Mortal Fear

This was very enjoyable but not quite as in depth as some of my very favourites. I enjoyed the snatches of Jason’s regular life and could sympathise with his sorrow and frustration. It certainly seemed he was doing the job he was meant to, and really had to break out of his mould to deal with criminals and “rough” types. Hence his difficulties were believable. I was intrigued by Hayes and was emotionally affected by what happened with him. Jason’s investigation seemed to go a little slowly, with repetitious circumstances that frustrated him but gave him no new info. It was realistic for how he would think but a bit frustrating for someone who’s read the back cover (or even the prologue).
I really enjoyed the Carol character, show more and how she puzzled Jason. I got a good laugh at his assumptions about her. Often the first thing people ask you is what you do for a living so they can put you in a category and decide if they should feel superior or not. Perhaps Cook was sending a little message here about judging people quickly.
Action packed as usual, with things to ponder. I love having a bit of education tucked into a lot of fun. show less

A harrowing medical nightmare on the cutting edge of genetic research. Mortal Fear goes beyond the shocking chills of Coma and the sweeping panic of Outbreak...into the controversial future of modern medicine. At a large Boston clinic, a world-class biologist stumbles upon a miraculousdiscovery, a major scientific breakthrough. Soon, healthy, middle-aged patients are dying of old age. And the ultimate experiment in terror begins.

Mortal Fear very much reminded me of Fatal Cure, they're roughly the same synopsis - corporate health care organisation decides to cut costs by killing expensive patients. The difference between the two however is the stories that get you there, here it's a clinic with a single doctor trying to unravel the mystery of a professor suddenly dying on a mystery illness along with scores of previously healthy people dying weeks later. In Fatal Cure it's at a hospital with loads of mystery deaths after elective surgeries and mild admissions.

Is it worth reading if you've already read Fatal Cure? yes if you enjoy his books and the medical genre, otherwise probably not.

Dr. Jason Howard works for GHP and when his seemingly healthy patients begin to die of massive strokes and aneurysms he starts to lose his confidence and wonders what he's doing wrong in his practice. But when he starts to talk to colleagues and they confide in him that they are having the same problems with their own patients Jason begins to wonder if there isn't something on an epidemic level going on. When an eccentric colleague confides in him that he's made a major breakthrough in his research but dies before he can divulge what exactly, Jason is left to put the puzzle pieces together and find out what exactly is killing everyone. Can he find out before it's too late?
Perfectly written and executed story. Yet another great one by show more Robin Cook. He is definitely the undisputed Master of the Medical Thriller!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I will definitely be recommending it. show less

I hand't realized it until I was well into the book that I'd read it before and sure enough, found it on my book shelf. As with every Robin Cook novel I've read, it was entertaining, frightening and compelling.
I found the characters and situations highly believable, and the protagonist a man worth emulating. The scene I appreciated the most is when Dr. Alvin Hayes and Carol Donnor escape from a hired killer at a river resort in Oregon. A unique adventure indeed.
What else can I say? Robin Cook is a masterful story weaver.

This was my first Robin Cook book and I was instantly hooked. The suspense, characters and storytelling just reel you right in. I just couldn't put it down! It's been a while since I've been that absorbed into a book and I absolutely can't wait to read another one!

Better than Outbreak but not as good as Mutation, Mortal Fear is probably an average read. While there were a couple of surprises, this book was fairly predictable for the most part. The characters seemed a bit stiff and clichéd and the narrative, while technically correct, didn't seem to engage me as it should. Mortal Fear is OK for a light read, but I wouldn't choose it if I were after a good thrill.