Viral

Viral

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  • Type:Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date:2021-08-18 21:21:28
  • Update Date:2025-09-07
  • Status:finish
  • Author:Robin Cook
  • ISBN:B08RDZM9NM
  • Environment:PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Summary

Brian Murphy and his family are enjoying a relaxing summer excursion in Cape Cod when his wife, Emma, comes down with mild flu-like symptoms。 But their leisurely return home to New York City quickly turns into a race to the ER as she begins seizing and falls into a coma。 At the hospital, she is diagnosed with Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a rare and highly lethal mosquito-borne viral disease caught during one of their evening cookouts。 Worse still, Brian and Emma's young daughter exhibits alarming signs of the same illness。

An already harrowing hospital stay turns even more fraught when Brian receives a staggering hospital bill full of outrageous charges and murky language。 To make matters worse, his insurance company won't cover the cost, citing dubious clauses in Brian's policy。 Forced to choose between the ongoing care of his wife and daughter and bills he can never pay, and furious at both an indifferent healthcare system and the lack of public awareness about a virus that poses a growing threat, Brian vows to seek justice。 But to get to the bottom of the predatory practices targeting his family and countless others, he must uncover the dark side of a historically ruthless industry--and bring down the callous executives preying on the sick and defenseless before the virus can claim more people he loves。。。

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Reviews

PottWab Regional Library

A

Diane Saul

Brian, his wife Emma and their young daughter have the idyllic family life but are struggling with the effect covid has had in their life and finances。 When an unimaginable crisis hits Brian is forced to confront the health care crisis。 This wasn’t your usual suspense book you expect from Cook。 It examines the health care crisis from the perspective of a family。 If is very timely, with the covid crisis being part of the plot and the problems with the health insurance issue。 It wasn’t a can’t put Brian, his wife Emma and their young daughter have the idyllic family life but are struggling with the effect covid has had in their life and finances。 When an unimaginable crisis hits Brian is forced to confront the health care crisis。 This wasn’t your usual suspense book you expect from Cook。 It examines the health care crisis from the perspective of a family。 If is very timely, with the covid crisis being part of the plot and the problems with the health insurance issue。 It wasn’t a can’t put down book but it entertained me。 Maybe a little too close to reality at this time for me。 Thank you to net galley for an advanced copy。 。。。more

William Rham

First, my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for this independent review。I hadn’t read a Robin Cook novel in a very long time。 But I remembered enjoying Coma and so thought to give this a try。 I’m sorry to have to say this is one of the worst books I’ve read this year。 Melodramatic and thoroughly contrived, “Viral” seems intended not to tell a good story, but to cast the medical and insurance industries in the worst possible light in order to drive home the au First, my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for this independent review。I hadn’t read a Robin Cook novel in a very long time。 But I remembered enjoying Coma and so thought to give this a try。 I’m sorry to have to say this is one of the worst books I’ve read this year。 Melodramatic and thoroughly contrived, “Viral” seems intended not to tell a good story, but to cast the medical and insurance industries in the worst possible light in order to drive home the author’s plea—stated right up front in the dedication—that Congress enact “at the very minimum, a public health option。”Brian Murphy, his wife Emma, and their four-year-old daughter are vacationing on Cape Cod when a mosquito bites Emma, and she contracts encephalitis and requires hospitalization。 The former NYPD husband and wife have just begun their own security business, foundering in the midst of COVID, and the insurance company they chose to fit their meager budget has refused to pay any of the $200,000 in medical expenses。 Things go from bad to worse for the Murphy family until Brian decides to retaliate。The plot is entirely predictable。 Most readers, movie-goers, and television watchers will be able to tell what’s going to happen 10-20 pages before it actually does。 And it’s filled with the pedantic and mundane。 Whole passages are devoted to describing the minutiae of parking at the beach, preparing for a picnic, a bicycle ride to get pastries, packing the family car, and the decision tree on an insurance company’s telephone system。The characters are thinly drawn and entirely stereotypical, which means it’s tough to care about them。 It doesn’t help that the dialogue is wooden and not realistic and that descriptions of characters’ thoughts, feelings, and reactions are, in many cases, not credible。 Time and time again, I found myself thinking: people just don’t talk or react this way。 As just one example, after learning he’s just been thrown into collections by the hospital, Brian receives another $30,000 worth of bills from other providers。 His reaction is to “muse” and “wonder” about how financially predatory hospitals have become and how “complicit” the well-insured have been in this “tolerated fraud。” Is that a realistic reaction or simply the author telling us what he thinks about healthcare and insurance? And “Viral” is so poorly written。 It’s filled with exposition, long digressions into backstory, repetitiveness, wordiness, poor word choices, a heavy overuse of descriptive adjectives and adverbs--always s a bad sign—and more than a few grammatical errors。 One wonders whether any kind of editor ever reviewed this。On the positive side, “Viral” does seem to contain some information based on medical/ scientific research that needs to be taken seriously, especially about mosquito-borne illnesses and their effects。 But that’s not enough to rescue this very bad novel。 I had been hoping for a decent entertainment—indeed the “electrifying medical thriller” promised by the novel’s blurb。 What I got was a political screed thinly disguised as fiction。 。。。more

Kathleen Gray

Sigh。 Fans of Robin Cook look for a good medical thriller with a bit of evil conspiracy thrown in。 This latest offering is really about the health insurance industry, not a virus or medical mystery。 Brian Murphy's family is slammed by health care costs when first his wife and then his daughter are diagnosed with viral eastern equine encephalitis (EEE)。 The details of their illness and struggle will pull you in but this quickly turns to almost a polemic about the cost of and accessibility to heal Sigh。 Fans of Robin Cook look for a good medical thriller with a bit of evil conspiracy thrown in。 This latest offering is really about the health insurance industry, not a virus or medical mystery。 Brian Murphy's family is slammed by health care costs when first his wife and then his daughter are diagnosed with viral eastern equine encephalitis (EEE)。 The details of their illness and struggle will pull you in but this quickly turns to almost a polemic about the cost of and accessibility to health care。 While Cook is a passionate advocate, the realities of life especially since mid 2020 have highlighted this problem every day。 I did like and care about the family but not the ending。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 。。。more

Susan Snodgrass

3。5I was a Robin Cook fan for many years, never missed one of his books。 The last few years I passed them by。 This one seemed intriguing and was a great premise。 A deadly virus, unscrupulous health insurance companies and hospitals。 I did enjoy most of it。 However, he used quite a lot of foul language。 That did not seem at all necessary to me。 My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book via Net Galley。

Kim

I was really liking this book and was going to give it 4 stars。 Towards the end, I had changed my mind to 3 stars and then I thought the ending was a bit ridiculous so I went down to 2 stars。 With a more realistic ending, I would have really enjoyed the whole book

Dianne

It breaks my heart to say this, but this book was just not up to par。 I know that Dr。 Cook is very devoted to the state of healthcare in this country, and this book does a wonderful job pointing out that our healthcare sucks。 But he does so over and over and over ad nauseam。 I mean talking about beating a dead horse。It did do one good thing to get me off of my butt and make sure we had decent insurance (not short-term health insurance), and our local hospital was not part of a chain。DR。 Cook did It breaks my heart to say this, but this book was just not up to par。 I know that Dr。 Cook is very devoted to the state of healthcare in this country, and this book does a wonderful job pointing out that our healthcare sucks。 But he does so over and over and over ad nauseam。 I mean talking about beating a dead horse。It did do one good thing to get me off of my butt and make sure we had decent insurance (not short-term health insurance), and our local hospital was not part of a chain。DR。 Cook did a great job setting this story up during the Covid pandemic, but changing the danger to EEE (Eastern equine encephalitis ) and explaining why climate change is making our parts of the world so ripe for this virus。The story in itself was eye-roll-worthy and obvious to the reader, especially as you get into the book and the conclusion。。。well, what can I say。 I guess an eye for an eye?*ARC provided by the publisher, the author, and ATTL/Edelweiss。 。。。more

Dan

My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advanced copy of this new medical thriller。 Over the years Robin Cook has written many medical mysteries dealing with dark forces and medical professionals whose ethics are not only misguided, but more deadly than the disease they were trying to cure。 In Viral, his latest novel, Dr。 Cook's doesn't have to use his imagination much to create his most insidious character, thoughtless, morally lacking, intolerant, and life-hindering creation, it My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advanced copy of this new medical thriller。 Over the years Robin Cook has written many medical mysteries dealing with dark forces and medical professionals whose ethics are not only misguided, but more deadly than the disease they were trying to cure。 In Viral, his latest novel, Dr。 Cook's doesn't have to use his imagination much to create his most insidious character, thoughtless, morally lacking, intolerant, and life-hindering creation, it already exists。 The American health insurance system。The tale starts in normal Robin Cook fashion。 A family fleeing the big city during the opening days of COVID goes to a small beach community。 The main character's wife becomes slightly ill, gets progressively worse and is found to have Eastern Equine Encephalitis。 Soon his daughter begins to get sick。 So far a medical thriller。 Medical terms are bandied about, medical people start doing things, than the real crux of he novel kick in。The main character has to deal with his insurance company。 And to call them obstructionist is not a strong enough term。 Family wealth is gone, wasteful tests are demanded, life saving methods are ignored。 This is something that Americans have to deal with everyday, with far less exotic diseases。 Dr。 Cook has done his research, and it's quite shocking。 And sad。 Probably not the book to read coming out of a pandemic, nor during a time where a new presidential administration has promised so much, but again looks like nothing will happen。 The ending is sure to be discussed, but all in all this is a very interesting book, with some very bad things happening。 Not a light beach read, but important to read nonetheless。 。。。more

Jillian Rzepka

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it, click here。 Thank you to Robin Cook for the ARC and the opportunity to be an early reader of your newest book。The novel Viral takes place during the Covid-19 pandemic。 While I thought that this would be bothersome and distracting, I think that it is an important context to consider in looking at how the lives of ordinary individuals can change so drastically in a short period of time。 The story follows the lives of the Murphys (Brian, Emma, and their daughter Juliette), who you feel could be your next door Thank you to Robin Cook for the ARC and the opportunity to be an early reader of your newest book。The novel Viral takes place during the Covid-19 pandemic。 While I thought that this would be bothersome and distracting, I think that it is an important context to consider in looking at how the lives of ordinary individuals can change so drastically in a short period of time。 The story follows the lives of the Murphys (Brian, Emma, and their daughter Juliette), who you feel could be your next door neighbors。 Everything changes following a family vacation to Cape Cod。 Emma ends up being diagnosed with Eastern Equine Encephalitis after being bit by a Tiger Mosquito (I really appreciate the description of the mosquito as well)。 There is a serious decline in her health and Brian finds himself at odds with hospital policies and insurance companies。 Brian and Emma had been working on starting their own business, which was struggling because of the Covid-19 pandemic。 Previously having worked within the NYPD, Brian starts to realize what an advantage he had with his prior insurance as their daughter had been born premature。 Now the medical bills are adding up with insurance company denials that just keep coming。The novel is split into three books, each one has its own premise and conflict to be addressed。 There are additional characters that come into play, namely the mothers of both Brian and Emma, their live-in caretaker/employee, and also Jeanne, a school psychologist who is phenomenal in getting Juliette to open up and deal with her grief。 I think there is enough details about the supporting characters to understand them, but not too much that takes away from the overall storyline。 The book is very fast paced, and I probably would have been able to finish this in less than a day if I had the time。 The last hundred pages kept me flying through as it was very intense and I was sitting at the edge of my seat trying to figure out what was going to happen next。 As an avid reader of Robin Cook, I would say that this is venturing out a bit more from the usual medical thrillers, however, this book is incredible because of how relatable it is。 I felt at various times that I could put myself into the story and be one of the characters。 This novel covers important topics of how climate change can impact us more than we may realize。 Also having the discussion about medical billing, insurance companies denying claims and hospital policies to try to decrease costs without regard for treatment plans。 I truly believe that these are topics that should be investigated more, and maybe with this novel more people will be aware of their own medical care and make sure to read those very detailed policies that we all probably just glaze over and sign our commitment。I am honored to have been able to read this as an ARC and I look forward to the publication of this novel。 。。。more

Jacque

Viral touches on climate change and the very real danger of viral diseases, but it is most importantly a condemnation of the American healthcare system。 Just when a family is dealing with severe illness and all of its uncertainties, they are made to deal with money issues and the healthcare seems to depend on whether you can afford to pay。Brian, his wife Emma, and their daughter Juliette have gone to the beach for a getaway vacation during the Covid-19 pandemic。 Extremely careful, they social di Viral touches on climate change and the very real danger of viral diseases, but it is most importantly a condemnation of the American healthcare system。 Just when a family is dealing with severe illness and all of its uncertainties, they are made to deal with money issues and the healthcare seems to depend on whether you can afford to pay。Brian, his wife Emma, and their daughter Juliette have gone to the beach for a getaway vacation during the Covid-19 pandemic。 Extremely careful, they social distance and wear masks。 The biggest danger unexpectedly comes from a small invader mosquito。。。a carrier of Eastern Equine Encephalitis。 Emma is bitten and does develop EEE。 What follows is a nightmare of medical, financial, and legal tangles。 Brian and Emma recently started their own business, so had to buy their own health insurance。 It turns out to be a sham, skilled only at finding ways to not cover any health expenses。 The hospital fees are exorbitant, and the CEOs of both companies are heartless narcissists。 The ending is shocking and unexpected, but also understandable。 Viral shows the dangers of basing healthcare as a profit machine and compares it specifically to the French system。 Viral is a disturbing read, but important since anyone is one illness away from losing everything。 。。。more

CaraDico

Thank you to Penguin Books, NetGalley and Robin Cook for an ARC in exchange for an honest review"Previously published at https://www。mysteryandsuspense。com/vi。。。In Robin Cook’s latest novel, Viral, the Murphys – Brian, Emma and four-year-old Juliette – are enjoying a weeklong vacation in Cape Cod when Emma is bitten by a Tiger Mosquito。 Days later, she is experiencing flu-like symptoms and is unable to get out of bed。Brian quickly packs up their rental house to return to NYC。 As they get close t Thank you to Penguin Books, NetGalley and Robin Cook for an ARC in exchange for an honest review"Previously published at https://www。mysteryandsuspense。com/vi。。。In Robin Cook’s latest novel, Viral, the Murphys – Brian, Emma and four-year-old Juliette – are enjoying a weeklong vacation in Cape Cod when Emma is bitten by a Tiger Mosquito。 Days later, she is experiencing flu-like symptoms and is unable to get out of bed。Brian quickly packs up their rental house to return to NYC。 As they get close to their home in Inwood, Emma begins seizing and they head straight to the ER, where Emma falls into a coma。As she is admitted, they diagnose her with Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a mosquito-borne viral disease caught during one of their beach excursions。 While Emma remains in a coma, Brian is called to the business office of the hospital where he has been informed that his insurance company has denied the claim for Emma’s admittance into ER。 As this book is titled Viral, it would lead the reader to believe the book is regarding a virus。 However, the actual virus Emma succumbs to is only a small part of this novel。 This book uncovers the predatory practices of the Health Insurance industry。 Once Brian begins to fight his behemoth insurance company, he learns about all the policies and clauses of the plan he has signed on to, without reading。 When young Juliette exhibits symptoms of EEE, Brian has already been put into collections by the hospital。 He has no choice but to bring her to the same hospital ER, where he feels he is treated unfairly because of the debt owed。Viral takes place during the Covid-19 pandemic, though it is only mentioned in terms of wearing masks and other safety protocols。 The plot really concerns Brian’s health insurance battle and his fight to get the hospital to take care of his wife and child despite his debt。 While Brian is a formidable character, he doesn’t seem to act in a way that one would expect him to considering his circumstances。 Things happen in the book quickly, and he acts with little discussion or thoughts of grief。 He seems almost paranoid in his attempt to force doctors to treat his daughter。 While Robin Cook’s writing style is fantastic, the plot took a strange turn halfway through the book and it was admittedly hard to keep up。 In Brian’s world, everyone was bad, including the Emergency room doctors。 This is my first foray into a novel by Robin Cook。 I was definitely expecting to read a certain type of novel, which was not the case。 Despite this, the novel is well thought-out and the characters are interesting and relatable。 It is also fast-paced and easy to read。 I enjoyed it and am eager to read another of Cook’s novels。 。。。more

Candy

For the first 90% of this book, I hated to put it down。 It kept me wanting to read just a bit more and then a bit more。 It was the last 10% that disappointed and had me change my rating from 5 stars to 4。 Robin Cook could have made the point in a more realistic way, a way that was suggested earlier before the abrupt change。

Irene

Viral by Robin Cook Dr Cook's knowledge and research of the virus and the medical industrial complex is exceptional and informative。 A heartbreaking and disturbing story for the search for good, affordable medical care but with an unbelievable and disappointing ending。 As much as I usually enjoy Dr。 Cook's books, Viral was a disappointment。 Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book。 Viral by Robin Cook Dr Cook's knowledge and research of the virus and the medical industrial complex is exceptional and informative。 A heartbreaking and disturbing story for the search for good, affordable medical care but with an unbelievable and disappointing ending。 As much as I usually enjoy Dr。 Cook's books, Viral was a disappointment。 Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book。 。。。more

Robin

I usually enjoy reading books by this author, but this one is a big disappointment。 The story begins in a promising manner by taking a turn from the expected。 Although it is set during the current COVID pandemic, the story instead focuses on EEE, a mosquito-borne virus that turns deadly very quickly without treatment。 However, the plot falls apart almost immediately, moving way too fast and following very little logic。 Problems with medical insurance and hospital staff behaviors cause the unthin I usually enjoy reading books by this author, but this one is a big disappointment。 The story begins in a promising manner by taking a turn from the expected。 Although it is set during the current COVID pandemic, the story instead focuses on EEE, a mosquito-borne virus that turns deadly very quickly without treatment。 However, the plot falls apart almost immediately, moving way too fast and following very little logic。 Problems with medical insurance and hospital staff behaviors cause the unthinkable to happen, with shocking results, leading to an almost laughable ending。 Everything in this story is either black or white, good or bad, hero or villain。 There are no shades of gray, no characters with good and bad traits, no nuances in people or their actions。 I will say that the author's writing style and manner are as good as ever, but the plot and the characters are not up to his usual standards。 Thanks to NetGalley and G。P。 Putnam's Sons for providing an ARC。 。。。more