About this eBook
A “cautionary tale” (Chicago Tribune) about bacterial poisoning and corporate malevolence from the #1 bestselling author of Coma, “the master of the literary thriller” (The New York Times)
“Searing . . . shocking . . . packs plenty of punches.”—Associated Press
Newly divorced Dr. Kim Reggis takes his daughter, Becky, to her favorite fast-food restaurant on a special night out. The quintessential American meal of burgers and fries leads to tragedy: Over the following week Becky becomes gravely ill from E. coli bacterial poisoning.
Already beaten down by the indignities of a major hospital merger and the subsequent loss of his departmental chairmanship, Kim collides head-on with cost-cutting rules that restrict his daughter’s treatment. As Becky’s condition worsens, the surgeon is driven over the edge by his inability to alter the inexorable progression. When the administration revokes his hospital privileges, Kim is forced out into the cold.
Half crazed by grief, Kim launches himself on an inquiry to learn how and why his daughter got sick. The trail of deadly evidence of shoddy meat-industry practices and complicity stretches from the slaughterhouse to the industry hierarchy to the USDA. Aided in his quest by his ex-wife, Tracy, and a young, idealistic USDA inspector, Kim ultimately learns the shocking truth—but the price may be his life and the lives of those he loves.
“Searing . . . shocking . . . packs plenty of punches.”—Associated Press
Newly divorced Dr. Kim Reggis takes his daughter, Becky, to her favorite fast-food restaurant on a special night out. The quintessential American meal of burgers and fries leads to tragedy: Over the following week Becky becomes gravely ill from E. coli bacterial poisoning.
Already beaten down by the indignities of a major hospital merger and the subsequent loss of his departmental chairmanship, Kim collides head-on with cost-cutting rules that restrict his daughter’s treatment. As Becky’s condition worsens, the surgeon is driven over the edge by his inability to alter the inexorable progression. When the administration revokes his hospital privileges, Kim is forced out into the cold.
Half crazed by grief, Kim launches himself on an inquiry to learn how and why his daughter got sick. The trail of deadly evidence of shoddy meat-industry practices and complicity stretches from the slaughterhouse to the industry hierarchy to the USDA. Aided in his quest by his ex-wife, Tracy, and a young, idealistic USDA inspector, Kim ultimately learns the shocking truth—but the price may be his life and the lives of those he loves.
Ratings and reviews
4.4
49 reviews
Teresa Walker
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2 February 2016
Once again Robin Cook writes a page turner! Hard to find a stopping place. I can say that I will never look at a hamburger the same way..not sure I could eat one at all now. Wish the ending would have been a bit more informative, left me with unanswered questions. Nonetheless, I highly recommend this book.
2 people found this review helpful
Kenneth Clark
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27 September 2015
This book is very well written. The suspense is taut, the characters are believable and I could not put this down once the action began to steamroll.
2 people found this review helpful
Gwynn Carpenter
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14 August 2014
Interesting. Cook has good information l will never eat hamburger again
2 people found this review helpful
About the author
Robin Cook, M.D., is the author of over forty books and is credited with popularizing the medical thriller with his groundbreaking and wildly successful 1977 novel, Coma. His other bestsellers include Night Shift, Viral, Genesis, Pandemic, and Charlatans. Cook divides his time between Florida, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.
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