Harmful Intent HC Robin Cook Putnam 1990 1st printing

Description

Harmful Intent Hardcover
by Robin Cook (Author)

It should have been a routine childbirth. But somehow, the mother died in the delivery, the baby was born brain-damaged, and Jeffrey Rhodes, the anesthesiologist, is running for his life. Charged with malpractice, he is found guilty of harmful intent and reckless disregard for human life. To clear his name, Rhodes must follow a fugitive trail into the heart of medical nightmare. A trail that, for some, may end in suicide–and for others, in the most shocking conspiracy of our time…

When a mother and her newborn infant die from the anesthetic he has administered, Boston anesthesiologist Dr. Jeffrey Rhodes’s life turns into a shambles. Within months he has been financially destroyed in a malpractice suit and convicted of second-degree murder, with a prison term likely. Panicked, he flees and, in desperation, turns to Kelly Everson, the widow of an old friend who committed suicide following a similar tragedy. They discover that both incidents–and others as well–may not have been cases of physician error but rather deliberate murders. The villain, known to the reader early on, is finally uncovered by the duo, whose efforts are complicated by the unrelenting pursuit of Rhodes by a bounty hunter who has been hired by the bail bondsman who stands to lose a small fortune if the convict is not returned to custody. Through two-thirds of its length, this is a fast-paced, albeit improbable, story of the havoc that can be wreaked by a lone madman. Then a sudden twist brings in a new set of villains and reveals an evil conspiracy that snaps belief.

Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Putnam Adult

I’ve read Robin Cook books since I was a teenager and this really reminds me of those great vintage Cooks I used to gobble up back then. Once I discovered him I was completely immersed in the world of medical thrillers, surprisingly they make for great reads, if you like books, have a bit of interest in science that is easy to understand, no worries about fancy jargon, then look no further, once you start this genre it’s hard to stop.

The main character is a good guy with a bit of bad luck that turns against him in the worst way possible. Anesthesia isn’t fast or easy, but when a healthy, young pregnant patient suffers from a grand mal seizure and dies, all eyes are on you. Jeffrey was having one of those days, the worst thing possible happens on a day that sends shock waves through all the layers of his life, in a moment everything seemed to collapse and not only is there a death, but punishment that will follow, both leave Jeffrey a man on the run. He decides to do the opposite of what is supposed to happen, he goes out to prove his innocence and earn back his freedom. Taking a huge risk, he dodges the law and in turn is followed by a nasty bounty hunter who gives him the worst chases of his life but only to find an enemy so weird, evil and cold hearted that his freedom suddenly seems a higher price to pay than he could have imagined. The book starts and doesn’t stop, the thrills, chases, close calls, some funny moments and plenty of suspense kept me glued to the story, it was hard not to read it, once started it begged to be completed.

Stain to bottom right portion of pages. Slight wear to dust jacket in back. Otherwise near mint condition. 1st printing. 0-399-13481-6.

Jane Eyre Hardcover
by Charlotte Bronte (Author)

Originally published under a pseudonym, Charlotte Brontë’s first and most popular novel is a tale of passion and principle, exploring themes of class, spirituality, and femininity. Brontë’s first-person narrative – now a common device, but then a literary revolution – puts the reader inside the mind of our heroine, Jane Eyre, whose growth from childhood to adulthood the story charts. Yet as her journey along the thorny path of life brings a degree of harmony, so appears the brooding, mysterious Mr Rochester, exacerbating life’s complications – and transforming its possibilities.

Early responses to Jane Eyre, first published in 1847, were mixed. Some held the book to be anti-Christian, others were disturbed by a heroine so proud, self-willed, and essentially unfeminine. The modern reader may well have trouble understanding what all the fuss was about. On the surface a fairly conventional Gothic romance (poor orphan governess is hired by rich, brooding Byronic hero-type), Jane Eyre hardly seems the stuff from which revolutions are made. But the story is very much about the nature of human freedom and equality, and if Jane was seen as something of a renegade in nineteenth-century England, it is because her story is that of a woman who struggles for self-definition and determination in a society that too often denies her that right. But self-determination does not mean untrammeled freedom for men or women. Rochester, that thorny masculine beast whom Jane eventually falls for, is a man who sets his own laws and manipulates the lives of those around him; before he can enter into a marriage of equals with Jane he must undergo a spiritual transformation. Should the lesson sound dry, it’s not. Jane Eyre is full of drama: fires, storms, attempted murder, and a mad wife conveniently stashed away in the attic. This is very sexy stuff – another reason Victorian critics weren’t quite sure what to make of it.

Hardcover
Publisher: International Collectors Library
Bound-in place ribbon, top edge gilt, green faux leather binding.

You know all those ‘classic’ novels you read in high school? How many of them do you actually remember? Well, if Jane Eyre was one of those long-forgotten books, pick up a copy. To read it as an adult is a joy: it’s a sweeping, disturbing, intense, thrilling, very romantic gothic love story, written in the voice of a very intense, almost claustrophobically self-aware young heroine. Jane is no Ophelia – she’s a complicated, remarkable character, and a very strong female character in a genre that usually draws women as beautiful victims at best.

There’s something for everyone in this book: Windswept castles, difficult and neurotic family members, dark secrets about tragic former lovers, good triumphing over evil, all that good juicy stuff that makes a great romantic story. What elevates Jane Eyre is Bronte’s remarkable style & skill and her sharp and complex characterizations.

Trust me on this: If you don’t remember it from your teens, you should give it a try now. Here is one novel that more than lives up to it’s ‘classic’ status.

Book is in near mint condition.

Book is in near mint condition.Book is in near mint condition.