Product Description

With millions of dollars at stake, every scientist in America is fighting to discover the next Prozac, the latest "feel good" drug. Using bacterial mould first uncovered during the Salem witch trials, Edward Armstrong isolates a stunningly effective anti-depressant.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #561073 in Books
• Published on: 1996-08-23
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Customer Reviews

Rollicking good story but very stiff in style
This had a great storyline but was written in Cooks usual laboured style - his conversations are excrutiating to say the least. Its like a badly written menu at times - 'The garlic soup is served with a soupcon of dinkified mushrooms...'etc but very interesting concerning the salem witch trials - though a PS about the real Salem story would have been good.

Acceptable Risk
I have some mixed feelings about this Robin Cook book, as in some ways it was most refreshing to read one of his novels and find that the story wasn't purely centred around hospitals and medial procedure and that this time he had tried to broaden the book's range by introducing some historical background to it; namely the Salem Witch trials of the 17th century.

On the negative side though, in many respects this book was quite disappointing in the almost comic-like characteristics of the people in it. Because the plot demanded that the characters changed personalities during the story, the dialogue and actions that Mr Cook has the characters perform to demonstrate the changes are extremely blatant and about as subtle as a kick in the teeth.

I also disliked the method he employed to move the story about the research Kim is doing into her ultimate grandmother along. Basically everytime the plot requires this element to proceed; Kim magically discovers another letter or document amongst the thousands of tons of paperwork in the attic or cellar. This factor just became boring and tedious and smelt more than a little of lazy writing.

That all said, I did basically enjoy the book, and rattled through it in a weekend as it is a read where you find you must discover what is going to happen next, and it should cause the dedicated reader more than a couple of late nights.

Not the best I've read by Robin Cook by a long way, but a nice change from his normal formula.

Different but oooh soo good!
I am gradually working my way through all of Robin Cooks books and in no particular order I hasten to add. Most of the ones I've read so far have been along a similar theme - medical doctor / coroner etc finds some hidden danger which can affect the world and bang! a bit of a twist and then all comes good. (a theme that always has me hooked).

This time though! The Salem Witch Trials link in provides a side to Robin Cooks writing that I hadn't seen before. Linked in really well with a true story and didn't get to much into the nitty gritty of medicine (I understood it all for once).

Excellent story, brilliant...