Crisis

May 29, 2006
Bestseller Cook's latest medical thriller focuses on a timely topic—the new and controversial "concierge" medicine that caters to the affluent willing and able to pay for special attention. When Patience Stanhope, a hypochondriac patient of Boston physician Craig Bowman, dies of a heart attack, her husband sues Bowman for malpractice. The suit alleges that the delay caused by Bowman's paying a house call instead of ordering Patience immediately to the hospital was fatal. After the trial gets off to a rocky start for Bowman, his wife calls in her brother, Dr. Jack Stapleton, a New York City medical examiner, who has appeared in Marker
(2005) and other Cook novels. Some anomalies in the medical evidence lead Stapleton, who's worried about getting back to New York in time for his wedding, to attempt a rush autopsy of the dead woman. The choice to reveal early on that Bowman and Stapleton will become bitter enemies lessens the suspense, while at the climax Stapleton's failure to realize he can take a train or bus after he's missed the last shuttle back to New York will annoy some. Still, most readers should enjoy the ride.

August 15, 2006
It wouldn't be summer without a new Jack Stapleton medical thriller from Cook (Marker). In this outing, Jack has gone to Boston to assist his psychologist sister Alexis with her estranged husband's medical malpractice trial. Insufferable Craig, with his concierge medical practice, has had a patient die on him, and the rich widower has hired a sleazy attorney to sue Craig. Why should Jack (or we) care? Readers will be as bored as the jurors with all the medical and legal posturing, but they will continue nonetheless, knowing that Cook's novels have plenty of intriguing medical trivia and the rush of a kicker ending. If nothing else, we need to find out if Jack will survive the thugs who beat him up, figure out why this patient died in the first place, and get back to New York for his wedding to long-suffering Dr. Laurie Montgomery. Laden with stereotypes, this is a lackluster effort by Cook. Expect demand, however, and buy for name recognition and series readers. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 3/1/06.]Teresa L. Jacobsen, Solano Cty. Lib., Fairfield, CA

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2006
Medical-thriller writer Cook's latest page-turner is played out more in the courtroom than in the hospital. Dr. Craig Bowman is irritated when problem-patient Patience Stanhope calls him on what he assumes is yet another false alarm. But Craig makes a house call and discovers Patience near death. He rushes her to the hospital but not in time to save her, and the result is a malpractice suit that could cost Craig his livelihood. Alexis, the wife Craig recently reunited with, calls her brother, New York City medical examiner Jack Stapleton (last seen in " Marker," 2005), and asks him to come to Boston for advice. Jack, who is less than a week away from his wedding to fellow ME Laurie Montgomery, agrees, despite the fact that he's never liked Craig. But when he travels to Boston and starts to attend Craig's trial, Jack worries that the case is being railroaded by the plaintiff's sleazy lawyer. When Jack performs the autopsy, the results are shocking.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)

October 2, 2006
Guidall's experienced reading brings a pleasant touch of class to Cook's latest thriller. A distinguished and self-confident physician, Craig Bowman is delivered an ego-shattering blow when he is sued for malpractice by the husband of one of his patients, hypochondriac Patience Stanhope, who died while under his care. The trial takes up the bulk of this wordy novel. Bowman's wife asks her brother, medical examiner Dr. Jack Stapleton, to use his expertise to help with her husband's defense. Stapleton agrees, but what should be a routine forensic exercise quickly turns into a dangerous trail of lies, deception and murder. While it takes some time to get to the story's climax, Cook eventually ties up all the loose ends, although the denouement feels more gimmicky than surprising. Guidall exhibits admirable vocal talents as he manages to keep this overwritten novel moving at a satisfying pace, and the ease with which he works his way through the mounds of legal and medical jargon throughout the book is a testament to his skill as a narrator. Fans of Cook's writing should enjoy this dignified presentation. Simultaneous release with the Putnam hardcover (Reviews, May 29).