Book Review: Lethal Remedy by Richard L. Mabry, MD

Publisher: Abingdon Press
Publication Date: October 13, 2011

A "killer bug" resistant to known antibiotic treatments has been claiming the lives of numerous patients, until an experiential drug arises that has a 100% success rate of curing those who enroll in the trial. Though the creator of the drug and the pharmaceutical company set to produce it claim no known side effects of the drug, Dr. Sara Miles and her colleagues discover that the actual truth is being hidden. Their quest to discover the truth and determine who is hiding the evidence entangles them in a web of danger, making them fear for their lives, and the lives of their patients.

Mabry excels at creating medical drama, and his writing clearly reflects his expertise as a retired physician. Lethal Remedy was an enjoyable read, with a quick pace throughout that kept the pages turning. The excitement and intrigue in this story will definitely appeal to lovers of medical-based mysteries. I did find it interesting that in an afterword to the story, the author asks the readers to extend "the traditional suspension of disbelief that is the hallmark of some fiction". Prior to reading that statement, I was indeed questioning some aspects of the plot, whether a pharmaceutical company would truly take the actions that are depicted. I don't want to go into further details as I would hate to give any spoilers, but readers of this story will want to keep Mabry's request in mind. Overall, the actual writing was excellent, the dialogue well done, and the faith elements were handled well. Readers looking for a quick read and who enjoy medical drama should add this book to their planned reading list. 4 out of 5 stars.

This review is based on an electronic copy provided by the publisher via netgalley for the purpose of completing this review.