Thank you Pan Macmillan India for sending me a copy of this book for review.
Summary – The unprecedented death of a healthy man during a minor surgery launches the super chief resident of Boston Memorial Hospital, Noah Rothauser, into investigating the ethical stance of doctors at BMH. But little does he know that he has been expending his efforts in the wrong direction. His discoveries lead him to question his judgment of people, thrusting him into a vortex of gradual disintegration. When his career as a surgeon is threatened, Noah finds himself jumping on a flight out of the city, to trace the root of the problems. Robin Cook’s Charlatans delineates the world of medicine and fraudulence with astounding clarity.
Review – What started out as an overwhelming trip to the ORs and a close monitoring of Noah Rothauser’s daily schedule soon picked up pace and became the most gripping medical-mystery I’ve ever read! I never thought I’d be intrigued by surgeons and their job, but Robin Cook’s careful interspersing of conflicts and elements of suspense made the whole story very interesting. The plot in itself is commendable because it compels you into thinking just how reliable our lifesavers are, be it doctors, lawyers or even the police force. Themes of betrayal, suspicion and romance add the necessary sparkle to prevent this chunk of a book from being boring. His writing style is wordy and yet easy to grasp. There were times when I was wondering why we are privy to every minute detail of the happenings in a day.
Creating extraordinary characters and fleshing out the process of their unraveling seems to be something Robin Cook is great at. I was equally mesmerized by the actions and thought processes of Noah as well as Dr. Ava London. It is said that they are “two peas in a pod”, but they are actually quite the opposite of each other. Neither of their personalities is predictable by a far shot. They possess such a surprising bunch of qualities. Although I’d hoped that Noah would grow a bit of a backbone. That being said, parts of the mystery became predictable for me because of nagging doubts that took root early in the story. Even Dr. Mason, one of the villains, is imbued with such annoying qualities that it elicits a strong response from the reader. As far as the characters are concerned, Charlatans presents something new. I really liked the inclusion of social media as a theme that is vital to the millennial generation. This novel successfully portrays the transience of morals, identities in a day and age that is governed by social media. The climax and the aftermath were inevitably shocking. Just when you begin to think that you’ve figured it all out, you’re proven wrong. This book is a must read and won’t allow you to come up for air!
What do you get out of it? In addition to understanding the workings of a hospital, you get an insightful glance at modern technology’s role in creating charlatans. Plus some fantastic character arcs!
Rating – 4.5 out of 5 stars
The Life Stories 