There is no one author like Robin Cook for exploring the fascinating possibilities and shocking terror of modern medicine, all of his tales becoming increasingly possible if not already real!
Chromosome
6 begins with the murder of a notorious Mafia underworld leader, Franconi. His Mafia competitors are the number one suspects for the shooting, these suspicions are increased when the body disappears from the morgue before autopsy is carried out.
Medical examiner Jack is puzzled and intrigued by the case, along with his colleague Dr Montgomery. Their attentions are diverted by the arrival of a mutilated, unidentifiable body that had been found in the river. The two doctors are disturbed by the appearance of the body, as it appears that all traces of identification have been removed, head, hands and feet, and suspect mafia involvement.
When they discover that the ’body’ is also missing its liver a frightening and deadly trip ensues. Their quest to find the reason behind the missing liver takes them into the steamy jungles of equatorial Africa. Here they discover the frightening possibilities of medicine and science.
All Cooks books are highly believable, his characters are well thought out individuals and there is at least one person with whom you are able to identify, or have some feeling for.
The topics, although fiction and on the surface far fetched, thinking about the leaps we are making in medical science, how far from real are these scenarios?
My only complaint with Robin Cooks books is that he tends to go to far with medical jargon. In that he rather loses the story line, focusing too much on the scientific, it reads somewhat like a chemistry/biology text book at times. I am glad to see however in Chromosome 6 he has included a glossary of terms at the back!
All in all, as with other Robin Cook books it is an immensely enjoyable, if tense read that keeps you gripped to the end.