Book Review: The Devil's Cure

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Devil's Cure     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Kenneth Oppel
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Medical   Government Agency   Thriller   Serial Killer
Hyperion, Jun 2001, $24.95, 416 pp.

In Chicago, Dr. Howard Morgan shows the videotape of a blood sample he tested to cancer researcher Dr. Laura Donaldson. Laura is stunned when she sees the abnormal white blood cells destroy a cancerous tumor. The owner of this blood system has a perfect immune system. However, she is surprised to learn that the person containing the miracle blood is a prisoner at Joliet.

Laura wants more blood from this individual, but soon learns that the convict is religious fanatic David Haines, a death row inmate with ten days to live. David has murdered medical researchers like Laura because they interfere with God's work. In other words, his blood is God's life flowing inside him and not available for any reason. He refuses Jane's offers to help him gain a stay of execution. Desperate due to her sister's need for a miracle cure, Jane accidentally allows David to escape, making it even more imperative to find him before her sibling's clock stops ticking.

When the plot of THE DEVIL'S CURE centers on a philosophical-ethical thriller along the lines of Ayn Rand, the story line is one of the best of the year. When the tale switches to an action chase adventure, the plot remains excellent and exciting, but many readers will feel a bit of a let down. Kenneth Oppel's tale makes the reader ponder the issue of the good of the many vs. the rights of the individual in a way rarely seen in novels.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner