Marker

by Robin Cook

2005

Status

Available

Publication

Penguin Audio (2005), Edition: Unabridged

Description

New York City medical examiners Dr. Laurie Montgomery and Dr. Jack Stapleton confront a ballooning series of puzzling hospital deaths of young, healthy people after successful routine surgery. It seems impossible to determine why and how these patients are dying, yet Laurie comes to suspect that not only are the deaths related--they're intentional, suggesting the work of a remarkably clever healthcare serial killer.

User reviews

LibraryThing member nEtVolution

A fairly entertaining predictable medical thriller involving the usual ingredients of near death experiences, close calls and amazing deductions. The build up felt a little slow, but it picked up in the latter half. I thought the book did a great job pointing out the ethical dilemma facing our

society as we map out the genome and gain insight into predicting human weaknesses. Although it's always gratifying to see the good guys win, threads of the story are left untold as the author leaves it to the reader to contemplate just how far up the chain of the private medical & insurance sector the conspiracy can go. Although not always as efficient, I still feel that medical practice and insurance should be heavily regulated or government controlled. Anytime decisions surrounding our healthcare involve profit, you know profit will prevail over a consumer's health and wellbeing.

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LibraryThing member melydia

(unabridged audiobook read by George Guidall): Healthy patients are dying mysteriously, and medical examiners Laurie Montgomery and Jack Stapleton are on the case. I liked the plot - I wasn't able to guess the twists ahead of time and I learned a bit about medicine and the medical industry in the

process - but some of the language got a little tedious. Perhaps doctors are different, but ordinary people do not regularly use that many four-syllable words per sentence. Cook also has an irritating habit of using "questioned" instead of "asked", and having a character get impatient at the silence should there be a pause in the narration for a brief bit of description. Taking in someone's appearance does not cause a noticeable lull in conversation. Most people's brains work more quickly than that. Overall, however, it's a pretty good story. I was indeed on the edge of my seat in parts (which is made worse in audiobooks since you can't read faster to get to the resolution), and the ending was mostly satisfying. Not a deep or especially memorable read, but a nice diversion during my daily commute.

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LibraryThing member porchsitter55

A good story line, smooth, easy read.

LibraryThing member HenriMoreaux

I am saddened to say this book wasn't the best. I really enjoy Robin Cook's books but Chromosome 6 was far fetched and this one, Marker, was sadly all too predictable. I'm a little worried about where the series is heading.

Also perplexing is the attitude of the Laurie Montgomery character; she

previously had basically had an affair whilst she was with Jack Stapleton, but now in this book she puts the screws on jack for essentially marriage and a child, then when the conversation doesn't go her way she moves out and starts seeing another guy virtually immediately. Then she has the nerve to be upset with Jack when she tells him several weeks later she is pregnant and he asks if she knows who the father is. The Laurie character in this offering quite frankly struck me to be more representative of a teenage girl as opposed to a 43 year old experienced medical professional.

I would also add, what sort of person, even without the extensive medical experience of Laurie Montgomery, would, with the knowledge of their pregnancy, ignore extensive abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding? Hello, you're a doctor Laurie, you of all people should know: It's A Bad Thing.

Things do improve towards the last quarter and the pace quickens but overall I have to say I was a little underwhelmed - it's an alright book but it's not his best offering of Mr Cooks and it makes it difficult to feel any sympathy for Laurie when she behaves so bizarrely.

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LibraryThing member nx74defiant

A good medical thriller.

It is part of a series, but it was fine to read as a standalone book.

Sometimes the narrator's female voices where annoying.

LibraryThing member JenniferRobb

I don't remember reading Robin Cook before. I also didn't realize this was part of a series (well, I suspected it was part of a series as I read, but I didn't know the series name). I would consider reading more books both in this series and by this author based on this book which wove science and

suspense into the plot.

It was a little confusing to have Laurie Montgomery and Laura Riley both as characters (and both being doctors). I think the author could have chosen a different first name for the OBGYN.

I guessed the reason behind Laurie's pains long before she even considered it--if I could guess it, why didn't she, as a doctor, also? I understand her "avoidance" issues but still . . .

I also guessed what the MASNP was (in general) even before the author revealed it and before I knew what it stood for--which means I also guessed why the victims were chosen.

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