Miracle Cure

This was a powerful introduction to Coben's work: as a suspense novel, it moves quickly and believably, and keeps you guessing throughout the work even though, in the end, everything makes sense. True, Coben misleads readers along the way, but he doesn't trick them or leave out small bits of information that, realistically, should be included--in other words, it's written the way a good mystery should be. Character-wise, Coben's characters are believable and well-drawn. Subject-wise, Coben also tackles more aspects of the complexity of society's reactions to AIDS than most novels, and does so subtly.

It is true that this is one of Coben's earlier works, republished, and there are a few spots where that shows through in awkward-ish show more dialogue and scenes moving a bit too quickly or slowly, but in general, this is a smart and well-developed suspense novel. And, early or not, it's enough to ensure that I'll be picking up quite a bit more work from Coben.

Absolutely recommended. show less

I unashamedly admit I am a Harlan Coben fan - though only recently introduced to his works. I've read a number of his books in quick succession, so I knew it was only a matter a time that I would run into one that would just not do it for me.

Miracle Cure was that one.

This is Coben's second novel and in the edition I have he goes as far as to add a disclaimer at the beginning that states this is far from the standard that existing fans would expect and that perhaps not the place to start for new readers either. He does however acknowledge that these were his beginnings as a writer.

We all start our journeys somewhere and this novel is part of the journey that makes Coben the writer he is today. For that reason I made the effort to follow show more it to the end. Its hard to know whether my opinion would have been different had I not had later books to compare it to.

In general this took me longer to read than a HC book would, the writing style a bit more clumsy and not as well edited as his later works so it just didn't read as well.

The story follows a doctor on his quest to find a cure for the AIDS virus, the people trying to stop him and the normal murder, mayhem and twists that are Coben's trademark style. It is important to place yourself back in the early 90's when a lot less was known about the AIDS virus and fear of contracting it was rampant. Looking at the story with modern eyes will almost certainly impacts the way the story is viewed.

You can definitely see the beginnings of what would become a great career in the 'Thriller and Suspense' genre show less

I opened this book to the foreword from the author, warning the reader that this is an early book of his, not re-written and packaged as a new novel (“I hate when authors do that” he states). It sounded familiar - right down to the final paragraph conceding that there is a “risk taking” about this novel that he isn’t sure he still has the capacity for. I had read it all before. Unbelievable! I had gone and bought a book I had already read!! Except that I hadn’t. None of the story was familiar. Turns out there are several ancient books his publisher has put out with the exact same foreword, with the title of the book cut-and-pasted in in the appropriate place.

I hate when authors do that.

But over to the story. This is the sort show more of fast-moving twisting-turning fiction we have come to expect from Harlan Coben, and considering it’s the work of a “naive lad” in his twenties it’s not half bad. Harking back to the early days of the AIDS crisis, it surrounds an apparent cure for the disease and a murderer apparently targeting those who have been successfully treated. The trademark jocularity is sparse but used effectively (the character Michael is asked whether anything unusual has appeared in his urine, and reports that “there was a Datsun Hatchback in there this morning”. Bravo).

As with this type of mystery novel it’s probably a case of picking the least likely person to have “dunnit” and you may well get it right (though I didn’t). Guessing the “why” is more tricky, and the explanation section that every such book has to go through tied my brain in knots, but I understood enough. More of the same please, but would it kill you to write a new foreword? show less

3.5 stars

Sara is a reporter. She is married to pro-basketball player Michael. Her father is a doctor, researching cancer. Friends of Sara and Michael’s are researching AIDS and, though this has been kept a secret, they think they’ve found a cure. But, some of the cured patients are turning up tortured and murdered! One of the head doctors has committed suicide (though the reader knows at the start that he was also murdered), and there are financial and political concerns for the AIDS clinic.

This was good. This is one of Coben’s earlier novels and my edition has a brief introduction by the author that he realizes it is dated, but he still likes the book. It is dated. It’s early in the fight against AIDS and gay men are more show more openly mocked. But, it’s still a good story. Not as good as his later books, but still good. At the start, I had a bit of a hard time figuring out some of the characters and where each fit in. But, I think I had who was who figured out by the end. I was surprised at the ending, which almost brought it up to 4 stars, but not quite. show less

Somewhat apropos of 2020 if you substitute COVID for AIDS. Though the publication date of this book is 2011, it was actually written 20 years ago. What if there were a cure ? Drama ensues. it was a little over the top when our hero is kidnapped and ends up in a Thai whorehouse via a cargo airplane. Characters seem real enough and we get to know them. Fine book.

Very nice! Drew me in like a cyclone, and placed me down gently at the end. I can always count on Harlan Coben to be a rollercoaster ride of a book, and this was no exception. Centering around two doctors with a possible cure for the AIDS virus, a famous reporter married to a star professional basketball player, a conservative senator and a crooked televisional evangelist, this has all the makings of a great story. A mystery that kept me guessing until the end.

Recommended.

What would you do if you found a cure to one of our most deadly diseases? That is the question Dr. Harvey Riker must deal with. Remarkably, there are people that do not want some diseases cured.
When Michael Silverman, NBA star, is diagnosed HIV positive, things change dramatically. Someone has been killing patients at Riker's AIDS clinic, patients presumably cured of the deadly disease thus destroying the proof. Michael is betting his life that Harvey can cure him. But will Michael live long enough to receive the entire treatment?
A very good medical mystery in the vein of Robin Cook, I did not see the explosive ending coming.