Diagnosis Murder #8: The Last Word [Paperback]

Lee Goldberg (Author)

Book Description

Series: Diagnosis Murder | Publication Date: May 1, 2007

When a young woman falls down a flight of stairs and is left brain dead, her family agrees to donate her organs. Dr. Jesse Travis oversees the grim task, saving several other seriously ill patients. But one of the organ recipients returns to the hospital with a complication no one could have seen coming-West Nile Virus. Soon, other patients who received organs at Community General begin dying of West Nile-related illnesses, and Jesse is suspected as being at fault...

Dr. Mark Sloan knows his friend isn't to blame-and he soon uncovers a conspiracy of greed and personal revenge that may mean the end of his career.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Signet (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451221079
• ISBN-13: 978-0451221070
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,073,414 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Has Mark Met His Match?, May 1, 2007

By 

Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Diagnosis Murder #8: The Last Word (Paperback)

Many of the murderers Dr. Mark Sloan has put away he has no desire to see again. Topping that list is Carter Sweeney, the man who terrorized Los Angeles with a series of bombings. Yet somehow Mark finds himself meeting with the criminal. Sweeney announces that he's up for an appeal, and he knows he'll get out this time. He's looking forward to meeting Mark for lunch as a free man. The idea repulses Mark, who decides to keep his prison meeting a secret.

Life is busy for Mark and his friends. An unfortunate accident leaves a woman the perfect candidate for organ transplants, and Dr. Jesse Travis oversees the operations. Steve is busy at work with a gun smuggler that he's caught. And the mayor's race is heating up. So why is it Mark can't get his visit with Carter Sweeney out of his mind?

With this book, Lee Goldberg brings his DIAGNOSIS: MURDER books to a close, at least for now. And he's written a fitting finale. It brings back one of his favorite villains from the series and uses him well. There's enough of a recap of the TV episodes that he appeared in, so if he doesn't sound familiar, don't fear. This book also discusses the endings of the previous books in the series, so if you are planning to read them, don't start here.

This book does start very slowly. About a quarter of the way into it, I was getting bored and wondering where it was going. Then things really took off and I was hooked for the rest of the book. And those events from the first quarter? Absolutely essential to what comes next. As always, the series characters are captured perfectly and the new characters are sharp.

Not only does this book close out the book series, but it also serves as a finale for the TV show. Yet it leaves the door open for further adventures. Frankly, I'd love to know what happens to these old friends next.

This is a book for the fans. Anyone looking for closure for these characters should read it. I'm definitely going to miss them. I just hope that something changes and we can get more adventure with these characters at some point in the future.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Diagnosis Murder - The Last Word, September 8, 2007

By 

Ms. Vicki L. Parnell "dolphinlover" (Woodbridge, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Diagnosis Murder #8: The Last Word (Paperback)

This book is very interesting and keeps my attention. I loved the series when it was on TV and equally enjoy reading all of the books, this one included!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Closing Chapter, June 11, 2007

By 

SciFiChick "The SciFiChick" (Fishers, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Diagnosis Murder #8: The Last Word (Paperback)

As Goldberg has stated, The Last Word is his last Diagnosis Murder novel. At least for a while.

As the end of a trilogy, the events in The Dead Letter and The Double Life have culminated to a final showdown between Dr. Mark Sloan and a serial killer that he previously sent to prison. Through a meticulous conspiracy, Dr. Jesse Travis and his wife Susan are framed for infecting patients with the West Nile virus. Even Dr. Amanda Bentley and Mark's son, Detective Steve Sloan, find themselves framed for crimes they didn't commit. And Mark finds himself completely alone and feeling more helpless than he has ever been in his life. If he's to outwit the devious killer, Mark must change his way of thinking.

This last book in the series is much different from the rest. It's more than a simple whodunit. Mark knows who's behind the conspiracy and why. But he must discover who else is involved and gather enough evidence to free his son and friends. Mark's character goes through a lot of changes, especially in his desperation.

Goldberg offers a closing chapter for fans in this exciting story that culminates in a surprising finish.