In 1977, a novel released that shook the world. It was called COMA, and it was written by physician Robin Cook. Little did anyone know that this moment was the probable start of what we now commonly refer to as the “medical thriller.” In fact, outside of maybe the late Michael Palmer, there is no other author more worthy of this moniker than Cook.

Now, nearly half a century later, Cook is still doing what he does best. This is fully evident in his latest release, BELLEVUE, a superb mix of medical thrills and history combined with plenty of supernatural chills. Set in 1949, the prologue allows us a look at Clarence Fuller, the infamous surgeon at Bellevue Hospital. He comes from a long line of Fullers who made their mark at the hospital, but perhaps it was his use of the controversial lobotomy procedure that made his contribution to the family legacy stand out for not necessarily good reasons.

"BELLEVUE is packed with medical details as only the great Robin Cook can muster, partnered with bone-chilling thrills that rival any ghost story about a haunting that you will read this season."

Jumping to modern times, Bellevue is still one of the most revered medical institutions in the country, even though the area that once held thousands of mentally challenged individuals was no longer in operation. It is here where first-year surgical intern Michael "Mitt" Fuller is getting the opportunity to make a name for himself in what he hopes will be a long and successful career. He and a young woman named Andrea are the only new interns to start in the dog days of July in New York City, and they are ready for anything. Or so Mitt thinks.

Both the nursing staff and the resident director are quite supportive, in addition to previous interns who are still growing their careers at Bellevue. What literally haunts Mitt at the very start of his new role is that three of the four surgeries he assisted with resulted in the patients’ mysterious and unexpected deaths. He is hoping that no one else makes that connection. Even though he worked with different surgeons and surgical teams on each procedure, the results were the same. What he will not share with anyone else are some of the odd occurrences he witnessed while in the operating room, such as surgical instruments falling on their own and misconnections between the head surgeon and the nurses that may have played a part in these tragic outcomes.

Mitt knows that there is something else at play. A specter haunts him in the hallways of Bellevue --- a young woman who appears to have some sort of medical instrument sticking out of the orbital area on her face. Is all of this a crazy coincidence, or do the spirits that still haunt Bellevue have a bone to pick with the descendant of the Fuller family that harmed so many during their time there?

BELLEVUE is packed with medical details as only the great Robin Cook can muster, partnered with bone-chilling thrills that rival any ghost story about a haunting that you will read this season. Cook clearly has not lost his touch and remains the premier writer of medical thrillers that are elevated to another level.