another very good thriller by Robin Cook. ( )

Oh, Robin Cook.
You can write a good thriller but they are quite formulaic by now. My writing editor would nag me about repetitive phrases (everyone retraces people’s steps, we have to hear that Jack doesn’t like bad language several times, we hear about how he tosses his coat, “not taking the time to hang it up”). I suspect padding.
Moreover, I think Dr. Cook has an alter ego in Jack. He seems unreasonably fond of him and for depth of character he has only verbal clumsiness and rudeness, plus a bit of absentee parenting (they have a nanny, so..). But he is brilliant, Jack.
Except that he isn’t. The solution to this thriller is immediately obvious and even the ultimate reveal is unexciting. If this book had been written in the 80’s even, the idea might be surprising, but it’s a 2018 book, and dated.
Would have been an interesting shorter book, even- I skipped the entire middle section because it was so tiresome reading about the malignant in-laws (cliche alert), the nagging wife (who is reduced to a shouting harpie, bellowing “why aren’t you home?”). Cook has never been good at writing women (the only helpful one is the gal who plays basketball, which Jack goes out to play every night as soon as he gets home late and pats his autistic child) (cliche alert- everyone has an autistic child these days, but even this is given scant time- the occasional back pat and observation - I’d say response to neglect was more likely than autism at this point).
Way back, when we were travelling across the country, we played the audiobook PREY by Cook to help pass the miles. We all started a game about how often Cook wrote: it felt like a sandstorm. It’s still a running joke in the family.
Of course, as a doctor, Cook is probably resistant to editing advice. Still, I think someone should speak to him. All those trees.
If you must read this, borrow the ebook from the library. You’ll be glad you did.
Oh, and this book isn’t about a pandemic. It’s about transplantation. ( )

just ok, preferred earlier books in the series ( )

It's March 2020 in the middle of COVID-19

And although the circumstances in this story differ greatly from the current pandemic, Robin Cook, once again writes so convincingly of a horrifying scenario. Jack Stapleton and Laurie Montgomery are back in action in an intricate web involving Communist China, Biotech and Genetic Engineering. My heart was racing until the very end. ( )

Robin Cook does it again. Pandemic gives thought to how there must be safeguards to pushing the panic button and a way to say, "Take backsies." ( )