Critical

Critical

Mass Market Paperback

Ebook

About the Book

New York City medical examiners Laurie Montgomery and Jack Stapleton return in this stunning novel from the “master of the medical thriller” (New York Times)—a ripped-from-the-headlines tale of an innovative doctor’s dangerous downward spiral.

After a rough climb to the top, doctor and businesswoman Angela Dawson appears to have it all: a start-up—Angels Healthcare—that’s about to go public, and a controlling interest in three busy specialist hospitals in New York City as well as plans for others in Miami and Los Angeles. But then a surge of drug-resistant staph infections in all three hospitals devastated her carefully constructed world...

NYC medical examiners Laurie Montgomery and Jack Stapleton are naturally intrigued by the uptick in staph-related post-procedure deaths at these hospitals. Aside from their professional curiosity, there’s a personal stake as well: Jack is facing surgery to repair a torn ACL at Angels Orthopedic Hospital.

Despite Jack’s protests, Laurie can’t help investigating—thus opening a Pandora’s box of corporate intrigue that threatens not just her livelihood, but both of their lives as well.
Read more
Close

Praise for Critical

Praise for Critical:

“A genuinely titillating epidemiological puzzle... Critical is tightly written, and each supporting character is vivid and memorable. The novel is a credit to the medical thriller genre, which Cook is generally thought to have created and made popular.”—The Associated Press

“Critical might scare you to death... his prescient plotting is far from far-fetched.”—The Tampa Tribune

“[A] lively new thriller... An entertaining mix of suspense, action, and education about medical issues.”—Publishers Weekly

“The medical mysteries and dangers the characters face should keep readers invested.”—Booklist
Read more
Close

A Jack Stapleton & Laurie Montgomery Novel Series

Manner of Death
Night Shift
Genesis
Pandemic
Cure
Intervention
Foreign Body
Critical
Crisis
Vector
View more

About the Author

Robin Cook
Robin Cook, M.D., is the author of over forty books and is credited with popularizing the medical thriller with his groundbreaking and wildly successful 1977 novel, Coma. His most recent bestsellers include Night Shift, Viral, Genesis, Pandemic, and Charlatans. Cook divides his time between Florida, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. More by Robin Cook
Decorative Carat

By clicking submit, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Penguin Random House's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and understand that Penguin Random House collects certain categories of personal information for the purposes listed in that policy, discloses, sells, or shares certain personal information and retains personal information in accordance with the policy. You can opt-out of the sale or sharing of personal information anytime.

Random House Publishing Group