Acceptable Risk by Robin Cook Published by GP Putnam's Sons on January 11, 1995
Genres: Thriller
Pages: 406
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
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The bestselling “master of the medical thriller” (The New York Times) confronts one of the most compelling issues of our time: personality-altering drugs and the complex moral questions they raise.
When neuroscientist Edward Armstrong begins dating Kimberly Stewart, a descendant of a woman who was hanged as a witch at the time of the Salem witch trials, he takes advantage of the opportunity to delve into a pet theory: that the “devil” in Salem in 1692 had been a hallucinogenic drug inadvertently consumed with mold-tainted grain. In an attempt to prove his theory, Edward grows the mold he believes responsible with samples from the Stewart estate. In a brilliant designer-drug transformation, the poison becomes Ultra, the next generation of antidepressants with truly startling therapeutic capabilties.
But who can be sure the drug is safe for consumers? Who defines the boundaries of “normal” human behavior? And if the drug’s side effects are proven to be dangerous—even terrifying—how far will the medical community go to alter their standards of acceptable risk?
This story follows Kimberly Stewart as she investigates her ancestor Elizabeth Stewart, who was hanged during the Salem Witch Trials, always a dirty little secret of the family. When Kimberly inherits the family estate, her boyfriend Edward Armstrong, a Harvard scientist who studies brain chemistry, decides to look into the spores that likely triggered the hysteria behind the trials. The story opens with a prologue from a neighbor’s perspective, a woman who already had concerns about Elizabeth because she was so different from other women of the time. Elizabeth’s husband had given her legal control of their finances and the ability to buy land on her own, which was practically unheard of for women at that time. It sets up Elizabeth’s story beautifully before jumping to Kimberly’s.
I really enjoyed Kimberly’s research thread. Going through old archives, chasing tiny clues that send you down one rabbit hole after another, hitting dead end after dead end. Elizabeth doesn’t appear anywhere in the official documentation of the Salem Witch Trials, which raises its own questions. Was she even hanged during the trials? There’s also a piece of “conclusive evidence” that Elizabeth was actually a witch, referenced repeatedly in old family letters, but what it actually is never gets spelled out. That mystery is what drives Kimberly, and Cook does a great job of making her frustration feel real.
Meanwhile, Armstrong’s research into turning the spores into a legitimate drug to help people, if he can just strip out the hallucinogenic properties, is where the title really comes into play. He starts taking it himself, and the changes in his personality are subtle at first. That’s where I won’t say any more.
I enjoyed this re-read a lot, even knowing roughly how things would unfold. The first time I had no idea what was coming, and that edge-of-your-seat feeling is hard to replicate. But the story held up. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers, medical or otherwise. This is actually the only medical thriller I’ve read, and it has me wanting to try more of Cook’s work. I really need to make that happen.
I started listening to audiobooks when a new book in a series was coming out and I wanted to get a refresher, but didn’t have time to read all the books (I think it was Anita Blake). I fell in love. I stayed with strictly re-reading books that I’d already read for a long time. I eventually tried an audiobook for something that I hadn’t read first and was hooked there too. Now, I listen to audio for both re-reads and first time. I have some series that I’ve given up reading and only listen. I try to get any many books/audiobooks from the library to help save on my budget. Books on CD and the newer digital downloads from the library really allow me to listen more. I then purchase my favorites (because who can wait in line for your favorite book??) and less mainstream books from Audible or some other online retailer.
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I have been reading a lot of ebooks lately too. This sounds like a book I might like. Thanks for the great review.
ooo love a classic/oldie
I used to devour Robin Cook’s books. Ihave a bunch on my physical shelf that I read. I think I even have a few I got at one point that i haven’t read yet, but I don’t read a ton of medical thrillers anymore. I should give those to my mom as she still loves reading those. Great review, does make me want to go back and find the ones I haven’t read.