Review: Coma

Coma Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Robin Cook
Class/Genre: Mystery Medical Thriller High-Tech

I've been meaning to read Robin Cook's novel, Coma, for years and finally got to it. I think one reason I've put it off is because Her Majesty said she didn't like it (I've since found out it was because she doesn't like "medical thrillers" in general). The story has Susan Wheeler, a medical student, trying to find out why there seem to be so many "coma" victims. The story dramatizes the plight of women entering the medical world (viewed in contemporary times circa the late 70's when the book was written). However, more to the point of the novel, it demonstrates a possible scenario to deal with a social-medical problem. Neither the problem nor a more socially acceptable solution are revealed until the very end. I enjoyed it a lot.

I enjoyed Coma so much (and I loved Tess Gerritsen's Gravity, from a couple years ago), I figured I owed myself another medial thriller. So I picked up Robert Greer's Limited Time. I was lead to believe this was a stand-a-lone. Greer has written three CJ Floyd, bounty-hunter/bail bondsman novels and though I have them, I haven't read them yet. I don't like reading stories out of order. It turns out that it does use CJ Floyd in this one, but if there are spoilers to his earlier plots, I missed them. The story has a really fascinating premise. A research scientist, Neil Cardashian, is working on a grant and a hot lead to produce a "Fountain of Youth" pill. He is playing his cards too close to his vest for the likes of those on his on team. An already suspicious colleague, Tess Gilliam, takes it upon herself to have his worked checked. Before she gets too far, Dr. Cardashian is found dead and Tess becomes a prime suspect.

What I found fascinating was the premise of the research. The problem with aging is that after a while, cell stop reproducing or "renewing" themselves. Once this renewal process begins to fail, first tissues then organs begin to fail. The trick, then, to longevity is to find a protein or enzyme that will keep that renewal process going. Personally, I'm not sure if either the supposition, or the approach given the supposition, is valid, but it seemed real enough for me to go, "Hmmmm."

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Jeff Kreider - RAM

Book Review: Coma