Life Support - A Novel Of Medical Suspense Review

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(More customer reviews)I always appreciate a good medical thriller, so I'm not the type to swoon at the first mention of blood.This book, however, had me so frightened that instead of feverishly forging ahead to see what happens next (which I desperately wanted to do), I had to put it down from time to time to regain my equilibrium. When Gerritsen is at the top of her game, as she is in this novel, I think nobody can beat her. Not Robin Cook, not anybody.
It's hard to describe the plot without giving away vital information, and I don't intend to be a spoiler. But I can tell you that the action starts hard and fast on the very first page, when a world-renowned surgeon, elderly but revered in his field, attempts a simple appendectomy and winds up killing his young, healthy patient in the most gruesome of ways. Our glimpse into his mind while this is going on is almost scarier than the act itself...and that is the first chapter of the book! It doesn't get calmer from there.
It seems that a number of very fit elderly men, in full control of their faculties and all living in a very upscale retirement home, are showing strange mental symptoms, one after the other, and eventually dying horrible deaths. Dr. Toby Harper,who heads the ER rotation at a local hospital, encounters two of these patients, and is at a complete loss to diagnose the problem, let alone solve it. Her dogged determination to get to the bottom of the illness(es) lands her in a conspiracy so sinister that she can't even guess at the true nature of it, except to know that it is putting herself, her dear elderly mother who suffers from Alzheimers, and seemingly her entire medical reputation at stake.
A subplot, wherein innocent young runaway girls are captured on the streets and impregnanted with god knows what, forms a counterpoint to the main tale.
All I can tell you is that Toby, probably the one innocent in the drama, ends up wanted by the police for murder--and the bad guys, who are diabolical, seem to be getting away scott-free with their intensely fiendish plot.
Sound good? Try it. You may not sleep well at night, but it's worth it. Tess Gerritsen is without peer when she truly believes in what she is writing about, and this book proves it. All I can say is, WOW!

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Bloodstream: A Novel of Medical Suspense Review

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(More customer reviews)As someone who's read all of Ms. Gerritsen's romantic mysteries and medical thrillers, "Bloodstream" was a true thrill. This is the book I've been waiting for her to write, to show mainstream readers what she's capable of. I actually bought it last September, but put off reading it because I was worried about being disappointed again. I shouldn't have worried. Unlike the painfully predictable "Harvest" (apparently my review was so negative Amazon refused to post it) or the relentlessly depressing "Life Support," "Bloodstream" is a tense, engrossing read that never reveals too much of its hand and always keeps you on the edge of your seat. It never fails to shock, and the hospital scenes and science at its core give it a solid grounding in reality that's impossible to ignore. Real characters and understandable dilemmas add extra dimension to the tale. My only concern was that the ending was awfully abrupt (was I the only one who wanted to know what would happen to the town, the reaction of the townspeople, etc. after everything?), and yes, the worms were a bit much (why do parasites always turn out to look like worms?). For anyone looking for truly spine-tingling, can't-put-it-down escapist entertainment, this is the one for you. Ms. Gerritsen, welcome back.

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The Woman with a Worm in Her Head: And Other True Stories of Infectious Disease Review

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(More customer reviews)OK, first my prejudice--I am a resident physician working in the hospital where Dr. Nagami spends most of her professional time in recent years. She volunteers her time to teach me and my colleagues about infectious disease as well as her other specialties, internal medicine and geriatrics. She is brilliant in every way a resident would like an attending to be--knowledgable, insightful, out-going, pleasant, extraordinarily respectful of everyone around her, funny and overflowing with stories of her invaluable experiences.
That said I love her book. It helps that I recognize many of the characters. It helps, too, that I can hear her voice as I read it (partly because she has read excerpts to us on rounds). It is, nonetheless, an inspiring, touching, and, yes, educational work. Oh, and even though physicians who read it will find it educational that does not mean that it is in any way outside comprehension of other readers. I was tempted to skim past some of the short, plain language explanations aimed at the lay reader, but found even those sections to be helpful to the flow of the text. Not condescending, not verbose--just part of the story.
This is a wonderful book I would recommend to anyone. Sure it has particular appeal to those with special interest in health-related issues, it is also a pleasant look at humanism and spirituality.
Thanks, Dr. Nagami.

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