Rating:  Summary: Held my attention from beginning to end Review: I am reviewing this book in its ABRIDGED format of only two tapes. This abridged recording begins when an underage prostitute is delivered to her client. She's immediately put off by the sleazy location but plays along entering a white walled room filled only with a bright light and what appears to be a doctor's examination table. She hops up on the table as instructed but is soon sucking in noxious fumes and knocked unconscious . . . Next we meet Dr. Toby Harper who works the graveyard shift in the emergency room. One night an old man appears in the ER with no apparent illness besides a penchant for stripping off his clothes in public and a bit of disorientation. As Toby goes about examining him his leg starts to twitch. She's called out on another call and when she returns he has disappeared and Toby is held responsible. Soon another old man arrives (who was, coincidentally, living in the same fancy retirement community as the first mystery man) with similar symptoms but this man dies. Toby is suspicious, orders an autopsy and does some snooping around on her own when she is met with unreasonable resistance to her questions. It seems that some experimentation with prolonging life has been going on at the retirement home with frightening side effects. When Toby eventually discovers a bit of what has been going on her own life becomes endangered. This was an interesting medical thriller with an engaging protagonist but once Tape 2 begins the abridgement becomes very apparent. Events begin to happen fast and furiously and characterization is minimal. For the most part, the cuts necessary for this abridgement are smooth but I did find myself left a bit confused on more than one occasion and would've loved to have gotten to know all of the players a bit better. If I stumble across an uncut version of "Life Support" I'll definitely check it out to read all that I missed.
Rating:  Summary: Held my attention from beginning to end Review: I am reviewing this book in its ABRIDGED format of only two tapes. This abridged recording begins when an underage prostitute is delivered to her client. She's immediately put off by the sleazy location but plays along entering a white walled room filled only with a bright light and what appears to be a doctor's examination table. She hops up on the table as instructed but is soon sucking in noxious fumes and knocked unconscious . . . Next we meet Dr. Toby Harper who works the graveyard shift in the emergency room. One night an old man appears in the ER with no apparent illness besides a penchant for stripping off his clothes in public and a bit of disorientation. As Toby goes about examining him his leg starts to twitch. She's called out on another call and when she returns he has disappeared and Toby is held responsible. Soon another old man arrives (who was, coincidentally, living in the same fancy retirement community as the first mystery man) with similar symptoms but this man dies. Toby is suspicious, orders an autopsy and does some snooping around on her own when she is met with unreasonable resistance to her questions. It seems that some experimentation with prolonging life has been going on at the retirement home with frightening side effects. When Toby eventually discovers a bit of what has been going on her own life becomes endangered. This was an interesting medical thriller with an engaging protagonist but once Tape 2 begins the abridgement becomes very apparent. Events begin to happen fast and furiously and characterization is minimal. For the most part, the cuts necessary for this abridgement are smooth but I did find myself left a bit confused on more than one occasion and would've loved to have gotten to know all of the players a bit better. If I stumble across an uncut version of "Life Support" I'll definitely check it out to read all that I missed.
Rating:  Summary: Gerritsen is fast becoming my new favorite pop novelist Review: I believe I'm actually going backwards as far as the chronology of her titles are concerned. The first book of hers that I read was "GRAVITY", which I thought was perfect. "LIFE SUPPORT" didn't disappoint either. What makes Gerritsen's medical thrillers work is her utter believability. Although a lot of the medical jargon went right over my head (I'm sure I'm not the only one) it certainly comes across that she knows what she's talking about. So far, both books that I've read have centered around an intelligent heroine, who beat the odds of having their reputations tarnished, and yet end up victorious. I would, however, have preferred to know a little bit more about the fate of the heroine's love interest in the book, maybe by Gerritsen explaining a bit more in detail as to the curability of the illness and so on. Overall, I preferred GRAVITY to LIFE SUPPORT because the heroine in the former was not only a doctor, but a flight surgeon on a NASA shuttle. Makes for a great plot! If you haven't tried that one yet, you certainly should. I'm looking forward to checking out her latest novel THE SURGEON... just waiting to find a copy at a nice price. :)
Rating:  Summary: Gerritsen is fast becoming my new favorite pop novelist Review: I believe I'm actually going backwards as far as the chronology of her titles are concerned. The first book of hers that I read was "GRAVITY", which I thought was perfect. "LIFE SUPPORT" didn't disappoint either. What makes Gerritsen's medical thrillers work is her utter believability. Although a lot of the medical jargon went right over my head (I'm sure I'm not the only one) it certainly comes across that she knows what she's talking about. So far, both books that I've read have centered around an intelligent heroine, who beat the odds of having their reputations tarnished, and yet end up victorious. I would, however, have preferred to know a little bit more about the fate of the heroine's love interest in the book, maybe by Gerritsen explaining a bit more in detail as to the curability of the illness and so on. Overall, I preferred GRAVITY to LIFE SUPPORT because the heroine in the former was not only a doctor, but a flight surgeon on a NASA shuttle. Makes for a great plot! If you haven't tried that one yet, you certainly should. I'm looking forward to checking out her latest novel THE SURGEON... just waiting to find a copy at a nice price. :)
Rating:  Summary: Gerritsen's improving. Review: I decided to buy this novel since I love Harvest and Bloodstream so much. I do NOT regret it in any way, shape or form. The characters are ALIVE in this book, you really feel for them. The channel Gerritsen was able to write with the reader and the situations is unbelievable. Also, this book is not as predictable as Harvest, yet it's ending is not as absurd and unlikely as Bloodstream. Although, beware, there are numerous disturbing scenes (trust me on this one). Blood runs free in this novel, but never gratuitously. Do I reccomend this book? YES! Is it worth both your time and your money? YES! Should you be adding this book to your shopping cart instead of reading the rest of my needlessly-long review? YES!
Rating:  Summary: Suspenseful Review: I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as Harvest, but I did like the book and found it suspenseful. It's pretty easy to read, has good likeable characters, and I would recommend it to any medical thriller fans.
Rating:  Summary: Could not get past the 4th chapter. Review: I enjoyed Harvest but I thought Life Support was a bore. It never caught my interest and never even intrigued me. Don't bother with it.
Rating:  Summary: Fascinating and Intense! Review: I enjoyed the book immensely and would not hesitate recommending it to others. I found it to be excellent. Since my husband is a physician, I found the book to be the ultimate medical thriller.
Rating:  Summary: Harvest Revisted ... but a good read none-the-less Review: I enjoyed this story of Dr. Toby Harper ... even if it did remind me a bit too much of Harvest, one of Gerritsen's first books. Highly successful women doctors. Everyone turns against them. Their medical careers are going to be ruined. Yadda Yadda.
But, it's still a good story. Toby sees a series of weird elderly patients with unusual symptoms ... and in trying to get to the bottom of it, annoys some pretty powerful people - both at her hospital and at an elitist retirement community. We watch Toby investigating what's going on around her - see friends and family turn against her as she is falsely accused of abusing her alzheimers-suffering mother. What exactly is going on with this retirement community? Why have so many of their members met with death recently?
Only Dr. Toby Harper can find the truth ... but will it be in time?
Rating:  Summary: Not as good as I thought it would be. Review: I first read Tess Gerritsen's book 'The Surgeon' and loved it, in fact I read it 3 times. But when I decided to check out some of her earlier work I was dissapointed. 'Life Support' is a pretty good story but who hasn't done the evil nursing bit? I think just about everyone has. Toby (the main character) was pretty cardboard. She was an ER doctor yet when it came to danger she was a wuss. What the? She ended the story very abruptly. I want to know what happened with Dr. Dvorak and I want to know what happened to Wallenberg and everyone. I do not recommend this book at all. I'll admit it's okay but come on! Why did certain people have to die? I just did not like what she did to some of the characters.
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