Contagion (Jack Stapleton and Laurie Montgomery Book 2) by Robin Cook (Epub)

Description

The story of a deadly epidemic spread not merely by microbes but by sinister sabotage – a terrifying cautionary tale for the millennium as the health care giants collide.

After he loses first his Midwestern ophthalmology practice to a for-profit medical giant and then his family to a commuter airline tragedy, Dr. John Stapleton’s life is transformed to ashes. Feeling less the golden boy than a jaded cynic, Stapleton retrains in forensic pathology and relocates to find an uneasy niche for himself in a city that suits his changed perspective: the cold, indifferent, concrete maze of New York.

Stapleton thinks he is past pain and past caring, but as a series of virulent and extremely lethal illnesses – capped by a particularly deadly outbreak of a rare strain of influenza – strikes the young, the old, and the innocent, his suspicions are aroused. When the apparent epicentres of these outbreaks are revealed to be hospitals and clinics controlled by the same for-profit giant that cannibalized his old ophthalmology practice, Stapleton fears he has stumbled upon a diabolic conspiracy of catastrophic proportions: Could the for-profit giant be engaged in the systematic elimination of its more costly subscribers?

Getting at the truth leads to Stapleton’s unlikely pairing – both professionally and personally – with Terese Hagen, an art director at a hot Madison Avenue advertising firm. Together they discover that the real explanation behind the killer contagions is even more Machiavellian than could be imagined.

Contagion anticipates some of the uncharted consequences of managed health care, in an age when even the wariest consumer may be at risk. It is Robin Cook, the master of the medical thriller, at his unerring best.

User’s Reviews

Amazon.com Review When not one but three different extremely rare diseases kill several patients at a New York hospital, forensic pathologist Jack Stapleton suspects it’s more than just coincidence. He thinks there’s a connection between the appearance of the mysterious microbes responsible for the deaths and the HMO that owns the hospital–the same HMO that once destroyed his flourishing medical practice. Is Americare deliberately killing off its sickest patients–those who cost the most money to treat? Or is there an even more sinister motive behind the strange goings-on at Manhattan General, not to mention the attempts on Jack’s life? And what is beautiful Terese Hagen, the hard-driving creative director of a Madison Avenue ad agency, doing in the middle of this slightly muddled, but still engrossing, tale of greed, medicine, and mayhem? Like Michael Crichton, whose Andromeda Strain remains the classic in the genre, Cook is sometimes heavy-handed when it comes to character development, and his fulminations about the dangers of managed care often get in the way of the plot. Still, Contagion will make you think twice about taking your next case of flu to the ER instead of your own bed. –Jane Adams –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Library Journal In Cook’s numerous best-selling medical thrillers, the nasty microbes and lethal diseases are never as loathsome as the greedy villains who spread illness for profit. Here, a cynical forensics doctor suspects that a for-profit medical firm is murdering its more costly subscribers. A Literary GuildR main selection.Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ So I started this book with the vague idea that the movie Contagion was based on the book. Honestly I found no connection between the two at all. I was expecting the book to be better than the movie of course; but the fact is, they can’t really be compared because the story lines are almost completely different. I liked this book. I didn’t love it though. In my opinion it dragged on a little longer than necessary. Still a great read and I’d recommend it to others.

⭐ Relevant thriller, considering the current Coronavirus spread. For this self-described “science nerd”, it contains all the required elements of an action- packed crime story- hospital, morgue and lab settings, sympathetic protagonist, multiple threads, suspense, chase scenes and plot twists. I couldn’t put it down. A great choice to wait out the rest of this winter amid the CDC recommendation for “social distancing”

⭐ Great book really enjoyed the story and the characters. Also find all the medical info very interesting, I am looking forward to the third book in the series since I had so much trouble putting this one down. I hope the third one is as good as Contagion was. If you like these type of medical thrillers give Contagion a try, or start with Blindsight the first book of the series.

⭐ I started reading this series years ago but never finished so now I’m starting over. Given it’s 2020 and we are in a pandemic this book is a must read! Exciting and rings so true to me.

⭐ I bought this book because I had seen the recent movie titled ‘Contagion’ and thought that the two were one and the same. I was not particularly impressed with the movie but I always tend to enjoy the books more and the movie felt as if it were missing something so I decided to give this a chance. I’m glad I did because the book was nothing like the movie other than being about an epidemic. I enjoyed this story very much, although there were some minor instances where what I had just read didn’t seem right. (Mostly near the end concerning the character ‘Warren’.) As the end of the book approached, I had already guessed one of the two characters responsible but was completely surprised when the second one turned out to be someone I had not even given much thought to. I enjoy a good puzzle and this was a fun one!****Because some people like to use the reviews of others as a forum to insult, personally attack and/or be overly mean-spirited, I must post this disclaimer:Attempting to create or add to the discussion is appreciated. However, if you disagree with something I’ve written then please try politely disagreeing & backing it up with points as to why you disagree. I understand that not everyone will agree with or like what I have to say but disrespect, personal attacks of any kind, name calling, & diatribes will be reported as abuse.”[You] must respect the opinions of others even if [you] disagree with them.” – Herbert Henry Lehman

⭐ Contagion was a good read but I expected more about the “contagion” part than the exploits of Jack Stapleton. It never seemed like there was any real epidemic – they all stopped before too many died and it was about Jack racing around from hospital to hospital, fighting off intruders and playing basketball. Would not recommend.

⭐ There is nothing to dislike about Dr. Cook’s writing!!! On point, accurate to the nth degree, just don’t understand how he manages a practice and his outstanding writing. Jack and Laurie always pull you in. Wonderful book most especially entertaining for those in the medical field who understand the frustrations of hospital practices and policies, and those who rule over them.

⭐ I bought this book because the movie looked good and I like to read the book before I watch the movie. Ok, really what pushed me over the edge to purchase was the review about how awful the dialogue between the doctor and the gangs was. Oh, and it was awful! I was certainly entertained. I did not find it too technical as others complained. I didn’t like the ending much. I felt like the first half of the story had momentum, then the author never took the story as far as it could have gone. I’d recommend this book only as what it is: an airport read for when you don’t want to think too much and want a little action. While I usually go for something a little deeper, I did enjoy reading this. The four stars is because it was somewhat entertaining, and is not related to quality of writing. I’d read another of these when I want to rest my mind.Update – I have now seen the movie. The movie is NOTHING like the book.

⭐ “Contagion”, by Robin Cook, is not yet another disease apocalypse novel. Instead, it is more of an extended essay on the evils of for-profit hospitals and corporations that spend on advertising and worry about the bottom line rather than spending money to improve care.It’s a flawed book. First and foremost is Cook’s clumsy, wordy prose. The characters are two-dimensional, and the plot, despite being wildly improbable, somehow manages to be predictable. And the pacing is terrible! For example, the climax drags on and on long past when anyone smarter than a soybean would have figured out how the bad guys are going to get their just desserts. It’s painful.I managed to finish the novel; I recommend that you don’t start.

⭐ My son suggested I read this. Glad I did. Good story line. Scary story situations.Kept my interest continually. Having worked in the Medical world for over 45 years, have never seen such a driven Doctor, though.

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