Marker (Paperback)

by Robin Cook (Author) "THE SOUND OF THE DRIPPING was metronomic..." (more)
Key Phrases: Manhattan General, Saint Francis, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. The bestselling physician/author is in top form as he revisits the love/hate relationship between New York City medical examiners Laurie Montgomery and her lover, Jack Stapleton (last seen in 1999's Vector) in this gripping medical chiller. Childless and facing her 43rd birthday, Laurie moves out when Jack, still traumatized by the accidental deaths of his wife and children over a decade ago, refuses to talk marriage and babies. They've still got to work together at the office of the chief medical examiner, though, and it's there that Laurie's charged with autopsying the bodies of two people who died after minor surgeries at the same Manhattan hospital. As similar deaths mount up, Laurie struggles to convince Jack et al. that something's fishy. (Early on, a shadow plot introduces homicidal hospital employee Jasmine Rakoczi and Mr. Bob, the mastermind of a sinister but undefined plot to "sanction" selected patients using an undetectable medical agent.) Laurie's superiors forbid her to discuss her suspicions with anyone outside the OCME, but she disobeys these orders when she meets the dreamboat chief of medicine at the hospital in question and successfully engages his interest in her theory that a serial killer is on the loose. The body count climbs as another hospital is involved and political pressure mounts to suppress information. True love runs a rocky course, and the plot thickens before the denouement crackles to an electric edge-of-the-seat finale. Agent, Lynn Nesbit. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
Cook's twenty-fifth medical thriller revisits medical examiners Jack Stapleton and Laurie Montgomery, whose romantic relationship has hit a major bump. Approaching her forty-third birthday, Laurie wants a family and has grown impatient with Jack's reluctance to commit. She walks out on Jack, but she can't avoid him at work. She soon finds herself absorbed in a puzzling case: 28-year-old Sean McGillan has landed on her table, and she can't determine what killed him. Sean had just undergone routine knee surgery, but she can't find any reason why he went into cardiac arrest in his hospital bed. When another young, seemingly healthy patient dies, she suspects foul play. She finds an ally in Dr. Roger Rosseau, the chief of the medical staff at Manhattan General, who takes a personal interest in Laurie, who has medical problems of her own: she might be carrying the genetic marker for breast cancer. When the death toll at Manhattan General increases, Laurie and Jack are consumed with the mystery even as their continued involvement in the investigation places them in peril. Fans of Cook's previous thrillers will be happy to see the return of two popular characters. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (July 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 042520734X
• ISBN-13: 978-0425207345
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.2 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (92 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #159,689 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A spell binder, May 24, 2005

By	Robert Busko (Waynesville, NC USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Marker (Hardcover)

Will Robin Cook ever run out of ideas? His latest, Marker, is typical Cook. Fast paced, lots of twists and false leads, passion, love, and danger. Yup, Cook at his best.

In Marker, mysterious deaths follow routine and not very serious surgeries even though the victims are young and healthy. In fact, enough of these deaths occur to attract the attention of Laurie Montgomery, a New York City medical examiner. Laurie becomes convinced that something is amiss and does her best to enlist the help of Jack Stapleton, who she has a bit of a relationship with.

With the medical mystery as the primary focus, Cook also manages to further develop the love affair between Laurie and Jack who is, if anything, luke warm about a full blown relationship.

Since reading Coma, I have been an avid Cook fan. Lets face it, Cook gives us what we read fiction for...a good yarn, believable characters, intelligent plots, and enough twists to keep a taffy factory going for years.

You'll love this book.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Medical thriller with a message, July 2, 2005

By	Eileen Rieback (Coral Springs, FL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Marker (Hardcover)

"Marker" sees the return of two medical examiners from a previous Robin Cook novel. Laurie Montgomery and Jack Stapleton's personal relationship is on the rocks because Jack is afraid to commit to marriage with Laurie, whose biological clock is ticking and who wants to start a family. To add to her stress, Laurie discovers that she has a genetic marker that significantly raises the probability she will eventually have breast cancer. As a distraction from their personal problems, Laurie and Jack become involved in a series of autopsies on surgical patients who died of cardiac failure in spite of being young and relatively healthy. Laurie learns of a similar series of deaths in another hospital. She suspects they are all related, but is unable to convince anyone else that these may be homicide cases.

Robin Cook became a pioneer in the medical thriller genre with his book "Coma." Since then he has written many other medical thrillers, most of which follow a plot formula that ensures lots of suspense and a bit of medical education thrown in as a bonus. "Marker" follows the typical Cook formula: an enthusiastic medical professional is a witness to a series of mysterious deaths in a medical environment, suspects foul play, and in the pursuit of the perpetrators, is put in jeopardy him/herself. The medical lesson here is about the DNA markers in our genetic makeup that control not only the functioning of our physiological processes, but also their malfunction. In an afterword, Cook discusses the mapping of the human genome, and then presents the uses, both good and bad, that could arise from knowledge of the genetic markers that predict our future health. This is a fast-paced, suspenseful novel with two likable characters and some romantic interest thrown into the mix. Recommended.


Eileen Rieback

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 25 and counting, July 4, 2005

By	T. L. Brooks (Houston, TX, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Marker (Hardcover)

Dr. Cook's books always strive for more with each book he writes. This one is no exception. Eventhough I am not completely done reading, I feel the events are merging together to the fast pace that always comes towards the end. It is almost always like a roller coaster ride that you are not sure when it will end. I also think the Dr. Cook loves to educate his readers without boring them to death. I have read all of his previous books and hope to continue to read them.