Gary Birken
Author of Code 15
About the Author
Works by Gary Birken
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Gender
- male
- Occupations
- pediatric surgeon
- Short biography
- I was born and raised in New York. After completing my undergraduate studies in Ohio, I was fortunate enough to spend two years studying in Paris. The opportunity to absorb another country's language and culture is one that I will always cherish and one that I have encouraged my own children to pursue. All of my training in general and pediatric surgery took place in Columbus, Ohio at the Ohio State University Hospital and Columbus Children's. Upon completion of my fellowship in pediatric surgery, I moved to Hollywood, Florida where I have spent my entire professional career. Presently, I serve as the Surgeon-in-Chief of the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital. I am also the immediate Past Chairman of the Children's Hospital Charitable Foundation and the Director of Pediatric Trauma Center.
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- New York, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- New York, USA
Members
Reviews
High stakes medical thriller that excels because of its procedural accuracy and chilling realism.
Dr. Jacey Flanigan has just completed her pediatric cardiology residency and landed a prestigious position at the Children's Heart Hospital in Manhattan. Her excitement at the new job turns sour after a run-in with a hostile heart surgeon and the discovery of a culture defined by rigid secrecy. Jacey notices disturbing patterns -- surgeons refuse to operate without their own specific teams and show more don't want her observing in their rooms, and the post operative course doesn't seem to be the norm. When a patient nearly dies under suspicious circumstances, Jacey doubles down even as she starts to suspect that whistleblowers before her arrival have not survived. Trapped in a web of collusion and coverup keeping her at distance, Jacey seeks to expose the truth.
This was the first good medical thriller I've read in a long while. I devoured it as I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that the author swapped out melodrama for the far more frightening portrayal of institutional silence and greed as well as the hubris of surgical ego. I liked the main character of Jacey and appreciated her strength in not backing down even as the newbie in her job. I liked the accuracy of the clinical detail and the believability of the scenario. I'll definitely look for more of this author's books.
I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book, both obtained from my local library. The narrator, Susan Lyons, did a good job with the voice of the main character, but the other vocal choices felt uninspired and flat. The accents (southern) didn't ring true and the male voices all sounded basically the same. This production definitely would have benefited from at least a male narrator or a full cast. I always like listening while reading as it typically enhances my whole reading experience. show less
Dr. Jacey Flanigan has just completed her pediatric cardiology residency and landed a prestigious position at the Children's Heart Hospital in Manhattan. Her excitement at the new job turns sour after a run-in with a hostile heart surgeon and the discovery of a culture defined by rigid secrecy. Jacey notices disturbing patterns -- surgeons refuse to operate without their own specific teams and show more don't want her observing in their rooms, and the post operative course doesn't seem to be the norm. When a patient nearly dies under suspicious circumstances, Jacey doubles down even as she starts to suspect that whistleblowers before her arrival have not survived. Trapped in a web of collusion and coverup keeping her at distance, Jacey seeks to expose the truth.
This was the first good medical thriller I've read in a long while. I devoured it as I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that the author swapped out melodrama for the far more frightening portrayal of institutional silence and greed as well as the hubris of surgical ego. I liked the main character of Jacey and appreciated her strength in not backing down even as the newbie in her job. I liked the accuracy of the clinical detail and the believability of the scenario. I'll definitely look for more of this author's books.
I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book, both obtained from my local library. The narrator, Susan Lyons, did a good job with the voice of the main character, but the other vocal choices felt uninspired and flat. The accents (southern) didn't ring true and the male voices all sounded basically the same. This production definitely would have benefited from at least a male narrator or a full cast. I always like listening while reading as it typically enhances my whole reading experience. show less
Prognosis Critical is my first experience in reading anything by the talented author Gary Birken. It will not, without a doubt, be the last one I read. I honestly not sure what to think when I opened to the first page. Within the next chapters, I was hooked. It had a lot of twists and turns that made me feel as though I was on a thrilling roller coaster ride. I never knew what would next from scene to scene. I really liked the character of Dr. Jacey Flanigan. I admired her bravery, courage show more and determination to keep digging for truth. I was intrigued with how she dealt with the discovery of secrets she unsurfaced. This is one of those books that I can not just put down and come back to it later. I had to keep reading until I read the whole book in one sitting. This was a great way to spend a cold day by the fire.
I am giving Prognosis Critical five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy suspense filled mysteries and medical thrillers will most definitely want to grab this one up and read it. I will be eagerly waiting for more releases by Gary Birken in the future to see where his imagination will take his characters and readers to next.
I received a paperback copy of Prognosis Critical from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. show less
I am giving Prognosis Critical five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy suspense filled mysteries and medical thrillers will most definitely want to grab this one up and read it. I will be eagerly waiting for more releases by Gary Birken in the future to see where his imagination will take his characters and readers to next.
I received a paperback copy of Prognosis Critical from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. show less
I find the term 'thriller' a bit odd when applied to books lie this one. At its core, this novel is a medical thriller in which patients at a hospital are dying unexpectedly, and one of the medical staff might be responsible. However, this book reads like a draft, not a well-polished finished novel. It needs some serious editing before it could maintain any sort of excitement or suspense. Dialogues between characters go on far longer than they ought to, making the reader feel a bit like a show more child tailing along after a parent who is doing errands, hearing every shred of conversation along the way but caring about none of it because none of it is personally relevant. Scenes are over-described, and quite a few chapters should have been cut entirely or rolled into surrounding chapters. This was not the worst book I've read, of course, but nonetheless I don't recommend this one. show less
I felt that this is a wonderful medical suspense novel. I loved the suspense. I really liked Jacey and felt she seemed like a fantastic doctor. I loved the way she figured out what was happening to the children and their families. I hope that something like this never happens. I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
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Statistics
- Works
- 11
- Members
- 216
- Popularity
- #103,223
- Rating
- 3.5
- Reviews
- 5
- ISBNs
- 18
- Languages
- 1