dade Presbyterian Hospital, Dr. Morgan Connolly faces death and suffering on a daily basis. So when two brothers in her care die suddenly as a result of rapidly advanced cases of meningitis, she is saddened but knows she has to let it go . . .
THEN, TRY TO SURVIVE.
Not long after, Morgan’s own father is killed in what seems to be a random attack. Then, the number of patients dying due to seemingly preventable medical errors—also known as a Code 15—begins rising throughout the hospital, including the ER. And Morgan’s own superiors think she is losing her edge. But she suspects that someone is cutting a deadly path of vengeance through Dade Presbyterian—a path that may end with Morgan facing her own demise at the hands of a madman . . .
“Fast-paced, with a heroine you’ll root for, satisfying medical work, and a surprise ending I didn’t see coming.”
—Philip Margolin, author of Fugitive
432 pages, Paperback
First published October 14, 2009
About the author
Gary Birken
15 books155 followersGary Birken is a full-time pediatric surgeon, medical thriller author, husband, father, grandfather, and more.
Born and raised in New York, Birken completed his undergraduate studies in Ohio, spent two years studying in Paris, before returning to complete his general and pediatric surgery training at the Ohio State University Hospital and Columbus Children’s. Upon completion of his fellowship in pediatric surgery, Birken moved to Hollywood, Florida where he has spent his entire professional career. Presently, Birken serves as the Surgeon-In-Chief of the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.
As an Author, Gary Birken approaches novel writing as a means not only to entertain, but to educate the reader in a particular area of medicine. Birken’s approach to each book is first selecting a timely or controversial topic in medicine and then, using it as a springboard, Birken weaves a story of suspense and conspiracy around it.
When Birken is not in the operating room or writing his next medical thriller, he plays tennis, basketball and holds a black belt in martial arts.
Born and raised in New York, Birken completed his undergraduate studies in Ohio, spent two years studying in Paris, before returning to complete his general and pediatric surgery training at the Ohio State University Hospital and Columbus Children’s. Upon completion of his fellowship in pediatric surgery, Birken moved to Hollywood, Florida where he has spent his entire professional career. Presently, Birken serves as the Surgeon-In-Chief of the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.
As an Author, Gary Birken approaches novel writing as a means not only to entertain, but to educate the reader in a particular area of medicine. Birken’s approach to each book is first selecting a timely or controversial topic in medicine and then, using it as a springboard, Birken weaves a story of suspense and conspiracy around it.
When Birken is not in the operating room or writing his next medical thriller, he plays tennis, basketball and holds a black belt in martial arts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
November 28, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
Rounded up to five, just because it's predictable, but because it's medical, I just love it with my past career in the medical field.
Rounded up to five, just because it's predictable, but because it's medical, I just love it with my past career in the medical field.
July 27, 2016
Medical thrillers are pretty predictable and this one was no exception. It kept me turning pages even though I was pretty sure who the bad guy was (yep). The ending made me throw down the book in disgust. Also, Morgan seemed to lack common sense and had no problem discussing cases and patients with any old body. HIPAA anyone?
Whenever I read medical mysteries I am reminded why we all have to wait so long to be seen in a medical facility--because the doctors and staff are all busy interrogating suspects, going to flight school, solving crimes, having long leisurely lunches and dinners out on the town, asking labs to conduct off the record tests, climbing the Grand Tetons, dating, eluding bad guys, and any other non-medical thing you can think of.
Whenever I read medical mysteries I am reminded why we all have to wait so long to be seen in a medical facility--because the doctors and staff are all busy interrogating suspects, going to flight school, solving crimes, having long leisurely lunches and dinners out on the town, asking labs to conduct off the record tests, climbing the Grand Tetons, dating, eluding bad guys, and any other non-medical thing you can think of.
July 21, 2010
Excellent who-done-it mystery. Keeps you interested and intrigued. This author gets better with every book. Especially interested for those that like medical type mysteries but really for anyone that likes to try and sleuth it out themselves.
June 30, 2016
Really liked it - medical thriller
April 16, 2024
Many books start with high ratings that slowly dwindle to 3 stars or even lower. This book, however, defied the trend. It began modestly at 3 stars but steadily climbed to a well-deserved 5-star rating in my opinion.
While the author initially misleads the reader about the culprit, the exceptional writing quality and masterful use of suspenseful plot twists won me over. After all, a great book isn't just a collection of facts like a textbook. Its primary goal is to entertain, and the more captivating it is, the more successful it becomes.
While the author initially misleads the reader about the culprit, the exceptional writing quality and masterful use of suspenseful plot twists won me over. After all, a great book isn't just a collection of facts like a textbook. Its primary goal is to entertain, and the more captivating it is, the more successful it becomes.
March 15, 2026
I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. I haven’t read many medical thrillers, but very much appreciated this one! 4.5 ⭐️
October 1, 2025
Did not like the ending. There were story lines not finished.
December 31, 2009
It was entertaining and I enjoyed it.
July 4, 2012
Good read. I enjoyed reading the book
September 4, 2012
I have a love-hate relationship with this book now. I had a hard time putting it down but it was a bit redundant at times. *Spoiler Alert* The outcome is unimaginable.
Want to Read
July 19, 2020elibrary
July 19, 2026
I listened to the audiobook of this title. It was a bit rough. The reader did not have consistent levels throughout. So at times it sounded like it was recorded a totally different times and at different volumes. Even perhaps a different Studio all together. It would command and out sometime. Sounding echoey and distant. Was a bit frustrating having it happen. Other than that the reader did fine with it
The others I couldn't have said right away who our killer was. There were a few options and granted there weren't that many. So as long as you've grabbed onto a couple, you're probably going to have it right.
There was definitely a few questionable actions taken by these characters, however, the setting of this takes place quite some time ago. A time when there were flip phones and people carried a data assistant separate because there wasn't such a thing as a smartphone yet. Security was a lot more relaxed, they're obviously were not many cameras at the time like there are now. But even with all of this, a woman who had lived through the '70s knew that there were things a woman must do to protect herself like carrying mace, not walking alone down, dark streets, etc. I always did question why she would never have such a thing. And of course she was always forgetting the thing she had and them would wonder why she had forgotten this item like her cell phone or whatever but then keep going and not go back to retrieve it. Again. This was a different time so maybe that was the reasoning behind that.
This story is a doctor that works in a hospital who is apparently going to have a baby and has a husband who is not faithful and is kind of a loser taking money from her and others and seems to have just gone to gambled it all away so He's behind on all payments. So there are people loan sharks that are looking for him and she remains married to him, however, she does start to have a relationship with another individual but hasn't solidified a divorce thus putting her in kind of an awkward situation as the head of a department at the hospital. Soon things start happening. That is what the book title is when a mistake happens in a hospital that could have been prevented, but it was on the fault of employees of the hospital. Such as surgical tools being left inside of patients after the procedure is done, or the wrong medications maybe given to patients causing injury or death.
I appreciate being allowed to listen to and offer a review for this novel. Thanks to @Tantor Media
The others I couldn't have said right away who our killer was. There were a few options and granted there weren't that many. So as long as you've grabbed onto a couple, you're probably going to have it right.
There was definitely a few questionable actions taken by these characters, however, the setting of this takes place quite some time ago. A time when there were flip phones and people carried a data assistant separate because there wasn't such a thing as a smartphone yet. Security was a lot more relaxed, they're obviously were not many cameras at the time like there are now. But even with all of this, a woman who had lived through the '70s knew that there were things a woman must do to protect herself like carrying mace, not walking alone down, dark streets, etc. I always did question why she would never have such a thing. And of course she was always forgetting the thing she had and them would wonder why she had forgotten this item like her cell phone or whatever but then keep going and not go back to retrieve it. Again. This was a different time so maybe that was the reasoning behind that.
This story is a doctor that works in a hospital who is apparently going to have a baby and has a husband who is not faithful and is kind of a loser taking money from her and others and seems to have just gone to gambled it all away so He's behind on all payments. So there are people loan sharks that are looking for him and she remains married to him, however, she does start to have a relationship with another individual but hasn't solidified a divorce thus putting her in kind of an awkward situation as the head of a department at the hospital. Soon things start happening. That is what the book title is when a mistake happens in a hospital that could have been prevented, but it was on the fault of employees of the hospital. Such as surgical tools being left inside of patients after the procedure is done, or the wrong medications maybe given to patients causing injury or death.
I appreciate being allowed to listen to and offer a review for this novel. Thanks to @Tantor Media
May 4, 2026
Medical Mistakes or Mishaps Cause Murder
Dr Morgan Connolly is the Chief of ER Medicine and sits on the Patient Safety Committee. During her ER shift 2 young men die from severe bacterial meningitis and unbeknownst to her 2 other young boys die while being transferred to the Children's trauma center. A series of events including the murder of her surgeon father point to someone getting revenge, but she has no tangible proof of this individual 's identity. To top it off, Morgan is pregnant and in the middle of a divorce which leaves her credibility as a woman very suspect. The ups and downs of this story are fascinating. The ultimate reveal is totally unexpected. The fight for her life is quite daring but seems realistic. The epilogue was a bit disappointing and left alot unanswered. The book is good and as a medical thriller it keeps your attention. Is
Dr Morgan Connolly is the Chief of ER Medicine and sits on the Patient Safety Committee. During her ER shift 2 young men die from severe bacterial meningitis and unbeknownst to her 2 other young boys die while being transferred to the Children's trauma center. A series of events including the murder of her surgeon father point to someone getting revenge, but she has no tangible proof of this individual 's identity. To top it off, Morgan is pregnant and in the middle of a divorce which leaves her credibility as a woman very suspect. The ups and downs of this story are fascinating. The ultimate reveal is totally unexpected. The fight for her life is quite daring but seems realistic. The epilogue was a bit disappointing and left alot unanswered. The book is good and as a medical thriller it keeps your attention. Is
August 20, 2024
An exemplary paranoid thriller
I started Code 15 expecting a pure medical thriller, but the book is much more than that. It will leave you guessing until the final, riveting confrontation. This book would be a great introduction to medical thrillers, as its that and then some! 5/5 stars and highly recommended. This was my first experience with Gary Birken, and it couldn't have been a better one. I'm about to start looking for another of Birken's books, so I'll leave my review at this...
I started Code 15 expecting a pure medical thriller, but the book is much more than that. It will leave you guessing until the final, riveting confrontation. This book would be a great introduction to medical thrillers, as its that and then some! 5/5 stars and highly recommended. This was my first experience with Gary Birken, and it couldn't have been a better one. I'm about to start looking for another of Birken's books, so I'll leave my review at this...
January 15, 2026
I love a good medical mystery but this totally fell short. I don’t need to work in a hospital to know that the plot is completely inconceivable. There were storylines that were left unfinished and the use of the word irrespective was overkill. How many times can a pregnant woman be drugged and attacked without any consequence? This reads more like a young adult whodunnit rather than a serious work of fiction. Doctor becomes a detective while leisurely flying around Florida and cracks the case wide open. This was a first and only for this author for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2024
Good story line atrocious editing
This author weaves an interesting, if unbelievable, story of an emergency room doctor who plays detective, the cops are inept. Even though the details of the police side were faulty, the emergency room info was spot on. However, I really hate it when I’m reading and there are obvious editing errors. If you’re looking for a fast read, and don’t care that some of it is unbelievable, and you don’t mind editing errors, go for it.
This author weaves an interesting, if unbelievable, story of an emergency room doctor who plays detective, the cops are inept. Even though the details of the police side were faulty, the emergency room info was spot on. However, I really hate it when I’m reading and there are obvious editing errors. If you’re looking for a fast read, and don’t care that some of it is unbelievable, and you don’t mind editing errors, go for it.
May 25, 2025
ER chaos
Only someone who has faced it would understand the unforgiving stress experienced by physicians in the ER. what seems minor can turn into complete turmoil and become life threatening to both patients and physicians. This story gave an in-depth situation, which completely surprised and kept me awake many times due to the excellent portrayal of the author's imagination. Well worth the read and kudos to GB.
Only someone who has faced it would understand the unforgiving stress experienced by physicians in the ER. what seems minor can turn into complete turmoil and become life threatening to both patients and physicians. This story gave an in-depth situation, which completely surprised and kept me awake many times due to the excellent portrayal of the author's imagination. Well worth the read and kudos to GB.
January 11, 2026
Appreciate the medical issues and the commentaries of the healthcare system raised by the author. But… the lack of editing, poor paragraph pagination and the too frequent use of ‘irrespective’ makes for an extremely frustrating read. I gave the author the benefit of the doubt with his first two novels. With not an iota of improvement after the third book, I’m done with Dr Birken’s books even if they are free reads through Kindle Unlimited.
January 15, 2026
A medical thriller that keeps your interest and a book you don’t want to stop reading. Patients are dying from medical mistakes, known as code 15s. Dr Morgan Connolly is the doctor involved in these cases and suddenly her career is in jeopardy. No one believes her as she starts to tie things together and believe someone is deliberately causing these deaths. A new author for me and definitely one continue reading.
July 24, 2024
Almost
Exciting, interesting and compelling. The pregnancy part of the story was weak. It really showed that it was written by someone who had never been pregnant. The whole pregnancy thing could have been left out. This might have made it a 100 pages less which would have been an improvement.
Exciting, interesting and compelling. The pregnancy part of the story was weak. It really showed that it was written by someone who had never been pregnant. The whole pregnancy thing could have been left out. This might have made it a 100 pages less which would have been an improvement.
May 7, 2025
I rarely review books, but this desired my attention. I was hooked from the beginning. My main draw was from the locations. I'm from South FL and so I could relate to the locations. That being said, the story line and characters were awesome. This is definitely worth your time. I couldn't put it down.
July 21, 2025
Enjoyable with some definite twists I didn’t see coming!
I really liked this book! I will read more of his novels!
I liked that it surprised me, but some of the twists were a bit far-fetched. I also felt like there was too much left hanging to give this all five stars. Maybe a 4.3.
I really liked this book! I will read more of his novels!
I liked that it surprised me, but some of the twists were a bit far-fetched. I also felt like there was too much left hanging to give this all five stars. Maybe a 4.3.
August 11, 2025
another page turner from Gary Birken
Gary lets me live in his books. This is my 2nd of his and he didn’t disappoint. I have always been interested in the medical field…this allows me to enter that world. I believe some of the medical explanations are truth so I’m learning as well. Thank you…keep ‘em coming!
Gary lets me live in his books. This is my 2nd of his and he didn’t disappoint. I have always been interested in the medical field…this allows me to enter that world. I believe some of the medical explanations are truth so I’m learning as well. Thank you…keep ‘em coming!
April 5, 2026
surprise!!
Author builds the mystery in such a way that the true bad guy is a surprise.Each character has depth,knowledge,and personalities that could become good or evil.I have enjoyed several of G.Birken’s books,all are intriguing and I read them quickly to find out “who done it”.Code 15 is the best of really good plots.
Author builds the mystery in such a way that the true bad guy is a surprise.Each character has depth,knowledge,and personalities that could become good or evil.I have enjoyed several of G.Birken’s books,all are intriguing and I read them quickly to find out “who done it”.Code 15 is the best of really good plots.
January 14, 2025
It is a good story, unfortunately Audible decided to give it a Virtual Voice narrator. There was an echo in the sound quality and the voice was flat.
At some point I will read this book so that I can enjoy it.
At some point I will read this book so that I can enjoy it.
February 9, 2025
Very suspenseful
This was a great read. It was frustrating with the typos. Very good chart building. The plot was very interesting. I did not see the bad guy at all. Quite the surprise.
This was a great read. It was frustrating with the typos. Very good chart building. The plot was very interesting. I did not see the bad guy at all. Quite the surprise.
March 29, 2025
Code 15-multiple deaths that seem to be hospital physician errors. The chief of Emergency med becomes the focus while a grief stricken mad man is on the loose. Dr.Birken is a great medical mystery writer!
May 11, 2025
I throughly enjoyed this book!
Though I somewhat agree with the review Judy wrote about doctors doing anything but doctoring, I don’t read this type of book to learn about life in the ER.
I was very surprised by the ending and liked the sub-plot about the relationship with Ben.
Though I somewhat agree with the review Judy wrote about doctors doing anything but doctoring, I don’t read this type of book to learn about life in the ER.
I was very surprised by the ending and liked the sub-plot about the relationship with Ben.
August 4, 2025
unable to to stop reading
Code 15 is an excellent book. Held my attention all the while I was reading. Gary Birken has developed his writing style to grasp the reader’s attention and hold it. I’m looking forward to the next book.
Code 15 is an excellent book. Held my attention all the while I was reading. Gary Birken has developed his writing style to grasp the reader’s attention and hold it. I’m looking forward to the next book.
August 24, 2025
I AM HOOKED
Wow, I totally didn't see that coming! The story just blew my mind with a twist that came out of nowhere and was so crazy, even a big-time movie director would be impressed.
Wow, I totally didn't see that coming! The story just blew my mind with a twist that came out of nowhere and was so crazy, even a big-time movie director would be impressed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews