Medical Mystery Madness Challenge Completed

My 4th challenge is done. I was disappointed with 3 of my 4 picks however I found a great new author that I wouldn't have found if I hadn't signed up for this challenge.


A Medical Mystery Madness Challenge is being hosted over at Caught Between Worlds and I have decided to join which makes this my 4th ongoing challenge.

WHAT: Pick anywhere from 2 or more medical mysteries/thrillers to read and discuss with fellow medical thriller fans.

WHEN: June 1st, 2007 to November 1st, 2007

I have decided to read 4 books for this challenge which are:

At Risk by Patricia Cornwell [completed September 26th, 2007]
Shock by Robin Cook [completed June 14th, 2007]
Seizure by Robin Cook [completed September 9th, 2007]
Harvest by Tess Gerritsen [completed June 21st, 2007]

At Risk

At Risk by Patricia Cornwell

Finished September 26th, 2007

Rating: 3/10

Medical Mystery Madness Challenge Book #4




From the Publisher
A Massachusetts state investigator is called home from Knoxville, Tennessee, where he is completing a course at the National Forensic Academy. His boss, the district attorney, an attractive but hard-charging woman, is planning to run for governor, and as a showcase she's planning to use a new crime initiative called At Risk, its motto "Any crime, any time." In particular, she's been looking for a way to employ some cutting-edge DNA technology, and she thinks she's found it in a twenty-year-old murder - in Tennessee. If her office solves the case, they'll all end up looking pretty good, right?" Her investigator is not so sure - not sure about anything to do with this woman, really - but before he can open his mouth, a shocking piece of violence intervenes, an act that shakes up not only their lives but the lives of everyone around them as well. It is not a random event. Is it personal? Is it professional? Whatever it is, the implications are very, very bad indeed ... and they're about to get much worse.

What a disappointment this book was. The plot was non-existent and there was no character development which led me to not care for any of the characters. I read this for the Medical Mystery Challenge as I thought it was part of the Dr. Kay Scarpetta series but it wasn't. It technically wasn't a medical mystery however they did mention DNA a couple of times in the book so I am going to go ahead and count it towards the challenge. I would advise others to skip this one.

Seizure

Seizure by Robin Cook

Finished September 9th, 2007

Rating: 6/10

Medical Mystery Madness Challenge Book #3




This book focuses on the story of two doctors who are attempting to legalize their medical technique which will help cure patients with incurable diseases by injecting them with stem cells. A US Senator opposes the bill however soon strikes a deal with the doctors. He is stricken with Parkinson;s and would like the doctors to test the treatment on him and in return and will support and try to pass legalizing their treatment.

I read the Robin Cook book Shock as one of my other choices for the Medical Mystery Madness Challenge and was very disappointed in the ending. I was pleasantly surprised when I got to find out what happened to the characters from the Wingate Clinic from the book Shock.

There was a little bit too much detail with respect to the medical techniques and my attention started to drift. All in all a better book than Shock but still not great.

Harvest

Harvest by Tess Gerritsen

Finished June 21st, 2007

Rating: 9/10

Medical Mystery Madness Challenge Book #2

2007 Summer Mystery Reading Challenge Book #1


I killed two birds with one stone with this book as it overlapped between two challenges. This was a new author to me that I found by signing up for the Medical Mystery Madness Challenge and I have to say I really enjoyed this book and will be reading more from this author. The author kept my interest with the twist and turns without going over the top.

From the Publisher

Medical resident Dr. Abby Matteo is elated when the elite cardiac transplant team at Boston''s Bayside Hospital taps her as a potential recruit. But faced with a tormenting life-and-death decision, Abby helps direct a crash victim''s harvested heart to a dying teenager -- instead of the wealthy older woman who was supposed to receive it. The repercussions leave Abby shaken and plagued with self-doubt.

Suddenly, a new heart appears, and the woman''s transplant is completed. Then Abby makes a terrible discovery. The donor records have been falsified -- the new heart has not come through the proper channels. Defying the hospital''s demands for silence, she begins her own investigation that reveals a murderous, unthinkable conspiracy. Every move Abby makes spawns a vicious backlash...and on a ship anchored in the waters of Boston harbor, the grisly truth lies waiting.

Shock

Shock by Robin Cook

Finished June 14th, 2007

Rating: 4/10

Medical Mystery Madness Challenge Book#1


From the Editors

Hoping to help infertile couples and looking for hard cash, two graduate school friends decide to become egg donors. But science students Debbie Cochrane and Joanna Meissner discover that somewhere behind the high walls of the North Shore fertility clinic, their little good deed is being transformed into a ghastly great crime.


So I thought this book had some potential but then it abruptly ended in such a way that the reader wonders whether there is a sequel to the book. There were many times when the book proved to be unrealistic based on some of the decisions made by the girls and many other unrealistic details such as no work reference checks at the Infertility Clinic where the girls are hired when the clinic is so concerned with keeping everything a secret, doesn't seem very realistic to me.

I did find the book entertaining although I often had to roll my eyes at all the unrealistic parts however the ending just killed the book for me so all in all I would not recommend this book to others.

Medical Mystery Madness Challenge

A Medical Mystery Madness Challenge is being hosted over at Caught Between Worlds and I have decided to join which makes this my 4th ongoing challenge.

WHAT: Pick anywhere from 2 or more medical mysteries/thrillers to read and discuss with fellow medical thriller fans.

WHEN: June 1st, 2007 to November 1st, 2007

I have decided to read 4 books for this challenge which are:

At Risk by Patricia Cornwell
Shock by Robin Cook [completed June 14th, 2007]
Seizure by Robin Cook
Harvest by Tess Gerritsen