Rating: 
Summary: You have got to read this!!!
Review: Dr. Laura Donaldson has a driving need to find a cure for cancer. She thinks she has found it - but her cure turns out to be worse than the disease. Then she discovers that the blood of a man called Daivd Haines carries the cure - the only problem is that Haines is a religious nut on death row for killing doctors just like Laura. When Laura tries to take samples of Haines blood he escapes from prison - sparking a manhunt. That hunt brings Kevin Sheldrake - the FBI agent who captured Haines - too close to his own past. I got this book for my mum to read, but after she raved about it I decided to read it for myself - and I do not regret that decision. This is probably the best book I read all year. I am not usually one to read thrillers, but this book had me glued to the sofa until I had finished it. Oppel has an incredible way with words and character development. I felt like I was inside the characters heads throughout the whole novel. Oppel has also created a science fiction that could almost be science fact. This book builds you up and then carries you down towards a finale that leves you gasping for breath. If you want a mystery and adventure tied into one then you have got to read this.
Rating:
Summary: You have got to read this!!!
Review: Dr. Laura Donaldson has a driving need to find a cure for cancer. She thinks she has found it - but her cure turns out to be worse than the disease. Then she discovers that the blood of a man called Daivd Haines carries the cure - the only problem is that Haines is a religious nut on death row for killing doctors just like Laura. When Laura tries to take samples of Haines blood he escapes from prison - sparking a manhunt. That hunt brings Kevin Sheldrake - the FBI agent who captured Haines - too close to his own past. I got this book for my mum to read, but after she raved about it I decided to read it for myself - and I do not regret that decision. This is probably the best book I read all year. I am not usually one to read thrillers, but this book had me glued to the sofa until I had finished it. Oppel has an incredible way with words and character development. I felt like I was inside the characters heads throughout the whole novel. Oppel has also created a science fiction that could almost be science fact. This book builds you up and then carries you down towards a finale that leves you gasping for breath. If you want a mystery and adventure tied into one then you have got to read this.
Rating: 
Summary: Good summer read
Review: Dr. Laura Donaldson is a cancer researcher looking for the elusive cure for cancer, when she happens upon information and evidence of a death row inmate who seems to have an immune system that just eats up cancer cells. David Haines is the death row inmate with the super immune system along with a fanatical religious belief that will not allow him to give his blood. He's on death row for killing numerous doctors. Dr. Laura Donaldson's attempts to acquire a sample of his blood through legal means backfires when Haines makes a somewhat predictable escape from prison. Kevin Sheldrake, the FBI agent who captured Haines the first time, is on the case again. Can they capture him alive? With a gritty edge of suspense and a little background on cancer and cults, this makes for some entertaining summer reading. You'll see the depths reached by religious fanaticism and the fervor of a scientist with a goal. The ending was left open for a sequel and, to me, a little disappointing. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific mix of suspense & drama, medicine, crime & religion
Review: For those readers interested in the likes of Robin Cook, Iris Johansen, and Patricia Cornwell, Kenneth Oppel's "The Devil's Cure" will be a nice treat. A medical researcher, Dr. Laura Donaldson, studying treatment for cancer becomes involved in a search for an escaped religious nut who is set to be executed for murdering doctors. The plot is interesting, the characters, convincing, and unlike far too many popular books in this genre, the writing is skilled. If you are a fan of medical science combined with criminal investigation, I recommend checking this book out.
Rating:
Summary: AN IMAGINATIVELY PLOTTED PULSE POUNDER
Review: In one of the most imaginative thrillers to come along in many moons Kenneth Oppel presents three memorable characters, each obsessed, each willing to risk all for a prize - the lives of millions. Condemned killer and religious zealot David Haines is on Death Row, scheduled to die in ten days for the wanton killings of research doctors. Both crazed and canny, Haines is a former medical student willing to murder to prove the sins of medical science. This he would do in the name of God. Equally devoted to her cause is leading oncologist Dr. Laura Donaldson. She si waging war on cancer, struggling mightily to discover a cure. In an eerie twist of fate she finds that Haines may have the cure within his own blood. A test shows that his immune system is able to zap cancer cells. Obviously, Dr. Donaldson wants some of the murderer's blood. Haines will do whatever it takes to keep it from her, including an escape from prison. Enter FBI agent Kevin Sheldrake, the man who originally apprehended Haines. He's assigned to capture him once again. The ensuing chase and confrontation is a cleverly plotted pulse pounder.
Rating:
Summary: promising
Review: Kenneth Oppel, a popular Canadian children's author, has written his first novel for grown ups, The Devil's Cure, and it's an exciting, high concept thriller that's a perfect beach blanket book. That he comes achingly close to aiming higher holds out even greater promise for his future efforts. The term "high concept" refers to the attention grabbing premise of such thrillers. In this case : David Haines, a religious fanatic whose hatred of medicine fueled a doctor killing spree several years earlier, is about to be executed. However, a lovely young cancer researcher, Dr. Laura Donaldson, discovers that his blood may contain the cure for cancer. Despite Haines's hatred of doctors and his genuine religious belief in the sanctity of blood, the good Doctor gets a court order allowing her to take some involuntarily. As she's doing so, Haines stages a violent escape. Now Laura, whose sister happens to be dying of breast cancer, and FBI agent Kevin Sheldrake, who caught Haines the first time around, have to track him down and try to bring him back alive. Oppel handles all of the conventions of the genre with real skill. Though the coincidences at the core of the plot won't withstand much scrutiny, they are sufficient to drive the plot, and though the story eventually devolves into the predictable gun battle between the principals, there are enough interesting elements to make the book worthwhile. In fact, one wishes he'd pursued the other angles. < Kevin's spiritual questing is nicely played off against Dr. Donaldson's agnosticism and her reliance on reason and science, to the exclusion of all else, including much of her humanity. Even the anti-scientific beliefs of David Haines are taken seriously, with Dr. Donaldson serving as a virtual poster girl for his view of the arrogance of the medical profession. Unfortunately, Oppel pretty much abandons these plot threads when it comes time for the obligatory chase and showdown. It's hard to avoid feeling that had the author chosen to give the clash of views among these three greater prominence, and made the thrilling climax a moral and spiritual one, rather than an all too familiar shoot-'em-up, it would have made for a more compelling story. As is, he's written a book that anyone will enjoy on a plane or at the beach. In the process he's at least raised the hope that he can do better. We'll have to wait and see if he delivers on the promise, but we'll wait eagerly. GRADE : B-
Rating:
Summary: A fine, intelligent thriller...
Review: Oppel, in his first outing of "adult" fiction,has written a fun and fairly engrossing story. The medical parts of the book are fascinating. The search for meaning in the universe/faith was not original but pulled off with style. The last third of the book was very much a Hollywood screenplay, but still exciting. ocan easily see this on screen. The story is nonetheless quite interesting and it is solid read. The ending is a bit too Hollywood, yet for this price it was worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: It's in the Blood
Review: Psychotic killer David Haines is on death row, awaiting execution, when cancer researcher Laura Donaldson (whose own daughter has cancer) sees a video of a blood sample taken from Haines only days before his execution. To her amazement his T-cells are fighting and destroying cancer cells. Haines may be carrying the cure for cancer in his blood. But he doesn't care and he's not interested in giving any of the precious stuff away. He thinks it's ungodly. Besides, he hates doctors and has tried to kill as many of them as he could before his capture. This is a five star book full of thrills and chills you won't want to put down. Reviewed by Vesta Irene
Rating:
Summary: SUPERB...A GUARANTEED PAGE-TURNER
Review: Three individuals are about to begin a terrifying journey that will either lead to a miraculous discovery, or an unspeakable crime no one is expecting. Dr. Laura Donaldson has devoted her life to finding a cure for cancer. David Haines is the religious cult leader spending his last days on death row. Kevin Sheldrake is the FBI agent who caught Haines and put him on death row. A routine blood test of Haines reveals he has cancer, and surprisingly his body is healing itself by the destroying the disease. This discovery sends shock waves through the medical community, and Laura feels with more of this man's blood she can perfect her serum to cure cancer. Haines, an absolute psycho, thinking his blood is holy, refuses to give anymore, eventually leading to a court order demanding the inmate give up his blood - for the good it could do to those suffering the horrible disease. After first being upset by the court's decision, Haines realizes this is his opportunity to fulfill the shocking plan he has been working on for years. During the procedure of blood withdrawl he will make his escape, and embark on his mission from god. With every law enforcement agency looking to kill Haines, it's up to Laura and Sheldrake to catch the madman and bring him in alive, for in his veins lies the cure the world is looking for. 'The Devil's Cure' is a superb novel. Blasting off on page one it hurtles you through the world of cutting edge medical science with believable characters, page-turning suspense, non-stop action, and a heart stopping climax. Kenneth Oppel has written a winner! A novel so full of energy, no reader will be able to put it down, and deservedly so. Putting a new spin on the medical thriller 'The Devil's Cure' has bestseller written all over it, and should be a major choice among the beach book set. A MUST read! Nick Gonnella
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Summary: This taut thriller is an excellent cure for boredom!
Review: What do you have left once your faith is gone? That's a question we all must wrestle with at some point in our lives; what to believe in, what to hold on to. It's a question that cancer researcher Dr. Laura Donaldson has never had much trouble with. She's always placed her faith in the rational world of science. But when her promising cancer treatment results in her patient's death rather than her recovery, Donaldson's faith is shaken. When the blood of David Haines, a serial killer who preys on doctors, seems to hold out an even greater promise for a cure, her belief system is all but shattered. FBI agent Kevin Sheldrake struggles with his own demons. As a young man he was a member of a religious cult. When his fellow believers abandoned him, Sheldrake gave up on God; at least, he tried to. But that hole inside him (C.S. Lewis' "God-shaped vacuum") kept aching to be filled and no amount of prayer or fasting would satisfy him. Perhaps there is hope, though, in redemption, the redemption that would come if he could do the Lord's work by capturing a killer. Those intriguing questions form the philosophical soul of this pulse-pounding thriller, a remarkable debut for Kenneth Oppel, previously known only as the author of children's books. Somewhere along the way, though, he learned to craft tense, page-turning suspense, and all-too-humanly flawed characters who are both intriguing and believable. His prose is swift and deft, and his plotting is equal to that of most more experienced thriller writers. I eagerly await the next novel from Mr. Oppel. I just hope it's not a kid's book!
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