Best Selling Books by Robin Cook

The bestselling “master of the medical thriller” (The New York Times) confronts one of the most compelling issues of our time: personality-altering drugs and the complex moral questions they raise. When neuroscientist Edward Armstrong begins dating Kimberly Stewart, a descendant of a woman who was hanged as a witch at the time of the Salem witch trials, he takes advantage of the opportunity to delve into a pet theory: that the “devil” in Salem in 1692 had been a hallucinogenic drug inadvertently consumed with mold-tainted grain. In an attempt to prove his theory, Edward grows the mold he believes responsible with samples from the Stewart estate. In a brilliant designer-drug transformation, the poison becomes Ultra, the next generation of antidepressants with truly startling therapeutic capabilties. But who can be sure the drug is safe for consumers? Who defines the boundaries of “normal” human behavior? And if the drug’s side effects are proven to be dangerous—even terrifying—how far will the medical community go to alter their standards of acceptable risk?

New York Times bestselling author Robin Cook returns with another ripped-from-the-headlines medical thriller, as medical detective Jack Stapleton investigates the promises—and deadly risks—of alternative medicine and is led deep into the heart of a religious conspiracy... Medical examiners and husband-and-wife pair Jack Stapleton and Laurie Montgomery are consumed with worry for their young son, who has been diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer. But, as always, Jack turns to his work for solace; after performing a postmortem on a promising young woman who had recently been treated by a chiropractor, he begins researching alternative medicine as a way to avoid obsessing about his child’s illness. Meanwhile, Jack’s college buddy, a renowned archaeologist and biblical scholar, makes a spectacular find at a souk in Cairo: an ancient codex, whose contents may vault him to international fame—and jeopardize the very nature of papal infallibility. And the bishop of the Archdiocese of New York, another former classmate, turns to Jack to help safeguard an explosive secret, one with the power to change lives forever...

In this masterpiece of techno-medical suspense from the “master of the medical thriller” (The New York Times), Robin Cook tells the explosive tale of a brilliant doctor who sought to create the son of his dreams—and invented a living nightmare... When OB/GYN and biomolecular researcher Dr. Victor Frank learns of his wife’s infertility, he initiates a bold—and dangerous—experiment. Unbeknownst to everyone, including her, Dr. Frank has adapted the methods of animal husbandry and molecular genetics to human reproduction. Fusing his wife’s eggs and his own sperm, he sets in motion the production of a superior being, his child. The result of this experiment, a son, VJ, is born to a surrogate mother and legally adopted by the Franks. To their delight, their son is physically perfect, and by the age of three, displays the complex problem-solving abilities of a prodigy. Then, without warning, VJ’s intelligence level plunges to a point appropriate to his age, but stabilizes. For the moment, Dr. Frank can breathe a sigh of relief: even if VJ is no longer the genius he was, at least he will be normal. But that relief is tragically short-lived, for all too soon VJ begins to change again. And this time, there is no cause for comfort—only terror.

A physician turned fugitive must save himself and stop a lethal drug-tampering plot in Robin Cook''s most disturbing techno-chiller yet. Anesthesiologist Dr. Jeffrey Rhodes''s nightmare begins with nerve-shattering swiftness, but it will haunt him always: he administers routine anesthesia during a normal birth. Suddenly the young, healthy mother goes into inexplicable seizures and dies; her infant survives but is severely disabled and brain damaged. But the living nightmare is only beginning: sued first for malpractice, then brought up on criminal charges, Jeffrey is convicted of malpractice—to the tune of $11 million—then of harmful intent and reckless disregard for human life...second-degree murder carrying a mandatory prison term. A ruined man, Jeffrey must pull himself from the depths of despair to try to salvage the wreckage of his life. A subtle clue puts him and Nurse Kelly Everson on the trail of a crazed killer. With Kelly''s aid, Jeffrey remains in hiding in order to find the truth and gain the evidence he needs to prevent more "malpractice" deaths and to clear his name. But that truth is even more shocking than Jeffrey imagined. For there is a third dimension to the whole affair that neither he nor Kelly could have anticipated...

A renowned doctor’s quest to find the source of—and a cure for—his daughter’s sudden illness leads him into the heart of a lethal mystery in this “brilliant” (Associated Press) novel from the #1 bestselling “master of the medical thriller” (The New York Times). “A passionate, riveting, chilling drama.”—Cosmopolitan Dr. Charles Martel, a brilliant cancer researcher, was forced to stand helplessly by as his first wife died slowly, agonizingly of cancer. Now he and his second wife, Cathryn, receive the shattering news that his eleven-year-old daughter, Michelle, is being attacked by the same disease. This time Charles is going to do something. Even if the cause is a chemical plant conspiracy that not only promises to kill her but will destroy him as a man and doctor if he tries to fight it.

Leaving their urban hospital for a modern medical facility in Bartlet, Vermont, Doctors Angela and David Wilson begin to notice puzzling details in the deaths of several terminal patients there

When his daughter, Becky, becomes ill from bacterial poisoning, Dr. Kim Reggis, a cardiac surgeon, is determined to track down the cause, no matter what the cost

An “exciting” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) novel of unchecked greed, medical malfeasance, and startling science, from the #1 bestselling “master of the medical thriller” (The New York Times) “An intense read that raises thought-provoking questions.”—Associated Press Pia Grazdani is an exceptional yet aloof medical student working closely with Columbia University Medical Center’s premier scientist on cutting-edge research that could revolutionize health care by creating replacement organs for critically ill patients. But when tragedy strikes in the lab, Pia, with the help of classmate George Wilson, launches an investigation into the unforeseen calamity in the hospital’s supposedly secure biosafety lab. Meanwhile, two ex-Wall Street whiz-kids think they’ve found another loadstone in the nation’s multitrillion-dollar life insurance industry, and race to find ways to control actuarial data and securitize the policies of the aged and infirm to make another killing. As Pia and George dig deeper into the events at the lab, one question remains unanswered: Is someone attempting to manipulate private insurance information to allow investors to benefit from the deaths of others?

The classic first novel by Robin Cook, the New York Times bestselling “master of the medical thriller.” “Dr. Peters, the patient has stopped breating and doesn’t have any pulse!” The nurse’s voice on the phone is desperate, but young Dr. Peters, in his first weeks of interning, is bone-tired and a little afraid. He has forgotten when he last slept. Yet he knows that in the coming hours he will have to make life-or-death decisions regarding patients, assist contemptuous surgeons in the operating room, deal with nurses who may know more than he does, cope with worried relatives and friends of the injured and ill, and pretend at all times to be what he has not yet become—a fully qualified doctor. Become immersed in the world of medicine through the eyes of a young intern as he goes through the year that promises to make him into a doctor—and threatens to destroy him as a human being.

Pandemic is an explosive medical thriller from New York Times-bestselling author Robin Cook. After a young, seemingly healthy woman collapses suddenly on the NYC subway and dies by the time she reaches the hospital, her case is initially chalked up to a virulent strain of influenza. That is, until she ends up on Dr. Jack Stapleton''s autopsy table, where Jack discovers something eerily fishy: First, that the young woman has had a heart transplant, and second, that her DNA matches that of the transplanted heart. Strangely, two more incidences of young people with this same sudden and rapid illness follow, and Jack fears that this could be the start of an unprecedented pandemic. But the facts aren''t adding up. Something is off about these cases, something creepy, and only Jack can figure it out before it''s too late. Thus begins a race against time, during which Jack unveils the dark underbelly of the organ-transplant market. His name is Bui Zhao, a businessman and hospital board member who has been cheating the system by using organs and cells from chimeric pigs, via the gene-editing biotechnology CRISPER/CAS9, which allows pig genes to be inserted into living human cells. In a climactic mortal showdown, Jack must face Zhao, the megalomaniac willing to risk the fate of the world to purse his commercial interests, if he wants to save the future of medicine.

With his signature blend of suspense and science, Robin Cook delivers an electrifying page-turner that delves into the murky ethics of developing genomic medicine and modern-day health care... As her relationship with Dr. Jack Stapleton begins to unravel, Dr. Laurie Montgomery starts investigating the inexplicable deaths of young, healthy people after successful routine surgery. She discovers that the deaths might be intentional—the work of a remarkably clever serial killer with a shocking motive. And then Laurie is hit with more devastating news: she might be carrying the genetic marker for breast cancer. As the need for answers becomes more urgent, Laurie is pulled into the nightmare as a potential victim herself. With time winding down, she and Jack must put aside the tensions between them in a race to connect the dots—and save Laurie’s life...

From the New York Times bestselling master of medical thrillers comes a shocking story of medical conspiracy. Today, organ transplants are common miracles of science. But if the supply cannot meet the demand, how far will people go to find donors? Dr. Laurie Montgomery, a forensic pathologist, learns the terrifying answer when she investigates a series of fatal “overdose” of young professionals. Some crimes are beyond comprehension. But seeing is believing... With pulse-pounding suspense and a thought-provoking exploration of medical ethics, this gripping tale takes readers on a thrilling journey through the dark side of modern medicine.

Dr. Jack Stapleton and Dr. Laurie Montgomery must race against the clock to prevent an unthinkable catastrophe in this “frightening” (Publishers Weekly) novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author hailed as “the master of the medical thriller” (The New York Times). Experts do not question whether a bio-terrorism event will occur in the United States, only when. . . . New York City cab driver Yuri Davydov is an angry, disillusioned Russian émigré poised to lash out at the adoptive nation he believes has denied him the American Dream. A former technician for the vast Soviet biological weapons system, Yuri possesses the technical knowledge to carry out his vengeance on a horrific scale, especially after teaming up with a pair of far-right survivalists who share his abhorrence of the United States government. Dr. Jack Stapleton and Dr. Laurie Montgomery are confronted with two seemingly disparate cases in their work as forensic pathologists in the city’s medical examiner’s office. They hardly suspect that the deaths could be related, but soon they begin to connect the dots, and the question then becomes whether or not they will solve the puzzle before Yuri and his comrades unleash the ultimate terror: a modern bioweapon.

From the "master of the medical thriller" (The New York Times), Robin Cook, fan favorites Jack and Laurie return in another fast-paced spine chiller about a deadly bioweapon that could disrupt the world order as we know it. “Masterful . . . Robin Cook is at the top of his game.” –#1 NYT bestselling author FREIDA MCFADDEN When Laurie Montgomery temporarily steps down from her position as Chief Medical Examiner, she and Jack find themselves uncharacteristically free for a couple of weeks. And the timing couldn''t be better when they receive a call from Jack''s former medical school classmate, Robert Neilson, who is the sole family practitioner in Essex Falls, an idyllic town tucked away in New York State''s Adirondack Mountains. Serving also as the Hamilton County coroner, Dr. Neilson is in over his head trying to explain the sudden death of a young, healthy pest control worker on top of an outbreak of rapidly progressive Alzheimer''s-like cases, and he pleads with Jack and Laurie to come lend a professional hand. Unable to resist a good mystery and a vacation in one, Laurie and Jack agree to help and head upstate. Essex Falls is beautiful enough and their accommodations are even better than they imagined. But they soon learn the town has suffered a major economic and social setback, which has shaken its residents to their cores. When the body of the pest control worker disappears without a trace just prior to an autopsy, Jack''s penchant for solving forensic conundrums launches him into a full-scale investigation that uncovers the most frightening modus operandi of his career so far.

An ancestry database holds the key to catching a killer in this explosive medical thriller from New York Times-bestselling author Robin Cook. When the body of social worker Kera Jacobsen shows up on Chief New York City Medical Examiner Laurie Montgomery''s autopsy table, it appears she was the victim of a drug overdose. But for Laurie and her new pathology resident, the brilliant Dr. Aria Nichols, little things aren''t adding up. Kera''s family and friends swear she never touched drugs. Administrators from the hospital where Kera worked insist the case be shrouded in silence. And although Kera was ten weeks pregnant, nobody knows who the father was--or what he might now about Kera''s final moments alive. With Laurie temporarily sidelined by a medical emergency, impulsive Aria turns to a controversial new technique: collaborating with experts at a start-up ancestry website to trace the fetus''s DNA in the hopes of identifying the mystery father. But when Kera''s fellow social worker is murdered, it becomes clear that someone doesn''t want Kera''s secrets to come to light . . . and if Aria gets any nearer to the truth, she and Laurie might find themselves a killer''s next targets.

New York Times bestselling author mines the mysteries of Egypt’s magnificent past to deliver a one-of-a-kind thriller packed with compelling realism and unrelenting suspense. Traveling to Egypt is a dream come true for Erica Baron. An Egyptologist, she longs to walk among the temples and monuments of its long-dead civilizations. But when she stumbles upon a clue to a legendary treasure, the most fearful curse of the ancient world and the most savage menace of the modern one threaten to destroy her. It was the magic and mystery of an empire long past that drew Erica to explore, but now, that same mystery that may have become her deadliest snare...

Devastated by the death of her boyfriend after a routine surgery, fourth-year medical student Lynn Pierce investigates the accident and discovers a string of suspicious deaths at the hospital.

“Like a runaway locomotive—a manically entertaining thriller. Robin Cook knows how to make the pages fly.”—Kirkus Reviews At a prestigious Florida medical center, brain cancer patients are treated with a 100% success rate. Sean Murphy, a young medical student, finds it hard to believe. Is it a miracle cure? Or the biggest con job in the history of medicine? As Sean delves deeper into the mystery, he begins to uncover secrets that get at the heart of a nearly unbelievable conspiracy he never could have imagined...

The New York Times best-seller narrates the cautionary tale of a deadly epidemic spread not only by microbes but by sinister sabotage designed to bring down the corporate titans of health care. Reissue.