Kevin Hwang

It definitely had me reconsidering future travel plans.

The Regression Strain by Kevin Hwang is an exciting medical thriller set onboard a cruise ship, and it definitely had me reconsidering future travel plans. Young Dr. Peter Palma joins the crew of the Paradise, a floating palace with over 4,000 passengers and crew, bound for New York City from Copenhagen. But what should have been an easy change of scenery from his former medical practice in Houston, among the city’s neediest and most show more vulnerable, soon spirals out of control as a mysterious illness that induces unusual and often violent behavior in the infected takes hold of the ship.

Peter Palma is a young medical doctor on his first cruise posting, a change he has selected to help ease his way back into medical practice after a personal tragedy. He proves himself to be easy-going, accepting, and competent, even though he suffers from mental health challenges, as he diffuses oddly aggressive encounters with passengers right from the start. His new gig is jeopardized when the chief medical officer appears to be in the throes of a breakdown, and a strange respiratory illness that precedes the onset of bizarre behavior is overtaking everyone on board. The unexpected appearance of his newly graduated younger sister, Nali, among the passengers only adds to his stress.

The tense atmosphere on the ship builds quickly as one weird occurrence follows another. The action is non-stop, and you can feel the exhaustion of the medical staff, reminiscent of the real-life COVID pandemic. As the clinic, shipboard jail, and morgue begin to fill up and overflow, Palma faces off with passengers, crew, and his own infection as the embattled ship tries to get to a safe harbor.

With its many shocking twists and turns, I recommend THE REGRESSION STRAIN to readers looking for a new and exciting medical thriller.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. show less

A young doctor who is running away from his own demons signs on to be a cruise ship doctor on a transatlantic cruise. Mysterious illnesses and deaths abound. His mission is to find the source of the infection and possible treatments and/or cure. This book has plenty of exciting moments, very good character development and a cannot-put-it-down appeal. My thanks to the author and LibraryThing of a complimentary copy of the book.

This one was a surprise!
Knowing that the author has medical training makes a ton of sense as you read it, as it really feels like experiencing the story through the eyes of a medical professional.
For the first 30 pages or so, I struggled to get into it, but the pace picked up quickly and I was hooked, impossible to put it down.
Balancing the scientific method in Peter's mind and the debilitating effect of the disease, that was for me the big thing. Never leaning into the shock / gore factor, show more nor falling into the too technical language, Kevin Hwang made this a legit thriller with a medical underpinning. show less

The Regression Strain is the debut novel for author, Kevin Hwang. I thought it was a pretty good book to read. The writing style was a little different for me and took me a few chapters in before I was hooked. Once I caught on as to what was going on, I did not want to put it down. There were some twists and turns I did not expect, making it fun for me to try to figure out what could possibly happen next. I enjoyed the suspense, danger, mystery, action, and adventure. Dr. Peter Palma is a show more character that I found intriguing and wanted to find out more about him and where this tale would take him to in the end. The doctor's story made me feel as though I was on a thrilling roller coaster ride and right there experiencing it all as it unfolded. Overall, it was a fascinating novel, definitely worth a read, and not to be missed.

I am going to give The Regression Strain four and a half stars. I recommend it for readers who love to read fast paced, unpredictable, and intriguing medical thrillers. I am curious to see where Kevin Hwang's imagination will take his characters, readers, and fans to next. I will be on the look out for his next release.

I received a paperback copy of Kevin Hwang's The Regression Strain from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. show less