If you gave me this book and asked me what author wrote it, I would have said without a doubt that it was Robin Cook. While crNot bad! Not bad at all!
If you gave me this book and asked me what author wrote it, I would have said without a doubt that it was Robin Cook. While creepy and mysterious like the other John Saul I have read, it is so hard to ignore how much like Cook this book is. Medical thriller to the max and I loved every minute of it!
You might notice how long it took me to read this and doubt how much I enjoyed it. It is merely the format I chose to read it in that caused the delay. Whenever I have a book on Kindle, for whatever reason, I frequently go days between reading sessions. But, trust me, I was always glad to get back to this one.
The God Project is creepy, mysterious fun. Any fan of horror/suspense/mystery should find something to enjoy here!
Trigger warning: Bad stuff happens to kids. Approach with caution....more
Enjoyable and suspenseful. Addresses the controversial topics of fetal tissue use and the business of healthcare becoming more important than patient Enjoyable and suspenseful. Addresses the controversial topics of fetal tissue use and the business of healthcare becoming more important than patient care. Also, Cook uses one of his usual plot structures where the main character is finding out things are not as they seem and nobody believes him.
This one is better than the last couple Robin Cook books I read and I recommend it to fans of the medical thriller genre....more
This was a fairly good book with a kind of blah ending. There was a lot of build up for a two page resolution. I did like the mystery and suspense. ThThis was a fairly good book with a kind of blah ending. There was a lot of build up for a two page resolution. I did like the mystery and suspense. The dated nature of the subject matter was actually very interesting and amusing (hospitals and the behavior of people in general were a lot different in the 70s and 80s than they are now). Some of the plot twists didn't make sense or seemed obvious (I would say to myself "duh, didn't they realize that!?")
So, not a disappointing read, but only 3 stars....more
Very entertaining - much better than some of the other Robin Cook books I have read recently. Action-packed and suspenseful - even if it is far from bVery entertaining - much better than some of the other Robin Cook books I have read recently. Action-packed and suspenseful - even if it is far from believable!
Released in 1988 and for some reason, in Cook's 1988 Boston, discos are still a thing. Also, apparently they didn't care too much about HIPAA; every few pages the protagonist is spout of info about patients to pretty much anyone who listens to him. As someone who works in Healthcare, those parts made me cringe.
Finally, I will say that if you like medical thrillers and you are not to concerned about the writing being intricate and deep, it would be worth giving Robin Cook a try....more
Harmful Intent is a pretty decent medical thriller. This is another one where you might wonder if I liked it because it took me a pretty long time to Harmful Intent is a pretty decent medical thriller. This is another one where you might wonder if I liked it because it took me a pretty long time to read it. But, the amount of time it took me was because I chose to read this one on Kindle, and I go through phases where the Kindle is kind of like "out of sight, out of mind" - which means I will go days without reading it. That was 100% the case here, nothing to do with the quality of the book.
Robin Cook is a writer who uses a formula to write his books. Each one of his I have read had a similar feel to the story, the characters, the progression, etc. I am totally fine with this - I enjoy what I have read of his so far so I know I am sitting down to a book I can likely get into. If you don't care for formula writers or have read Cook before and didn't like him, it's probably not worth trying this one.
One of Cook's traits is pure escapism. Nothing too deep here, several of the characters are kind of silly/cartoonish/stereotypical, and there are a few plot twists that might have you saying,"yeah right!!!" But, with Cook, again, I know what I am getting and I find his usual characters and plot entertaining. So, what might be detrimental in some cases is perfectly fine with me here.
Basically, if you are looking for some decent, cheesy thrills and outlandish mystery, Cook should be right up your alley. Harmful Intent carries on the tradition nicely....more
I went back and looked at a couple of my previous Robin Cook reviews. I could pretty much repeat what I said verbatim. I suppose in the interest of keI went back and looked at a couple of my previous Robin Cook reviews. I could pretty much repeat what I said verbatim. I suppose in the interest of keeping those following my reviews, I should spice it up a bit! Nothing spicier than BULLET POINTS!
- Cheesy, not the best writing, but very entertaining! - I usually find myself groaning at the cheesy silliness of a Cook novel. But, I also find myself devouring it. Maybe because I love cheese! (Mmmmmm, cheese - one sec, gotta hit the fridge!) - Very dated - some books stand the test of time. With Cook, you can always tell exactly when it was written. Social attitudes, character descriptions, words, phraseology, etc. Look at the publication year and you will know exactly what to expect. - Angry characters - I always feel like Cook's characters are very high strung and involved in very intense discussions. I find myself looking at the page and saying, "DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG - CHILL OUT, YO!" - HIPAA - I work in healthcare. HIPAA is the law that basically is supposed to keep all medical information private and secure. In Cook novels, medical info is shared willy-nilly. However, it was a different time. Maybe Robin Cook's novels are responsible for the law! 😉
Basically, if you like medical thrillers, want a few hours of entertainment, love some cheesiness, and don't mind books that are not the finest literature ever, Robin Cook is worth a try!...more
2.5 - I'm feeling generous with the round up to three.
First - if you are looking for an outbreak book involving the risk of an end of humanity while a2.5 - I'm feeling generous with the round up to three.
First - if you are looking for an outbreak book involving the risk of an end of humanity while a group of intrepid heroes fight for survival - this is not that book! There is very little actual outbreak, it is only a side plot to the main story.
I do enjoy the stories Cook is trying to tell, but sometimes it is a struggle to get through them. I feel like he really has a cool story and fascinating ideas, but that he is not a very good writer. There is a fine line between an enjoyable book without a lot of depth and a cringe worthy jumble of coincidences and forced plot points.
Also - his formula seems to be the following: a bumbling but attractive female lead who lacks good common sense, makes poor decisions, and receives chauvinistic treatment from a slew of arrogant male leads (two or three of which she is considering sleeping with). Just switch the plot around and you have 3 out of every 4 Cook novels.
I will keep reading Cook because I want to see if it gets better (and I am running out of Crichton novels)....more
Decent medical thriller - Suspenseful! Far-Fetched, but not so much as to be distracting. Not as obviously dated as previous books I have read by CookDecent medical thriller - Suspenseful! Far-Fetched, but not so much as to be distracting. Not as obviously dated as previous books I have read by Cook....more
I had high hopes for this based on the description, but the summary was way better than the actual book. Too many foot notes, too much rambling sciencI had high hopes for this based on the description, but the summary was way better than the actual book. Too many foot notes, too much rambling science, too much bizarre philosophy, too many coincidences, too many unbelievable storylines. I mean, sci-fi is supposed to be about science and unusual space-based storylines, but it just didn't work here. Also, all the narrator chapters rambled on and broke up the pace of the story.
I would have a hard time recommending this to anyone....more
This is an excellent and VERY scary bio-terrorism thriller. I have read many of Richard Preston's books that relate to potential biological hazards anThis is an excellent and VERY scary bio-terrorism thriller. I have read many of Richard Preston's books that relate to potential biological hazards and he never fails to bring the suspense. In fact, this book has one of the top 5 most suspenseful scenes I have EVER read in a book. I cannot talk about it too much further (spoilers, you know . . .), but lets just say a character has to make a split second decision that will have you hanging on the edge of your seat!
If you are a thriller fan, you owe it to yourself to read this book!
Side note of interesting trivia: Richard Preston is the brother of Douglas Preston - who writes the Pendergast series with Lincoln Child. This family has some great writers!...more
This book is terrifying! I wish it was fiction . . . I spent the entire book itching and squirming. The descriptions of small pox are harrowing - not This book is terrifying! I wish it was fiction . . . I spent the entire book itching and squirming. The descriptions of small pox are harrowing - not for the faint of heart (if I recall, there are some pictures too). But, it is riveting, so if you like a good non-fiction thriller that might make you scared to go outside (or touch anything!), this is the book for you. Preston is really good at writing this type of novel....more
This is one of those rare situations where I read an entire book in one sitting. This book is absolutely captivating and terrifying. It has been over This is one of those rare situations where I read an entire book in one sitting. This book is absolutely captivating and terrifying. It has been over 20 years since I read it and parts of it still stick with me.
This book and any of the others by Preston about viruses, pandemics, etc. are well worth your time!
Fun fact: Richard Preston is the brother of Douglas Preston of Preston & Child/Pendergast fame...more
When I first picked this up I thought "Wow, cool! What an interesting approach to an apocalyptic scenario". A disease that makes people blind. In the When I first picked this up I thought "Wow, cool! What an interesting approach to an apocalyptic scenario". A disease that makes people blind. In the book we will read about how people learn to cope, right?
Well, sort of - it is more of a horror show as the quarantine process is documented and the protagonists fight for their life and dignity against madmen.
The book is dark. There is not a lot of hope. It is interesting, but not for everyone....more
A decent suspense/thriller. Content is quite dated (late 70s - smoking everywhere, every man is sexist, characters searching for payphones) but that dA decent suspense/thriller. Content is quite dated (late 70s - smoking everywhere, every man is sexist, characters searching for payphones) but that did not detract - in fact, it was an interesting history lesson for late 70s culture....more
Oops! Finished this yesterday and forgot to review!
I enjoyed this book even though it was a bit spastic. Basically, Michael Crichton learned everythinOops! Finished this yesterday and forgot to review!
I enjoyed this book even though it was a bit spastic. Basically, Michael Crichton learned everything he could about the state of gene research and politics and combined it into a series of fictional stories to make separate points. Some of the stories ended up crossing and some did not. If you read this, don't expect any cohesion, just appreciate the anecdotes within....more
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