Deadly Choices

This highly engaging, well-written novel actually delivers even more than it promises, supplying the reader with a great deal of food for thought on the timely subject of end-of-life issues. Its central stated question is "What happens when medical treatment is determined by the patient's ability to pay?" but that is only part of the story; readers will confront a variety of ethical questions surrounding the practice or idea of "mercy killing" and the very nature of professional healthcare. I must admit that I would question the way certain key legal events played out in the book, but that takes nothing away from my enjoyment of such a compelling, thought-provoking read. Alex Lowe is no simple protagonist. She is very likable and sympathetic, but at the same time she engages in behavior I find troubling, to say the least. She's heroic, but I would not consider her a heroine - and that's the type of main character many a first-time author would not dare tackle. As Alex begins her new life as a registered nurse at Richland Memorial Hospital, she is haunted by memories of her mother and the suffering she endured during the final days of her battle with cancer several years earlier. Alex believes her mother should never have been subjected to painful treatments that had no hope of preventing her imminent death, and she is determined to do what she can to prevent similar suffering in any terminally ill patients that come under her care. Not surprisingly, Alex can only walk so fine a line for so long, but she finds an unforeseen net waiting to catch her when she falls, a net of nefarious conspiracy that entraps her in its poisonous web. The novel becomes an even more compelling read given the health care reform debate that has erupted since its publication. Do the uninsured deserve the same treatment as the insured? Who speaks for the rights of such patients as the dying octogenarian, the brain dead crash victim, or the final-stage AIDS patient completely abandoned by his family members? Should there be a limit on the number of tests and treatments for the terminally ill? Are doctors who do everything possible to keep their terminal patients alive fulfilling the requirements of their Hippocratic Oath or are they just seeking to profit from the dying? Who decides who lives and who dies? The patient? The patient's family? The doctor? The nurse? A hospital administrator? A "panel" of "experts?" As Deadly Choices clearly reveals, these questions are difficult enough to answer just inside the halls of a hospital, without any involvement of the federal government. Wherever you happen to stand on these issues, this novel compels you to reexamine your personal beliefs. In fact, I think it serendipitously puts some perspectives of the health care debate into much more meaningful and understandable terms than you can ever hope to get from politicians on either side of the issue. Having practiced medicine for two decades, author Chris B

This is a real page turner! Impossible to put down. My first medical thriller and I loved it. As a physician himself, Chris Black did an amazing job writing his first novel which takes a thought provoking look at assisted suicide, mercy killing, rationing of healthcare and denial of healthcare when a patient lacks insurance or funding. It was easy to immerse myself into the story and the characters were very well developed. For a fast read and a thrilling story, read "Deadly Choices".

Deadly Choices is an excellent read and a very well-written first novel. The plot kept me on the edge of my seat and wondering what Alex was going to do next. It is definitely a must read!

It's obvious that Chris Black knows his way around the medical community. I had no trouble immersing myself in the story right away. The writing was very elegant for a first novel and the pacing was spot on. All-in-all if you enjoy medical thrillers give this book a chance. To not do so would be to make a "Deadly Choice!"

Chris Black's book is an excellent, suspenseful read! This was also a very thought provoking book. I have always loved medical thrillers and this one does not disappoint. The ending was fantastic and I have to admit, I did not see it coming! This is a must read for everyone!