Editorial Content for Death Benefit
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Beautiful and brilliant Albanian-American medical student Pia Grazdana battles demons from her experience in foster care. Raised in foster care starting at age six after the death of her mother and the disappearance of her father, Pia has trust issues and difficulties relating to others.
World famous researcher Dr. Tobias Rothman, a stern and distant but brilliant scientist, is well aware of Pia’s past. He has taken Pia under his wing in his study of tissue regeneration based on stem-cell science. Because of the solitude and security that medical research offers, Pia is attracted to biological science research, which is “unfolding its mysteries at an ever-increasing, mind-boggling speed.”
"Cook’s fans, as well as readers who enjoy plot-focused and detail-rich medical thrillers with a strong bent on political issues, should enjoy DEATH BENEFIT."
When word leaks out that Dr. Rothman and his assistant, Dr. Junichi Yamamoto, are about to announce a life-altering medical breakthrough that will affect the lives of countless patients, not everyone is pleased. Their breakthrough, which will allow use of a patient's stem cells to grow replacement organs, could prolong the lives of the sick, diseased and elderly. Extending the lives of these at-risk patients threatens the bottom line of a death benefits company that offers life insurance policies to people who need ready funds to pay for medical treatments and other expenses. With billions of dollars at stake, the company principals take desperate measures to protect their investments.
As they conduct research on a lethal strain of salmonella virus, Doctors Rothman and Yamamoto become infected. While investigators and officials attribute the researchers’ exposure to the virus as an unfortunate accident, Pia becomes convinced their infection was intentional. With the help of a lovestruck classmate, Pia digs deeper into the situation and puts her career --- and her life --- in jeopardy.
While DEATH BENEFIT starts off slowly and includes long passages of detailed medical terminology, the book’s topic of stem-cell research is timely and intriguing. Told from multiple points of view, Robin Cook’s 400-plus-page novel touches on a variety of issues, including the dark side of cutting-edge medical research, the inner workings of the Albanian-American mob, the life insurance industry, ruthless and greedy investors, the failure of America’s foster care system, autism and a failing healthcare system.
Cook’s fans, as well as readers who enjoy plot-focused and detail-rich medical thrillers with a strong bent on political issues, should enjoy DEATH BENEFIT.
Teaser
Fourth-year medical student Pia Grazdana is a rising star at a prestigious medical research hospital in New York City. Her life is put in jeopardy after her mentor, along with his co-researcher, are infected with a deadly strain of a virus --- just as they are about to announce a major medical breakthrough.
Promo
Fourth-year medical student Pia Grazdana is a rising star at a prestigious medical research hospital in New York City. Her life is put in jeopardy after her mentor, along with his co-researcher, are infected with a deadly strain of a virus --- just as they are about to announce a major medical breakthrough.
About the Book
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. Thorough her work with the brilliant molecular geneticist Dr. Tobias Rothman, Pia knows she will be given the chance to fulfill her ambition to participate in medical discoveries that can help millions while bringing her a measure of personal peace that might once and for all push aside memories of her difficult and abusive childhood.
But when tragedy strikes in the lab, Pia, with the help of infatuated 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 have found another loadstone in the nation's multi-trillion 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?
