Death of a Cure
A Thomas
Briggs Mystery
Steven
H. Jackson
Telemachus Press (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-9841083-0-0 (0984108300)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9841083-0-5 (9780984108305)
Publication Date: July 2009
List Price: $13.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): They are the keepers of our hope. They are better, we
need them to be. They battle daily in the fight to find a cure for our
loved ones. But is the dream of a cure really their mission? Have they
come to see the disease, our enemy, as their benefactor? How far would
they go to protect the enemy? Would they kill?
Death of a Cure is a
novel of mystery, suspense and action. The murder of one good man by a
respected colleague is more than a crushing personal deception, it is
an unequaled violation of the trust of millions afflicted by a horrible
disease. The brother of the murdered man, a military surgeon born to
wealth and accustomed to success, is thrust into the role of homicide
investigator. Discovering that his skills as a detective are
insufficient, he calls upon a woman from his past for help. Together
they unravel layers of evil and deception revealing that the work of
this healthcare charity has little to do with curing the terrible
disease born by a trusting constituency.
Review: Marine
surgeon Thomas Briggs returns home to investigate the circumstances
surrounding his brother's death in Death
of a Cure, the first book in this series by Steven H. Jackson.
Dr. Ronald Briggs' death is officially listed as a suicide. Thomas
Briggs realizes he can't be completely objective here, but he doesn't
believe his brother ended his life, or even that it was an accident.
The investigating detective also seems to have his doubts. "I can't
officially let you look at or have this list [of your brother's known
associates]," he says to Briggs. "But then again, the copy you are
holding might not make it back into this folder -- we don't log
copies." Ronald Briggs had been a lead researcher for a medical
foundation dedicated to finding a cure for CID, and though great
progress had been made, a cure seemed elusive. His death would appear
to be a setback for the foundation and the medical community. Thomas
Briggs quickly learns, however, that a charitable research foundation
is not just a not-for-profit organization, but big -- really big --
business. And not unlike its for-profit brethren, it must sometimes
employ ruthless means to achieve its objectives.
Death of a Cure is less
of a plot-driven novel than a character-driven one. But what a terrific
character it is. In a book world full of cookie-cutter characters, most
of which are so generic as to be interchangeable with those in the
adjacent book on the shelf with little loss of continuity, Thomas
Briggs is refreshingly different. He doesn't err on the side of being
politically correct, but he's not insensitive either. He's often
cynical but always realistic. He's not ill-tempered but doesn't
"suffer fools gladly". He's a strong ally, fierce adversary, and good
friend.
But the plot isn't as solid as its principal character. The book itself
is far too long, and could have been tightened considerably (which
would also have the added benefit of upping the suspense level), but
the rapid pacing makes this minor criticism somewhat debatable. What is
disappointing is that Briggs doesn't exactly solve the case, but
essentially has the solution handed to him in a "let me tell you
everything before I kill you"-type confrontation. He's more clever than
that, and deserves a better resolution. Still, the development of a
strong, appealing character in a first book bodes well for later
installments in the series.
Special thanks to Telemachus Press for providing a copy of Death of a Cure for this review.
Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read Death of a Cure? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series …
Death of a Cure
Telemachus Press (Trade Paperback), July 2009
ISBN-10: 0-9841083-0-0 (0984108300)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9841083-0-5 (9780984108305)
Omnimystery keywords for Death of a Cure ...
Location(s) referenced: New York City, Barbados.
