Shock
By Robin Cook
G. K. Hall & Co., Large Print, (2002)
ISBN: 0-7862-2640-4 (softcover)
Genre: Medical Thriller
Reviewed by Herbert White - May 25, 2003
The term shock has many meanings. Most commonly it is used to refer to some event that suddenly and unexpectedly disturbs or upsets an individual. It is this definition that best fits the title of Robin Cook's chilling thriller Shock.
This novel is a bit like a traffic accident that you happen to be passing. You might not want to look, but you can't help yourself. In the same manner, you'll find that you are unable to put this book down - no matter how much you might want to.
Shock is a medical thriller set against a backdrop of unethical medical practices. In this case, a group of doctors are harvesting ova from cash-strapped college students and using the ova as part of a nefarious cloning experiment. Two of the donors, Deborah Cochrane and Joanna Meissner, sneak into to the clinic where they made their donations with the expressed purpose of tracking down their 'children'. This starts them on a mad-capped and dangerous adventure to discover the truth about what is really going on at the Wingate Infertility Clinic.
Unlike most of Cook's other medical thrillers, this one is a bit light on the medical details, and a bit slower paced than is his norm. Nonetheless, the story is diverting and the premise while somewhat unrealistic does have just enough going for it to make it plausible. What is lacks in believability is more than made up for by the shocking nature of the story line. Granted this is not the best Cook novel out there, nonetheless it is a great book for a lazy day when you are looking for something entertaining, light, and fun to read.
Mortal Fear, By Robin Cook.
Dr. Jason Howard cares deeply for the wellfare of his patients. Unfortunately, despite his care, Howard's patients are dying at an alarming rate. Howard must discover the cause of these deaths - before it turns into a unstoppable epidemic. (Large Print)
Chromosome 6, by Robin Cook.
In this chilling, medical thriller, Cook takes on the ethical issues surrounding organ transplantation. Along the way he willingly risks the lives his main characters, as they race to discover the truths behind a series of seemingly unrelated mysteries. (Large Print)
