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Harmful Intent - Robin Cook Title: Harmful Intent
Author: Robin Cook
Genre: Medical Thriller


“Harmful Intent” by Robin Cook is a novel I picked up in order to fulfil the Medical Thriller objective on the 2014 Eclectic Reader Challenge. I don’t normally read this type of book beyond some of the contagious disease themed ones which can drift into Science-Fiction realms. Therefore, this was an interesting experience for me which happily was one I enjoyed as the novel I picked turned out to be a light and entertaining read.

The plot revolves around Jeffrey Rhodes, an anaesthesiologist who ends up accused of second degree murder when a patient of his dies during child birth. As the court case goes against him he decides to conduct his own investigation in an attempt to prove his innocence. And so he embarks on a race against time that has him avoiding the police, bounty hunters and various criminals as he tries to avoid jail.

At its heart the book is a fast paced thrill ride that doesn’t let up with an entertaining mix of suspense, action and humour all keeping the reader glued to the story. The book is also full many twists and turns which kept me guessing throughout. To be honest at times it could all feel a little bit larger than life but as long as you could suspend some of your disbelief it was a fun read.

However, it wasn’t all perfect as there were some pacing issues caused by the medical jargon used throughout the book. This meant that it wasn’t always the easiest of books to understand which meant I had to spend time trying to work out what things meant. In the end though, this was probably only a minor quibble and it still felt like a light enough read that wouldn’t go wrong for the times you just want to lie back and enjoy a story.

In regards to the characters, I can’t say that they were anything special or original but they were all developed enough to keep me engaged. One character I did particularly like was Devlin who starts off as a rather unlikable guy but by the end of the book I actually didn’t mind him at all. I always enjoy reading books where the author manages to take the reader’s viewpoint of a character from one point to another.

Overall, this is a fun and quick read which kept me entertained from start to finish. It isn’t going to win any awards but it is enjoyable enough and at no point did I find myself getting bored. In regards to the genre itself, I can’t say I am going to rush out and buy another novel like this but I will be more than willing to check them out when I am at the bookstore.