Book Review: Bloodsworth Island

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Bloodsworth Island     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Jeff Slate , David Rearden
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Medical   Thriller
AmErica, Oct 2000, 344 pp.
Unknown Binding

Dr. Marcus Gallagher has a noble vision of eliminating genetic disease from humanity. In his endeavor to succeed, Marcus has hired the best medical researchers and set up a special facility, Davenport Center, on isolated BLOODSWORTH ISLAND in Chesapeake Bay. To attain his vision, Marcus has established a procedure not found in medical texts. His team is to identify and eradicate those individuals carrying the blueprint of a disease in their genetic code.

The Orani tribe in the Ecuadorian rain forest are a good example of the doctor’s plan.. They are the recipients of a special vaccine that will eliminate genetic disease. Instead, the saviors are methodically killing off tribe members. Only Gene Nolan objects and he seems more like a petulant David battling a charismatic Goliath.

On face value, another medical thriller centering on research scientists playing God-like eugenics seems unnecessary after Cook and company. However, what makes BLOODSWORTH ISLAND such an entertaining novel is the rich details that bring to life the cultures of the victims. By making those people so real, Jeff Slate and David Rearden hook readers into understanding the diverse universal complexity of medical issues and the related economic choices. That, in turn, leads to a fabulous, but occasionally too simplistic plot that will elate sub-genre fans with the triumphant debut of a new writing team.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner