Introduction
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| Source: Goodreads.com |
ISBN: 978-0735212480
Genre: Fiction / Thriller / Medical
Publishers: Pan Macmillan India
Price: Rs. 599/- ( I got an ARC from the publisher)
Behind the Book
Charlatans is an explosive thriller from New York Times bestselling author and master of the medical thriller Robin Cook.
Noah Rothauser is the new super chief resident at Boston Memorial Hospital. Housing state-of-the-art medical facilities, it’s always been Noah’s dream to work for such an esteemed institution. But the pressures of the role become all too clear when a seemingly routine operation results in the tragic death of an otherwise healthy man. With potential malpractice suspected it falls to the newly appointed surgical doctor to investigate what happened.
Questioning those involved uncovers bitter feuds within the hospital’s surgical staff when Dr. William Mason, the egotistical, world-class surgeon who performed the operation, is quick to blame staff anaeshtetist Dr. Ava London for the disastrous outcome. However Dr. London, along with the nursing staff, point the finger at the surgeon.
When two more anaesthesia-related deaths occur, Noah is forced to look closer at the impressively competent, charming, yet mysterious Dr. London, and he quickly realizes there’s far more to her than meets the eye. With his own job and integrity coming into jeopardy, Noah must decide which doctor is at fault and who he can believe – before any more lives are lost .
About the Author
Robin Cook is the author of more than thirty previous books and is credited with popularizing the medical thriller with his wildly successful first novel, Coma. He divides his time between Boston and Florida. His most recent bestsellers include Host, Cell, Death Benefit, and Cure.
Considering that the author, Robin Cook has been considered the undisputed king of medical thrillers and has managed to retain the best seller tag year after year for his books I began this book with huge expectations. And to be honest, I was tad disappointed.
The writing in the book, is as always impeccable. There is a reason why he is a best selling author and that is his writing.There are no two ways about the fact that he knows how to weave plots around a plot to make it seem like a complicated web only to untangle it all later on towards the end, making it all seem like a child's play. He is beyond brilliant at the art of narrative stories laced with thrill and mystery.
But in this book I have a problem with the story. For starters, it could have been way shorter than what it actually is right now. There is a lack of crispness in the narrative and that according to me is the key element in a thriller. Too much detailing takes away a reader's interest to an extent that you want to keep the book aside or worse, flip the pages to reach the relevant portions as the plot is gripping. I like the taut flow of the story with well fleshed out characters. Very plausible, the plot is promising at the foresight. However somewhere in the hindsight, you are able to notice minor yet not negligible loopholes in the plot which seems unbelievable in the beginning coming from an author of his stature. After few pages of going back and forth, the curiosity finally got better of me and I just delved into the book. I needed to know what happened next and the ending felt like a treat for having managed to be patient enough to reach there. The ending blew my mind. What a brilliant ending, completely unimaginable!
Having said all of the above, I would still claim that this book is a decent read with a very engaging plot line. For someone who has read other books of this author, this one might stand out like a sore thumb. But as a standalone, this book has its own charm. Reading this book left me feeling vary of doctors at large, urging me to trust my instincts every single time.
Would I recommend this book? Definitely yes! It is not everyday that you get to read a medical thriller which is well written to an extent that is leaves you with a creepy feeling.
Foodie Verdict
This book is like Pista Halwa - unique, different taste but delicious nevertheless!
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