I just finished reading this book and well it has left me quite thoughtful as Robin Cook’s writing always does.
The plot is gripping and full of action but it gets lost somewhere and where I was expecting a fulfilling ending, I was sorely disappointed.
The plot is about a ten year old gal (Becky) who dies horibbly after eating a rare hamburger. She dies of E coli bacteria infection which is fatal.
Dr Kim Reggis and Tracy are Becky’s parents who have seperated. Dr Reggis is a famous cardiologist and Tracy is a pschycologist.
After Becky’s Death Dr Reggis becomes desperate to solve the mystery but he has to face the obstacle of the bueracratic system and his life and career are in grave danger.
He loses his perspective as he focusses himself on finding out what killed his daughter. The writer here loses out on the plot. No doubt there are lots of action packed incidents which would force you to turn the pages and try and find out what happens next.
The character of Dr Reggis is not rational and he rushes into stuff without any planning or caring for the consequences. This does not speak much about the character itself. It is understandable that he is mourning the death of his daughter but this does not suffice for getting into the thick of things.There ar lot of loopholes in the framing of this character.
Tracy’s character is much more stable. Her actions can be explained and rationalised. She supports her husband bit recognizes that what he is doing may be impulsive and not the right thing.
The plot is devoid of an ending, I must say. It was very anti climatic at the end. Suddenly the characters are made to disappear and we are left with a question mark.
The writer in the end tries to tell us that these cases cannot be solved and we better be careful when we eat burgers. Pretty dissatisfying !!
The book as a whole is great but it sometimes makes me feel that someone else has written it for Robin Cook. It does not conform to his usual standards.
I would rather you read Abduction. Its a far better written than this.