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Life Support
Control was the word Dr Toby Harper lived by. She strove to keep her life in order, her ER in order. But no one could have been prepared for the man she admits one quiet night to the Springer Hospital. Delirious and in critical condition, he barely responds to treatment. And then he disappears without trace. The subsequent search leads Toby to a second patient with the same infection. And it reveals an unsettling twist - the infection can only be spread through direct tissue exchange. Soon Toby's on a trail that winds from a pregnant sixteen-year-old prostitute to an unexpected tragedy in her own home. Only then does she discover the unthinkable: a terrifying and deadly epidemic is about to be unleashed ...
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
About the author
Tess Gerritsen
197 books19.6k followersInternationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen took an unusual route to a writing career. A graduate of Stanford University, Tess went on to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, where she was awarded her M.D.
While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction. In 1987, her first novel was published. Call After Midnight, a romantic thriller, was followed by eight more romantic suspense novels. She also wrote a screenplay, "Adrift", which aired as a 1993 CBS Movie of the Week starring Kate Jackson.
Tess's first medical thriller, Harvest, was released in hardcover in 1996, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list. Her suspense novels since then have been: Life Support (1997), Bloodstream (1998), Gravity (1999), The Surgeon (2001), The Apprentice (2002), The Sinner (2003), Body Double (2004), Vanish (2005), The Mephisto Club (2006), and The Bone Garden (2007). Her books have been translated into 31 languages, and more than 15 million copies have been sold around the world.
As well as being a New York Times bestselling author, she has also been a #1 bestseller in both Germany and the UK. She has won both the Nero Wolfe Award (for Vanish) and the Rita Award (for The Surgeon.) Critics around the world have praised her novels as "Pulse-pounding fun" (Philadelphia Inquirer), "Scary and brilliant" (Toronto Globe and Mail), and "Polished, riveting prose" (Chicago Tribune). Publisher Weekly has dubbed her the "medical suspense queen".
Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.
While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction. In 1987, her first novel was published. Call After Midnight, a romantic thriller, was followed by eight more romantic suspense novels. She also wrote a screenplay, "Adrift", which aired as a 1993 CBS Movie of the Week starring Kate Jackson.
Tess's first medical thriller, Harvest, was released in hardcover in 1996, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list. Her suspense novels since then have been: Life Support (1997), Bloodstream (1998), Gravity (1999), The Surgeon (2001), The Apprentice (2002), The Sinner (2003), Body Double (2004), Vanish (2005), The Mephisto Club (2006), and The Bone Garden (2007). Her books have been translated into 31 languages, and more than 15 million copies have been sold around the world.
As well as being a New York Times bestselling author, she has also been a #1 bestseller in both Germany and the UK. She has won both the Nero Wolfe Award (for Vanish) and the Rita Award (for The Surgeon.) Critics around the world have praised her novels as "Pulse-pounding fun" (Philadelphia Inquirer), "Scary and brilliant" (Toronto Globe and Mail), and "Polished, riveting prose" (Chicago Tribune). Publisher Weekly has dubbed her the "medical suspense queen".
Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 762 reviews
June 26, 2017
Dr Toby Harper was exhausted when the police brought in the old man who’d been found confused and wandering, naked, through the nearby streets. Springer Hospital where Toby spent her nights working the ER was generally quiet at that time of night, but the disoriented man was thrashing and jerking, delirious and completely out of it. And when he vanished from the hospital not long after admission, Toby was hit with resounding guilt.
When Toby’s attention was drawn to another elderly patient a few days later, her niggling concern that his symptoms were similar to the disappearing gentleman were met with disbelief. Especially from his own physician. But it was on his death that the horrifying diagnosis was made. Toby was fearful of an epidemic – but she couldn’t convince any of her peers. She knew there was something strange going on. But when murder found its way to the parking bay of the ER, and Toby had trouble at home, she knew she had to find answers – fast. Before it was way too late…
Life Support by Tess Gerritsen is another gripping medical thriller from this author. I haven’t read anything of hers for awhile and I always forget just how GOOD she is at weaving the intricacies of the plot. Fast paced and intensely chilling, Life Support is one I highly recommend.
When Toby’s attention was drawn to another elderly patient a few days later, her niggling concern that his symptoms were similar to the disappearing gentleman were met with disbelief. Especially from his own physician. But it was on his death that the horrifying diagnosis was made. Toby was fearful of an epidemic – but she couldn’t convince any of her peers. She knew there was something strange going on. But when murder found its way to the parking bay of the ER, and Toby had trouble at home, she knew she had to find answers – fast. Before it was way too late…
Life Support by Tess Gerritsen is another gripping medical thriller from this author. I haven’t read anything of hers for awhile and I always forget just how GOOD she is at weaving the intricacies of the plot. Fast paced and intensely chilling, Life Support is one I highly recommend.
September 4, 2022
A second chilling success for Gerritsen!
Toby Harper, night shift supervisor of Springer Hospital's emergency room, comes under administration's intense scrutiny and is called onto the carpet in front of a hospital board inquiry after a patient suffering from tremors and confusion walks out of the hospital and disappears. When the home health care aide who is taking care of her ailing elderly mother resigns and a colleague seeks to use the missing patient incident as a reason to dismiss Harper, stress turns Harper's job in a big city hospital into a daily battle for survival. As a second patient presents with the same symptoms and dies in the frantic chaos of a crash "Code Blue", Harper's investigation turns stress into full-blown crisis as she uncovers a conspiracy related to an illicit hormone therapy program at an upscale home for the aged.
As she did in HARVEST, Gerritsen uses her experience in the medical field to flesh out a superb plot with chilling realism - the ever present fear of litigation as the smallest error can be considered in the light of hindsight outside the chaos of the emergency room; the heart breaking experience of watching Alzheimer's deprive a loved one of their memories and their faculty for independent living; the frightening symptoms of the rare and fatal neurodegenerative diseases carried by the newly discovered not quite alive prions, BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) and CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease); the extraordinary pressure exerted by pro-life groups on abortion clinics and those mothers wishing to terminate pregnancies; the lightning pace of unfolding events in a "Code Blue" emergency; the messy, harsh reality of an autopsy; and much more.
At the same time as the plot unfolds with such incredible speed, we witness a heart-warming set of extremely well-constructed characters come to grips with the dynamics of their relationships - Harper struggles with her homemaker sister, Vickie, over the time and difficulties involved with the care of their confused mother; a black Dr Robbie Brace and his white red-haired wife struggle with the cruel ostracism they receive as a result of their mixed race marriage; Daniel Dvorak, the medical examiner, faces inner turmoil as the legal requirements of his position conflict with his growing fondness for Toby Harper; Carl Wallenburg seeks professional revenge for the slight he perceives on his competence as Harper questions his judgment over the handling of a case.
A fact-paced, compelling page turner that proves HARVEST was not a fluke and Gerritsen is here to stay! Great stuff!
Paul Weiss
Toby Harper, night shift supervisor of Springer Hospital's emergency room, comes under administration's intense scrutiny and is called onto the carpet in front of a hospital board inquiry after a patient suffering from tremors and confusion walks out of the hospital and disappears. When the home health care aide who is taking care of her ailing elderly mother resigns and a colleague seeks to use the missing patient incident as a reason to dismiss Harper, stress turns Harper's job in a big city hospital into a daily battle for survival. As a second patient presents with the same symptoms and dies in the frantic chaos of a crash "Code Blue", Harper's investigation turns stress into full-blown crisis as she uncovers a conspiracy related to an illicit hormone therapy program at an upscale home for the aged.
As she did in HARVEST, Gerritsen uses her experience in the medical field to flesh out a superb plot with chilling realism - the ever present fear of litigation as the smallest error can be considered in the light of hindsight outside the chaos of the emergency room; the heart breaking experience of watching Alzheimer's deprive a loved one of their memories and their faculty for independent living; the frightening symptoms of the rare and fatal neurodegenerative diseases carried by the newly discovered not quite alive prions, BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) and CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease); the extraordinary pressure exerted by pro-life groups on abortion clinics and those mothers wishing to terminate pregnancies; the lightning pace of unfolding events in a "Code Blue" emergency; the messy, harsh reality of an autopsy; and much more.
At the same time as the plot unfolds with such incredible speed, we witness a heart-warming set of extremely well-constructed characters come to grips with the dynamics of their relationships - Harper struggles with her homemaker sister, Vickie, over the time and difficulties involved with the care of their confused mother; a black Dr Robbie Brace and his white red-haired wife struggle with the cruel ostracism they receive as a result of their mixed race marriage; Daniel Dvorak, the medical examiner, faces inner turmoil as the legal requirements of his position conflict with his growing fondness for Toby Harper; Carl Wallenburg seeks professional revenge for the slight he perceives on his competence as Harper questions his judgment over the handling of a case.
A fact-paced, compelling page turner that proves HARVEST was not a fluke and Gerritsen is here to stay! Great stuff!
Paul Weiss
January 26, 2024
My first ever book by Tess Gerritsen and looking forward to many more books by her. I enjoyed reading about the surgeries on different patients. There was an appendix removal operation, a brain operation and two heart operations, as far as I can remember. It was so cool to know about how the doctors do it and the role of the nurses. The non medical sub plots were uninteresting to begin with and I began to feel that I will enjoy only the medical parts of the novel. As the pages flipped by the non medical sub plots of the story also started to get very interesting. The novel had so much to offer - a really good mystery, medical infotainment and medical horror.
This book gave me the creeps like a Stephen King horror book would have. There was this thing about teratomas in the novel. Teratomas are tumours made up of tissues, such as hair, muscle and bone. I thought it was not real and had to Google it to believe it. The pictures of teratomas gave me goose flesh. In the story a pregnant girl has a horror residing inside her womb. It's a mix between a teratoma and a human fetus. A clump of flesh with one eye, one tooth, tufts of coarse black hair, rudimentary flippers instead of limbs, no heart and no brain. A parasite residing inside the womb nourished by the mother. The way the author had described it was so creepy and scary!
This book gave me the creeps like a Stephen King horror book would have. There was this thing about teratomas in the novel. Teratomas are tumours made up of tissues, such as hair, muscle and bone. I thought it was not real and had to Google it to believe it. The pictures of teratomas gave me goose flesh. In the story a pregnant girl has a horror residing inside her womb. It's a mix between a teratoma and a human fetus. A clump of flesh with one eye, one tooth, tufts of coarse black hair, rudimentary flippers instead of limbs, no heart and no brain. A parasite residing inside the womb nourished by the mother. The way the author had described it was so creepy and scary!
August 19, 2015
Initial thoughts: In typical Gerritsen fashion, she kept me on my toes until the very last page. Review to come.
Review:
Actual rating: 4 Solid-Good-Mystery stars. No spoilers.
Gerritsen always manages to keep me on my toes.
I've read quite a few books by her, and she never lets me down. When I'm in the mood for a mystery, she's one person I turn to. Her previous career as a doctor does amazing things for her medically based stories!! Being a Registered Nurse, I love reading medical thrillers!! She executes them without flaw.
The story for this one starts in a small ER. A man comes in confused and not himself at all. Then he vanishes. Where'd he go?! We follow a female ER doctor with a lot going on in her personal life. She stumbles upon several cases that are similar to the patient she had that vanished. She ends up figuring out there's too many things in common with all these cases for it to be a coincidence.
I was never bored. I didn't figure it out early on. And I loved the medical aspect. A good thriller!!
Review:
Actual rating: 4 Solid-Good-Mystery stars. No spoilers.
Gerritsen always manages to keep me on my toes.
I've read quite a few books by her, and she never lets me down. When I'm in the mood for a mystery, she's one person I turn to. Her previous career as a doctor does amazing things for her medically based stories!! Being a Registered Nurse, I love reading medical thrillers!! She executes them without flaw.
The story for this one starts in a small ER. A man comes in confused and not himself at all. Then he vanishes. Where'd he go?! We follow a female ER doctor with a lot going on in her personal life. She stumbles upon several cases that are similar to the patient she had that vanished. She ends up figuring out there's too many things in common with all these cases for it to be a coincidence.
I was never bored. I didn't figure it out early on. And I loved the medical aspect. A good thriller!!
July 11, 2022
Autorė šioje knygoje įaudžia gryną medicininę autentiką į kitą gniaužiančios nežinios romaną, kuriame atsidavusi savo profesijai gydytoja pernelyg gilinasi į mirtinos, mįslingos ligos protrūkio priežastį.
Kaip smagu po ilgo laiko grįžti prie Tess Gerritsen knygų, jos visada įtraukia nuo pačios pradžios iki pabaigos. 😉
Kaip smagu po ilgo laiko grįžti prie Tess Gerritsen knygų, jos visada įtraukia nuo pačios pradžios iki pabaigos. 😉
January 3, 2016
Excuse the horrible pun, but it's bloody brilliant.
Review to come.
Review to come.
April 5, 2019
This book tells the story of Toby Harper, an emergency room physician with more than her share of personal problems. Added to that, she soon finds herself caught in a web of intrigue that centers around experimental anti-aging treatments administered by Dr. Carl Wallenberg, an imperious endocrinologist at Brant Hill, a retirement community catering to aging but upper scale clientele. Definitely a satisfyingly, if over the top, nefarious scheme - with enough medical rushing about to satisfy hardcore ER fans. (Which I was!)
December 3, 2020
"Hayalin, arkasından rahat bir ölümün geldiği rahat bir yaşlılık dönemiyle ilgisi olmadığını biliyoruz. Hayal, yaşamla ilgili. Sonlar değil, başlangıçlarla."
"Kendimi düşünmek zorundayım. Çünkü başka kimse düşünmez. Kimse düşünmedi."
Kitap inanılmaz derece de iyiydi. Tess Gerristen adını hep duyar kütüphanemde hep bu kitabı bulunurdu. Fırsat varken okumaya karar verdim ve uzun süredir aksiyon gerilim kitabı okumamamın verdiği açlığı süpürdü attı.
Kitabın bazı noktalarında midem kalktı kalkmadı desem yalan olur. Beni kan tutar ve bazı ameliyat sahnelerinde kötü oldum ama buna değerdi. Kitabı okudukça tahmin edemeyeceğimiz olaylar zinciri sizi şok edecek. Kitabın özetini yazmıyorum ki bir anda kitaba başlayın ve şok olun. Bu kitabı okuyun bayılacaksınız.
"Yaşlanıyor olacaklar ama kendilerini yaşlı hissetmek istemeyecekler."
"Kim ister ki? diye düşündü Brace. Hangimiz aynaya bakıp da kendisine bakan yaşlı yüzün kendisi olduğunu kabul etmeye yanaşır?"
"Süpriz, ölmemiz değildir. Süpriz, ne zaman ve nasıl öleceğimizdir."
"Kendimi düşünmek zorundayım. Çünkü başka kimse düşünmez. Kimse düşünmedi."
Kitap inanılmaz derece de iyiydi. Tess Gerristen adını hep duyar kütüphanemde hep bu kitabı bulunurdu. Fırsat varken okumaya karar verdim ve uzun süredir aksiyon gerilim kitabı okumamamın verdiği açlığı süpürdü attı.
Kitabın bazı noktalarında midem kalktı kalkmadı desem yalan olur. Beni kan tutar ve bazı ameliyat sahnelerinde kötü oldum ama buna değerdi. Kitabı okudukça tahmin edemeyeceğimiz olaylar zinciri sizi şok edecek. Kitabın özetini yazmıyorum ki bir anda kitaba başlayın ve şok olun. Bu kitabı okuyun bayılacaksınız.
"Yaşlanıyor olacaklar ama kendilerini yaşlı hissetmek istemeyecekler."
"Kim ister ki? diye düşündü Brace. Hangimiz aynaya bakıp da kendisine bakan yaşlı yüzün kendisi olduğunu kabul etmeye yanaşır?"
"Süpriz, ölmemiz değildir. Süpriz, ne zaman ve nasıl öleceğimizdir."
August 12, 2015
After reading every other book Tess Gerritsen had read a while ago I had almost forgotten how much I enjoyed her novels. This medical thriller is a classic page turner and I couldn't wait to read more. All the way through this book I felt I had either read it before or seen a film of the book but I don't think I have. Can't wait for the next book.
February 27, 2014
I had the Large print version of this book and found it to be a very fast read. I enjoyed the story and the medical mystery even if some of it was very rushed at times. The parts of the book that felt a little rushed were the relationship between Dvorak and Toby and the ending. The ending felt like the Author had come to her page allotment for the book and just needed to sum it up. Rarely do I say I think a book needs to be longer but I think if she took 10-15 more pages she could have summed the book up better. The medical mystery in this book involves Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
October 23, 2011
I've read 3 books so far by Gerritsen. Her other stand-alone 'Harvest' and the first of her Rizzoli & Isles series 'The surgeon' and can honestly say this book is not on par with them at all in terms of enjoyability/ likeable characters/ plot.
I hasten to add, it is a good book and deserving of 3 stars but just that. A 'good' book only. Nothing as gripping or fabulous as the other 2 I have read which I rated much higher (both 5 stars).
The plot has rather a far fetch sci- fi ish element which her other books lacked and am therefore glad about. I don't pick up crime books to read about monsterish type issues which this book kinda revolved around. The book ended well and paced a bit better after the initial 200pages mark (ish- give or take). Up to this point, it was slow, uninteresting and almost rubbish enough for me to give up on but not quite.
Abbie Di Matteo and Rizzoli are my favourite characters so far. The protaganist on this occasion a Toby Harped just didnt endear to me as much. I dont feel she was as interesting as Rizzoli or Di Matteo in the slighest...
So, a fairly good read but not outstanding and would certainly encourage people new to Gerritsen to try Harvest first if not inclined to invest in a series straight away or the series if so. Much better.
I hasten to add, it is a good book and deserving of 3 stars but just that. A 'good' book only. Nothing as gripping or fabulous as the other 2 I have read which I rated much higher (both 5 stars).
The plot has rather a far fetch sci- fi ish element which her other books lacked and am therefore glad about. I don't pick up crime books to read about monsterish type issues which this book kinda revolved around. The book ended well and paced a bit better after the initial 200pages mark (ish- give or take). Up to this point, it was slow, uninteresting and almost rubbish enough for me to give up on but not quite.
Abbie Di Matteo and Rizzoli are my favourite characters so far. The protaganist on this occasion a Toby Harped just didnt endear to me as much. I dont feel she was as interesting as Rizzoli or Di Matteo in the slighest...
So, a fairly good read but not outstanding and would certainly encourage people new to Gerritsen to try Harvest first if not inclined to invest in a series straight away or the series if so. Much better.
February 23, 2023
3,5⭐️ Man patinka Tess knygos, tačiau ši knyga mažiausiai patiko, kažko pritrūko jai. Nors bendra knygos mintis gera. Iš niekur nieko sveiki senjorai pradeda keistai elgtis, jie klajoja, jie nereaguoja į jiems taikoma gydymą. Tobė supranta, kad vyksta kažkas ne taip, todėl imasi aiškintis jos keistos ligos priežastis ir pati prisidaro nemalonumų savo gyvenime.
December 30, 2022
amžinos jaunystės eliksyras
Antra mano skaityta Gerritsen knyga ir turbūt viena mažiau žinomų ir giriamų jos knygų. Tačiau aš stengiuosi laikytis savo eksperimento jos knygas, neskaitant ankstyvųjų romantinių trilerių, skaityti iš eilės parašymo eilės tvarka ir ‘Užkratas’ yra antras jos medicininių trilerių romanas. Jau pradedu pajusti Gerritsen kūrybos ritmą ir jis man patinka.
Istorija turbūt ta pati kaip su ‘Donoru’. Įdomu, puikiai susukta, gerai parašyta, lengvai bei greitai skaitoma, labai nuodugniai ištirta ir atskleidžiama medicininė reikalo pusė. Iš visko gaunasi tikrai geras ir atsitraukti įsivažiavus neleidžiantis detektyvas. Tačiau bėda ta, kad reikia įsivažiuoti, kad viskas kiek išsibalansavę – per vangi pradžia su daug pašalinio komentaro (nors Gerritsen noras įpūsti gyvenimo detektyvo veikėjams ir sveikintinas) ir tuomet truputį per daug aštri pabaiga. Ir šiaip per daug šaudau-gaudau, visgi juk medikai, intelektualiai, kad ir kokie jie trenkti kažin ar naudotų tokius jau gatvinių metodus. Ne prie širdies man ir tos galiausiai ne visai intelektualios pagrindinės veikėjos – lyg ir protingos, viską greitai susigaudo, bet kai reikia ką nors akivaizdaus pamatyti, tai niekaip. O gal ir ta skaitytojo visažinystė čia kiek pakiša koją, kai matai kelias istorijos linijas ir žinai, kad vienaip ar kitaip jos turi susijungti, o ir šiaip tvirtai žinai, kad nusikaltimas visgi vyksta. Bet ant nervų Gerritsen moka groti – ir jos įtampa gera ir teisybės norą sužadina begalinį.
Antra mano skaityta Gerritsen knyga ir turbūt viena mažiau žinomų ir giriamų jos knygų. Tačiau aš stengiuosi laikytis savo eksperimento jos knygas, neskaitant ankstyvųjų romantinių trilerių, skaityti iš eilės parašymo eilės tvarka ir ‘Užkratas’ yra antras jos medicininių trilerių romanas. Jau pradedu pajusti Gerritsen kūrybos ritmą ir jis man patinka.
Istorija turbūt ta pati kaip su ‘Donoru’. Įdomu, puikiai susukta, gerai parašyta, lengvai bei greitai skaitoma, labai nuodugniai ištirta ir atskleidžiama medicininė reikalo pusė. Iš visko gaunasi tikrai geras ir atsitraukti įsivažiavus neleidžiantis detektyvas. Tačiau bėda ta, kad reikia įsivažiuoti, kad viskas kiek išsibalansavę – per vangi pradžia su daug pašalinio komentaro (nors Gerritsen noras įpūsti gyvenimo detektyvo veikėjams ir sveikintinas) ir tuomet truputį per daug aštri pabaiga. Ir šiaip per daug šaudau-gaudau, visgi juk medikai, intelektualiai, kad ir kokie jie trenkti kažin ar naudotų tokius jau gatvinių metodus. Ne prie širdies man ir tos galiausiai ne visai intelektualios pagrindinės veikėjos – lyg ir protingos, viską greitai susigaudo, bet kai reikia ką nors akivaizdaus pamatyti, tai niekaip. O gal ir ta skaitytojo visažinystė čia kiek pakiša koją, kai matai kelias istorijos linijas ir žinai, kad vienaip ar kitaip jos turi susijungti, o ir šiaip tvirtai žinai, kad nusikaltimas visgi vyksta. Bet ant nervų Gerritsen moka groti – ir jos įtampa gera ir teisybės norą sužadina begalinį.
August 22, 2011
This was horrible for me.
I understand that this was a stand alone and was quite different from the Rizzoli & Isles series, but this was by far the worst I've read by her.
If I would have read this first and not the other series, I would have never picked any of her books up!
I hated the plot, the story itself, the characters were flat and dull, the ending was horrible, and just everything altogether for me was total yuck!
Prostitutes, non human babies/tumors thingies, ER night shift, everyone blaming someone else for others' mistakes, Newton Mass. (stolen or I guess inspired R&I series), burying people alive, prolonging life. This all had a good premesis and then when it comes down to actually reading it, I was dreading it!
I should have just put it down and it should've just stayed down.
Oh well, wasn't my cup of tea.
I understand that this was a stand alone and was quite different from the Rizzoli & Isles series, but this was by far the worst I've read by her.
If I would have read this first and not the other series, I would have never picked any of her books up!
I hated the plot, the story itself, the characters were flat and dull, the ending was horrible, and just everything altogether for me was total yuck!
Prostitutes, non human babies/tumors thingies, ER night shift, everyone blaming someone else for others' mistakes, Newton Mass. (stolen or I guess inspired R&I series), burying people alive, prolonging life. This all had a good premesis and then when it comes down to actually reading it, I was dreading it!
I should have just put it down and it should've just stayed down.
Oh well, wasn't my cup of tea.
November 20, 2010
I always appreciate medical thrillers written by real MD's. The medical references and scenarios are accurate. Toby Harper is an overworked MD. Her personal life includes a solitary existence with the exception of her mother with Alzheimers living in her home. Toby's world begins to unravel when she treats an elderly man admitted with strange symptoms. The patient mysteriously disappears while under Toby's care and she feels her life beginning to spiral out of her control as she fights her guilt over the disappearing patient, loses control over the delicate balance of her mother's care, and the threat of losing her job. In Toby's quest to find the missing patient and determine his diagnosis she uncovers a secret leading to an intricate plot involving a possible fountain of youth. I really enjoyed the fast pace, intelligent dialog and character interaction in the book. The plot is very realistic and raises ethical and moral questions about how far people will go to prolong life and how much of our humanity do we sacrifice to get there.
June 11, 2011
Ne zaman Tess okusam, kurgunun gerçek olabilme ihtimali yüzünden içim ürperiyor. Kesinlikle çok ürkütücü bir romandı, diğer Tess romanlarında olduğu gibi. Tabi bir o kadar da sürükleyiciydi. Ne diyebilirim ki, klasik Tess işte. =)
December 2, 2012
Tess'in konu seçimine bayılıyorum... Yaşlılar(bitiş-ölüm) ve yeni doğmuş bebekler(doğum-başlangıç) arasında güzel bir bağ kurmuş. İlginç fikirlerini gerçekleştirmeye çalışan doktorlar ve çirkin deneylerini okurken ürpermemek elde değil...
November 6, 2020
This medical thriller would probably not win any awards, but it’s still pretty damn entertaining. Quite an imaginative plot involving genetics and the fountain of youth. To be honest, it makes me wonder if something like this could actually happen......or maybe already has........
July 11, 2021
This paperback had all the elements that I relish: a smart brave doctor, hospital intrigue, some romance, caregivers for Toby’s mom who were caring and demented, romance and the writer’s ability to make the reader stay totally engrossed in the story.
October 6, 2019
Luisterboek
April 2, 2020
Toby alzheimer hastalığı olan annesiyle beraber yaşayan bir doktordur ve Tess Gerristsen'in birçok çoğu kitabında geçen Boston'da bir hastahanede acil servis bölümünde çalışıyordur. Sabah 5 sıralarında acile gelen ve fiziği dahil herşeyi normal ama davranışları garip alzheimer'dan şüphe edilen 70 yaş üstünde bir hastasının kaybolması ve bir hastasının da ölmesiyle konu başlayor. Rizzoli&İsles'den farklı olarak nadir kitaplardan olan bu kitap onları aratmazken bu kitapla birlikte Tess Gerritsen'in de emekli bir doktor olduğunu öğrendim. Konunun devamında kaybolan hastanın ve hastaneye gelen birçok yaşlı hastanın otopsisi yapılmak istenmemesi üzerine hastanenin Brant Hill adlı bir bakımeviyle bağlantılı olduğu anlaşılıyor ardından da Brant Hill'in birçok insanda deney yaptığı anlaşılması üzerine Dr.Dvorak ve Toby işin peşine düşüyorlar. İlk baskısı 1997 yılında basılan kitapta hikaye çok akıllıca ve gerçek hayatta olabilecek şeyler içerirken (Molly adlı fahişe bir kız ve arkadaşının hamileliği üzerine üstlerinde deney yapıldığından bebek değil ender rastalanan bir şey doğurması vb) kitap Rizzoli&İsles serisinin ardından polisiye sevenlere kesinlikle önerdiğim bir kitap.
September 12, 2017
Δεν ξέρω αν σας αρέσουν τα ιατρικά θρίλερ, εμένα πάντως πολύ. Αυτό το βιβλίο το είχα χρόνια αδιαβαστο και αποφάσισα να το διαβάσω. Μου άρεσε πάρα πολύ. Έχει αγωνία, ανατριχιλα και κοινωνικό ενδιαφέρον αφού ασχολείται με παράνομα ιατρικά πειράματα σε ασθενείς που δεν έχουν ιδέα γι αυτό. Κι όλα αυτά για τη δόξα και το χρήμα. Η πρωταγωνίστρια ειναι μια ιατρός, που κατά λάθος βρέθηκε στη μέση της παράνομης αυτής υπόθεσης και που αποφασίζει να φτάσει μέχρι το τέλος με κάθε κόστος. Ακόμη και με την ίδια της τη ζωή. Αδίστακτοι ιατροί, που σκοτώνουν χωρίς έλεος προκειμένου να κρατηθεί κρυφή η παράνομη δραστηριότητά τους. Η συγγραφέας ήταν ιατρός οπότε έχει τον τρόπο της με αυτά τα θέματα. Μου άρεσε τόσο πολύ που αγόρασα κι άλλο βιβλίο της που διαβάζω τώρα και που είναι ακόμη πιο δυνατό "Αμαρτωλά νυστέρια" ο τίτλος. Θα επανέλθω για αυτό όταν το τελειώσω. Αν λοιπόν σας αρέσουν τα ιατρικά θρίλερ ή αν θέλετε να διαβάσετε για πρώτη φορά τότε αυτή η συγγραφέας είναι η ιδανική.
July 12, 2011
I just finished Life Support and Tess Gerritsen has impressed me again with her knowledge of yet another aspect of medicine; geriatrics. She is a master at making the elevated world of medicine and doctors understandable to the masses. Her ability to create new characters and bring them to life is equaled with few and bettered by none. If I could voice one criticism it would be that she leaves her characters with their lives unresolved (no happily-ever-after endings) and leave it to the reader’s imagination. Romance is a key part of her creations but it is seldom accompanied with sex. All in all, Tess Gerritsen’s books leave the reader on an emotional high with questions swirling in their grey brain mass.
September 14, 2015
2,5.
Bu aralar kendimi notu kit ogretmenler gibi hissediyorum. Ama harika bir Tess Gerritsen romani gibi baslayan kitabin donustugu seyden cok hoslanmadim. Tek bir kisinin ruh durumu betimlemesi icin dokuz sayfa ayirirken tum olay orgusunu uc sayfada cozmeye calismak da nedir? Ayrica kitabin editoryali korkunc. Kelimelerin harflerinin arasina sayilar girmis, vs. Tip terimlerinin Turkcelestirilmesiyle ilgili de sorunlarim var. Durumu tam olarak degerlendirmek icin sanirim biraz daha dusunmem gerek. Once eski bir medikal cevirmen gozuyle, sonra da nispeten yeni bir kitap cevirmeni gozuyle... Dusun Asli, dusun.
Bu aralar kendimi notu kit ogretmenler gibi hissediyorum. Ama harika bir Tess Gerritsen romani gibi baslayan kitabin donustugu seyden cok hoslanmadim. Tek bir kisinin ruh durumu betimlemesi icin dokuz sayfa ayirirken tum olay orgusunu uc sayfada cozmeye calismak da nedir? Ayrica kitabin editoryali korkunc. Kelimelerin harflerinin arasina sayilar girmis, vs. Tip terimlerinin Turkcelestirilmesiyle ilgili de sorunlarim var. Durumu tam olarak degerlendirmek icin sanirim biraz daha dusunmem gerek. Once eski bir medikal cevirmen gozuyle, sonra da nispeten yeni bir kitap cevirmeni gozuyle... Dusun Asli, dusun.
July 6, 2016
Not totally perfect but I stayed up until 2.30am last night reading this1 I just had to finish. Wow, but this has a creepy factor that glued me to the page! It reminded me of Brain by Robin Cook.
I also admire the way the author humanizes her protagonists.
Gerritsen is truly one of the very best ever in the genre!
I also admire the way the author humanizes her protagonists.
Gerritsen is truly one of the very best ever in the genre!
September 16, 2017
Leest weer heerlijk weg. Ik hou van medische thrillers. Vond wel dat Toby wel erg veel te verduren kreeg.
May 4, 2022
Fun, fast read. Lots of gore and some seriously nasty stuff that I can't put in this review without spoilers. Don't read while eating. Otherwise, wholly entertaining.
December 14, 2023
Moja pierwsza książka Tess Gerritsen i nie mogę się doczekać kolejnych jej książek.
W książce mamy przede wszystkim dwie perspektywy opowieści.
Pierwszą jest Doktor Toby Harper.
Doktor Harper pracowała w Szpitalu Springer w Bostonie jedynie na nocne zmiany ze względu na matkę,którą się opiekowała.
Była wyczerpana po ciężkiej zmianie, gdy policja przyprowadziła starszego mężczyznę, którego znaleziono zdezorientowanego i błąkającego się nago w pobliskim parku.
Starzec był zdezorientowany miotał się i szarpał, majaczył i był całkowicie wytrącony z równowagi.Gdy Dr Harper zostawiła go w sali przypiętego do łóżk w oczekiwaniu na badania,bo w tym momencie na oddział ratunkowy przyjechała karetka z kobietą w trakcie reanimacji.Gdy niestety powiodło się uratowanie jej niepowodzeniem okazało się,że starzec zniknął.
Jak to się stało i gdzie jest musicie się sami dowiedzieć.☺️
Z przyjemnością czytałam o operacjach różnych pacjentów.
Jeśli dobrze pamiętam to była operacja usunięcia wyrostka robaczkowego, operacja mózgu,dwie operacje serca i poród.
Fajnie było dowiedzieć się, jak robią to lekarze i jaką rolę odgrywają pielęgniarki.
Wątki poboczne niemedyczne były na początku nieciekawe i zacząłem mieć wrażenie, że spodobają mi się tylko medyczne części powieści.
W miarę przewracania stron przez niemedyczne wątki poboczne tej historii również zaczęły robić się bardzo interesujące .
Drugą perspektywę jest Molly Picker.
Szesnastoletnia dziewczyna,która uciekła ze starszym mężczyzną (około 30-letnim),w którym się zakochała do Bostonu.
W dalszej części dowiadujemy się,że jest on alfonsem i nasza bohaterka zostaje wciągnięta do jego „brudnego interesu”.
Pewnego ranka po nocy ze swoim dziwnym klientem i powrocie do domu chodź nie pamiętała jak domyśla się,że jest w ciąży.
Facet dla,którego pracuje oferuje jej aborcje u swojego zaufanego lekarza.Jednak dziewczyna,której strasznie brakuje miłości ucieka i żyje na ulicy.
W pewnym momencie dowiadujemy się coś o potworniakach.
Potworniaki to nowotwory składające się z tkanek, takich jak włosy, mięśnie i kości. Myślałam, że to nieprawda i musiałam sprawdzić w Google, żeby w to uwierzyć😅.
Na zdjęciach potworniaków dostałem gęsiej skórki (nie polecam sprawdzać 🤮).
W tej historii nasza Molly - ciężarna dziewczyna ma coś dziwnego co mieszka w jej łonie.
To połączenie potworniaka i ludzkiego płodu. Kępka ciała z jednym okiem, jednym zębem, kępkami włosów, prymitywnymi płetwami zamiast kończyn, bez serca i mózgu.
Pasożyt,który zamieszkuje macicę i jest odżywiany przez matkę.
Sposób , w jaki autor to opisał, był przerażający.
Ale co dalej będzie z dziewczyną to musicie sami sprawdzić 😉
Powieść ma tak wiele do zaoferowania – to naprawdę dobry kryminał, daje nam wiedzę medyczną dla zwykłego „Kowalskiego” ,żeby mógł dowiedzieć sie czegoś więcej i dodatkowo horror medyczny.
Ta książka wywołała u mnie dreszcze.A mało kiedy coś tak na mnie „działa”.
W książce mamy przede wszystkim dwie perspektywy opowieści.
Pierwszą jest Doktor Toby Harper.
Doktor Harper pracowała w Szpitalu Springer w Bostonie jedynie na nocne zmiany ze względu na matkę,którą się opiekowała.
Była wyczerpana po ciężkiej zmianie, gdy policja przyprowadziła starszego mężczyznę, którego znaleziono zdezorientowanego i błąkającego się nago w pobliskim parku.
Starzec był zdezorientowany miotał się i szarpał, majaczył i był całkowicie wytrącony z równowagi.Gdy Dr Harper zostawiła go w sali przypiętego do łóżk w oczekiwaniu na badania,bo w tym momencie na oddział ratunkowy przyjechała karetka z kobietą w trakcie reanimacji.Gdy niestety powiodło się uratowanie jej niepowodzeniem okazało się,że starzec zniknął.
Jak to się stało i gdzie jest musicie się sami dowiedzieć.☺️
Z przyjemnością czytałam o operacjach różnych pacjentów.
Jeśli dobrze pamiętam to była operacja usunięcia wyrostka robaczkowego, operacja mózgu,dwie operacje serca i poród.
Fajnie było dowiedzieć się, jak robią to lekarze i jaką rolę odgrywają pielęgniarki.
Wątki poboczne niemedyczne były na początku nieciekawe i zacząłem mieć wrażenie, że spodobają mi się tylko medyczne części powieści.
W miarę przewracania stron przez niemedyczne wątki poboczne tej historii również zaczęły robić się bardzo interesujące .
Drugą perspektywę jest Molly Picker.
Szesnastoletnia dziewczyna,która uciekła ze starszym mężczyzną (około 30-letnim),w którym się zakochała do Bostonu.
W dalszej części dowiadujemy się,że jest on alfonsem i nasza bohaterka zostaje wciągnięta do jego „brudnego interesu”.
Pewnego ranka po nocy ze swoim dziwnym klientem i powrocie do domu chodź nie pamiętała jak domyśla się,że jest w ciąży.
Facet dla,którego pracuje oferuje jej aborcje u swojego zaufanego lekarza.Jednak dziewczyna,której strasznie brakuje miłości ucieka i żyje na ulicy.
W pewnym momencie dowiadujemy się coś o potworniakach.
Potworniaki to nowotwory składające się z tkanek, takich jak włosy, mięśnie i kości. Myślałam, że to nieprawda i musiałam sprawdzić w Google, żeby w to uwierzyć😅.
Na zdjęciach potworniaków dostałem gęsiej skórki (nie polecam sprawdzać 🤮).
W tej historii nasza Molly - ciężarna dziewczyna ma coś dziwnego co mieszka w jej łonie.
To połączenie potworniaka i ludzkiego płodu. Kępka ciała z jednym okiem, jednym zębem, kępkami włosów, prymitywnymi płetwami zamiast kończyn, bez serca i mózgu.
Pasożyt,który zamieszkuje macicę i jest odżywiany przez matkę.
Sposób , w jaki autor to opisał, był przerażający.
Ale co dalej będzie z dziewczyną to musicie sami sprawdzić 😉
Powieść ma tak wiele do zaoferowania – to naprawdę dobry kryminał, daje nam wiedzę medyczną dla zwykłego „Kowalskiego” ,żeby mógł dowiedzieć sie czegoś więcej i dodatkowo horror medyczny.
Ta książka wywołała u mnie dreszcze.A mało kiedy coś tak na mnie „działa”.
December 23, 2023
Spannend en leuk om te lezen, vanaf een bepaald moment wel redelijk te voorspellen welke kant het opgaat. Desalniettemin een mooie 4 sterren!
Mvg Gurb
Mvg Gurb
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