I have long been a fan of Robin Cook since he wrote Coma and have read all his books, own them and some I have re-read. This one, however, was a major disappointment. His writing has changed dramatically with this book. He spends so much time on the Japanese mob and explaining all the intricacies of this organization, that he wastes time that could have been better spent on telling the kind of story he is well known for.
Another thing I absolutely hated about this book and that was the inordinate amount of harsh profanity that Cook used in this book. He has never, ever used foul language; hardly ever more than a 'd' or 'h', but this time he uses the 'f' word numerous, numerous times, even 's' and 'gd' on numerous occasions. Now, I'm not a prude, but I was not brought up hearing language of that sort, none at all, and I believe you can tell a good story without profanity and vulgar language. It adds nothing to the story and turns me off completely. Robin Cook has always spun a great medical thriller without using these words and I wish that this would be the last time he uses language like this. It DID NOT help the story. There are many authors out there who consistently write good books without resorting to foul language to try to liven up their story.
It took me till I was over halfway through the book to really get into it, not like I usually do from the first chapter in a Robin Cook book. It was sluggish and boring. Things started picking up nearly at the end but the action was short lived, nothing like what readers always get with a Robin Cook thriller. I persevered because I had paid good money for this book, but had I not bought it as I have all his other books, I would have given up long before halfway through. The next Robin Cook book that comes out, this reader will borrow it from the library. I won't pay good money to be bored and have my ears assaulted with vulgar language.