ISBN: 0-7887-0085-5 Order from: Recorded Books
An overly long plot with frustratingly elusive and successful villains detracts from an otherwise pleasingly tense plot of a medical thriller.
Reviewed by David on July 17, 1999
Genre: Mystery (Medical, Conspiracy)
Synopsis: Sarah Baldwin is a new and promising surgeon at the staff of the Medical Center of Boston. Combining her medical education with non-traditional use of herbs, meditation and acupuncture, she is quite successful in helping her patients with difficult pregnancies and other problems.
When several of her patients experience a rare and usually fatal medical condition when they go into labor, Sarah's methods make her the target of a malpractice suit. However, with an unsrupulous HMO trying to take over the hospital, strangely effective Oriental medicine company, old lovers and new enemies, Sarah's defense becomes more crucial and more dangerous than any routine case, both for Sarah and for many others involved in the deadly web of lies and decease.
Full Review: This is an unabridged recording of Natural Causes. The author, a doctor himself, is quite detailed both about dangerous medical conditions (almost too detailed!) and the life of a large hospital. While the medical side is quite satisfyingly solid, the conspiracy is less so.
There is a very long period during which Sarah and her friends are frustrated at every turn by a shadowy, very effective conspiracy. Except for her shrinking circle of friends, no one believes in the conspiracy. There is a nice twist towards the end of the book, where the most obvious suspects turn out to be not guilty of anything more than simple greed and ambition.
The ultimate solution to the mysterious decease turns out rather straightforward and impossible to hide, and puts the motivation of the villain(s) in question.
On one occaion, the heroine, admittedly under stress, commits an act obviously desinged to put her in the villain's clutches. In general, the protagonist Sarah is shown as well-meaning, skillful and very courageous, but rather humorless and defensive (partly due to the reading tone) character. The romantic interest was, to me at least, unappealing.
This overly long period of losses (so to speak) to the competent but ultimately short-sighted villains adds significant element of frustration to this tense medical mystery.
Overall: 5; Plot: 4.5; Characters: 4.5; Style: 4.5; World-building: 5; Originality: 5.5;
Copyright date 1994, Recorded Books, 1994, Audio Cassette, 11 cassettes
ISBN: 0-7887-0085-5 Order from: Recorded Books