Deadly Harvest

This is a subject that has been done many times, but I enjoy reading other authors take on the horrors of organ donation and tranplantation gone wrong. Leonard Goldberg isn't writing about anything new, but he does create a good, solid medical thriller...something he is quite good at. Joanna Blalock, a forensic pathologist and Jake Sinclair, a homicide detective are back together again in a tale that will chill your blood. Joanna's sister, Kate, becomes gravely ill and may need a liver transplant in order to survive. She and others are exposed to an Ebolia-like virus while participating in an archaelogical dig. Many of her collegues have already died. This sets off a chain of events that catapults Joanna and Jake into the world of organ donation, harvesting and transplanting that will make your blood run cold. Will Joanna and Jake be able to uncover the mysteries that lie within the deaths that are occuring around them, in time to save Kate? Well, crack the cover of this book and find out! The story moves at a nice pace and has an effective mix of suspense, drama, and mystery to keep you reading as fast as you can. It does, unfortunately get jumbled and rushed in the end. Had Dr. Goldberg slowed down a bit and maybe added another 50 pages, the story could have reached a more logical conclusion and wouldn't have seemed so rushed and disjointed. Overall, this was a fun read and another good addition to the Blalock series.

I've just "discovered" the Joanna Blalok series, and I've been reading them pretty much one after the other. There was a sense of familiarity when I started Deadly Harvest: (spoilers)(spoilers) Joanna and Jake are once again split up, Joanna winds up in the hospital after someone tries to kill her, then she disappears from the hospital when someone tries to kill her again. I'm starting to worry about the poor woman's health; one more severe concussion may finally do her in. However, even with these complaints, the book is entertaining, the plot intense, the characters interesting. Just be prepared to think you might have already read this one. I did. It took several pages to realize the events were only slightly different from the last book in the series I'd read.

I've read the entire Joanna Blalock series and love it. She is an awesome character that you just can't get enough of. This book was my favorite because of the twist that comes in at the end, it took my by surprise and I love that! The ideas in some of the books are a little far fetched, but that's because it's fiction. Anyway, I loved the book and the series. I hope another book is on the way!

I found that this book was a really good book. It really defines the meaning behind medicine. Joanna Blalcock and Lori Mckay, coupled with Jake the constable make a great team! They uncover many details including some scams and other inevitable things through the stories of medicine including through the Donor's International Services which include an infertility clinic, a daycare center for people with disabilities, a research center and also a transplant donor facility. If you're interested in a medical thriller this one is for you! If you're interested in sharing this good book, feel free to email me! at [email protected]

Joanna Blalocks' world has fallen apart. A highly regarded doctor at Los Angeles' Memorial Hospital, she has just learned that her sister Kate, an archeologist at a Guatemala dig and her fifteen American compatriots caught a deadly disease. Twelve members of the party and several natives have since died from the unidentified virus that was apparently transmitted to the humans in a remote, primitive jungle area. Kate, lying in a coma, is taken to Memorial for treatment. When Kate arrives, Joanna is stunned by how sick her sibling is and how little she can do. Soon, it becomes obvious that Kate will need a liver transplant to survive. ...... Joanna is desperate to find a match for Kate. She decides to utilize Donors International, a legitimate, profit-making company that has had great success in finding matches. Joanna has to hock the farm and still has to borrow money to pay for the organ transplant. However, Joanna specializes in forensic pathology and quickly realizes that the company's phenomenal track record in finding donors is because of its questionable sources. She not only has to deal with the moral dilemma of her sister's needs vs her medical ethics, but the fact that her own life may be in jeopardy because she knows too much. ........ In his fourth medical thriller, Dr. Leonard Goldberg moves to the head of the class as he paints an exciting chiller filled with interesting characters and a deadly brilliant story line. Move over Cook and Palmer, there is a new player on the block and his current tale, DEADLY HARVEST is well worth reading. ......Harriet Klausner