Pandemic - (A Jack Stapleton & Laurie Montgomery Novel) by Robin Cook (Paperback)

About the Book

"When a young, seemingly healthy woman collapses suddenly on a New York City subway car and dies upon reaching the hospital, her case is chalked up to a virulent strain of influenza. That is, until she ends up on veteran medical examiner Jack Stapleton's autopsy table, where Jack discovers some striking anomalies: first, that the young woman has had a heart transplant, and second, that her DNA matches that of the transplanted heart. After two other victims succumb to a similar rapid death, Jack fears the city is facing an unprecedented pandemic. But the facts aren't adding up, and now Jack must race against the clock to determine what kind of virus can wreak such terrifying havoc"--Publisher marketing.

Book Synopsis

New York Times #1-bestselling author Robin Cook takes on the cutting-edge world of gene modification in this pulse-pounding medical thriller.

When a young, seemingly healthy woman collapses suddenly on a New York City subway car and dies upon reaching the hospital, her case is chalked up to a virulent strain of influenza. That is, until she ends up on veteran medical examiner Jack Stapleton's autopsy table, where Jack discovers some striking anomalies: First, that the young woman has had a heart transplant, and second, that her DNA matches that of the transplanted heart.

After two other victims succumb to a similar rapid death, Jack fears the city is facing an unprecedented pandemic. But the facts aren't adding up, and now Jack must race against the clock to determine what kind of virus can wreak such terrifying havoc. But when his investigation leads him into the fascinating realm of CRISPR/Cas9, a gene-editing biotechnology that allows animal DNA to be inserted into living human cells, he'll uncover the dark underbelly of the organ-transplant market...and come face-to-face with a megalomaniacal businessman willing to risk human lives to fulfill his dreams of conquering a lucrative new medical frontier. And if Jack's not careful, the next life lost might be his own...

Review Quotes

"When there's a scientific breakthrough, Robin Cook doesn't just stand up and cheer. He uses his fertile imagination and writes a novel about its possible perils... By graphically showing what could happen were CRISPR/Cas9 to fall into the wrong hands, the author rings a much needed warning bell about gene editing technology."--Associated Press

About the Author

Robin Cook, MD, is the author of more than 30 books and is credited with popularizing the medical thriller with his groundbreaking and wildly successful 1977 novel, Coma. He divides his time among Florida, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.