A Case of Need

Apr 03, 2008 Franco rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book would be classified under, “Medical Fiction” because it deals with medical surgeons, and doctors trying to unravel the mystery of the murder or suicide of Karen Randall. Dr. Lee a young pathologist is accused of an illegal abortion. Art Lee’s lawyer didn’t want to deal with the case so he abandoned him with no help. When John Berry heard about this crisis he came to help his friend and try to find the real story of the death of Karen Randall. As he finds later in the novel, the history...more This book would be classified under, “Medical Fiction” because it deals with medical surgeons, and doctors trying to unravel the mystery of the murder or suicide of Karen Randall. Dr. Lee a young pathologist is accused of an illegal abortion. Art Lee’s lawyer didn’t want to deal with the case so he abandoned him with no help. When John Berry heard about this crisis he came to help his friend and try to find the real story of the death of Karen Randall. As he finds later in the novel, the history of Karen he starts to get more into what he is against, because he found out that Karen disliked her stepmother and father, and that shows a small sign of murder from either one. Then as he goes to the University of Boston College, he meets doctor Werner who holds all of Karen’s medical files and this man is Karen’s uncle. Peter Randall (Karen’s dad) brings him for a “cup of tea” and says that he would not do this to his own girl and that he was with his wife that very same day the death occurred. John asks Peter were he could find her lost boyfriend and when he found him there is a gang war and he gets severely injured and in that very hospital room is Karen’s roommate with what they think a suicide attempt, he later goes to the crime scene, and there is a missing theme to Karen’s death.
I thought the writing of this book was very precise and wordy. He made the reader always on your toes and waiting for the suspense. I thought the strengths were that it was well written and well thought out however there was a weakness. This book was to long was 416 pages, and I thought that was to long for a plot like this and he extended it way to long. I choose this book because I am a huge fan of Michael Crichton’s novels and I wanted to explore something other than genetics.
I would compare this book to the Five Patients another one of Michael Crichton’s best sellers because of the medical theme. I connected to this book around the middle because, the Randall family was getting very suspicious and I thought it was the step mother that killed Karen. I would recommend this book to people that are interested in medical mysteries.
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Nov 30, 2008 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who like medical suspense novels.

Shelves: fiction-mystery

This is the first Michael Crichton book I've read, and I couldn't put it down. The pervading theme was the moral and ethical decisions doctors had to make concerning abortions -- performing them, knowingly not reporting (and, in fact, covering for)reputable doctors who performed them in hospital settings. This book was originally published under the name of Jeffery Hudson in 1968 when abortion was still illegal in the USA, and may have been intended to stir the public to legalize it. I personall...more

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Jul 29, 2008 Claudia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Crichton's first published book. PUblished when he was 26. Oh, the envy. You can really see his medical training here, as well as the unavoidable road to his eventual creation of ER.
I'm a sucker for a book that I'll learn something from and this one has footnotes and appendices for further medical background and explanations. There is a good look into the behind the scenes of a hospital.

The plot revolves around the issue of abortion in the late sixties. I'm guesstimating at the year because it...more

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Aug 23, 2010 Lany rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Too medical. Lots of medical terms. Sometimes the story doesn't even explain the terms. It just went thru with it and I can only hope that it will revealed later on. Sometimes too exhausted to read.

Sames as Disclosure, this story is outlined to have be done within the week. So the tempo is quite fast, though sometimes it's just too confusing to follow the main character "interogating" other characters. I think that the many characters were meant to distract the reader to know who the bad guy is...more

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Aug 08, 2011 John Mcconahey added it

If you’re a doctor, you’ll probably love this book. After all, Crichton attended Harvard Medical School and is certainly knowledgeable of the medical practices and techniques in effect at the time of publication (1968). If you’re a determined layman, have a dictionary close at hand while you follow this plot. Just be aware, this isn’t a book for fast reading (if you really want to know what the terms that are used mean) and it's heavily footnoted and apendicized. But, don’t let that discourage y...more

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May 12, 2013 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller

This was one of the few Michael Crichton novels I hadn't read yet, so I figured that my month of reading suspense & thrillers would be the perfect time to dive in. It's also worth mentioning that I haven't read many medical thrillers either, so I killed two birds with one stone on this one.

The story follows John Berry, a pathologist at a Boston hospital, who gets drawn into a medical and legal investigation when the daughter of a prominent Boston family dies in the emergency room after under...more This was one of the few Michael Crichton novels I hadn't read yet, so I figured that my month of reading suspense & thrillers would be the perfect time to dive in. It's also worth mentioning that I haven't read many medical thrillers either, so I killed two birds with one stone on this one.

The story follows John Berry, a pathologist at a Boston hospital, who gets drawn into a medical and legal investigation when the daughter of a prominent Boston family dies in the emergency room after undergoing what appears to be an illegal abortion. (Note: the story was written before Roe v. Wade, when all abortions were still considered illegal and taboo.) Berry's colleague, Art Lee, has been accused of performing the abortion and is awaiting trial. While Berry knows that Lee occasionally performs abortions on the side, he doesn't believe Lee would have let a patient die while under the knife, and he begins his own investigation on the side. But because of the prominence of the victim's family, Berry encounters a lot of resistance to his investigation and quickly discovers that there was more to the story than meets the eye.

While no one would argue that this is an accomplished work of literature, it still bears a strong resemblance to Crichton's later novels, particularly in terms of the scientific detail, the fast pace, and the incorporation of social issues to drive the plot, making this a very fast and entertaining read. A small thing I noticed: in this story, Crichton doesn't use many dialogue identifiers (eg. "he said," "she said"). This helped move the story along at a breakneck speed, but it also became a little difficult to follow the thread of the conversation, particularly if you read it as quickly as I did. Characters are hard to differentiate between, but then again, character development was never meant to be one of the story's strong points.

Another note: While Crichton uses a lot of scientific terminology, don't let that deter you from trying this book. Crichton excels at making high-tech concepts accessible for the lay person.

Recommended for: readers who like breakneck thrillers, medical thrillers, stories that incorporate major social issues into the plot.

Readalikes: Anything else that Michael Crichton has written. Andromeda Strain was his first novel written under his actual name and also features much scientific & medical jargon as well as breakneck pacing, although The Andromeda Strain is usually classified more as science fiction as opposed to straight-up thriller. State of Fear is another good choice if you enjoyed the presence of social & political issues within the main story - in this case, global warming is the topic du jour.

Robin Cook, a certified master of the medical thriller. Cook's prose is less scientific and straightforward than Crichton's, but he still offers an exciting glimpse into the dramatic and thrilling world of the medical community.

Mark Alpert combines action with scientific theory & explanation, creating high-octane and fascinating thrillers that are still accessible for the average reader. (less)

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May 05, 2013 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller

This was one of the few Michael Crichton novels I hadn't read yet, so I figured that my month of reading suspense & thrillers would be the perfect time to dive in. It's also worth mentioning that I haven't read many medical thrillers either, so I killed two birds with one stone on this one.

The story follows John Berry, a pathologist at a Boston hospital, who gets drawn into a medical and legal investigation when the daughter of a prominent Boston family dies in the emergency room after under...more This was one of the few Michael Crichton novels I hadn't read yet, so I figured that my month of reading suspense & thrillers would be the perfect time to dive in. It's also worth mentioning that I haven't read many medical thrillers either, so I killed two birds with one stone on this one.

The story follows John Berry, a pathologist at a Boston hospital, who gets drawn into a medical and legal investigation when the daughter of a prominent Boston family dies in the emergency room after undergoing what appears to be an illegal abortion. (Note: the story was written before Roe v. Wade, when all abortions were still considered illegal and taboo.) Berry's colleague, Art Lee, has been accused of performing the abortion and is awaiting trial. While Berry knows that Lee occasionally performs abortions on the side, he doesn't believe Lee would have let a patient die while under the knife, and he begins his own investigation on the side. But because of the prominence of the victim's family, Berry encounters a lot of resistance to his investigation and quickly discovers that there was more to the story than meets the eye.

While no one would argue that this is an accomplished work of literature, it still bears a strong resemblance to Crichton's later novels, particularly in terms of the scientific detail, the fast pace, and the incorporation of social issues to drive the plot, making this a very fast and entertaining read. A small thing I noticed: in this story, Crichton doesn't use many dialogue identifiers (eg. "he said," "she said"). This helped move the story along at a breakneck speed, but it also became a little difficult to follow the thread of the conversation, particularly if you read it as quickly as I did. Characters are hard to differentiate between, but then again, character development was never meant to be one of the story's strong points.

Another note: While Crichton uses a lot of scientific terminology, don't let that deter you from trying this book. Crichton excels at making high-tech concepts accessible for the lay person.

Recommended for: readers who like breakneck thrillers, medical thrillers, stories that incorporate major social issues into the plot.

Readalikes: Anything else that Michael Crichton has written. Andromeda Strain was his first novel written under his actual name and also features much scientific & medical jargon as well as breakneck pacing, although The Andromeda Strain is usually classified more as science fiction as opposed to straight-up thriller. State of Fear is another good choice if you enjoyed the presence of social & political issues within the main story - in this case, global warming is the topic du jour.

Robin Cook, a certified master of the medical thriller. Cook's prose is less scientific and straightforward than Crichton's, but he still offers an exciting glimpse into the dramatic and thrilling world of the medical community.

Mark Alpert combines action with scientific theory & explanation, creating high-octane and fascinating thrillers that are still accessible for the average reader. (less)

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May 07, 2012 Anna Ligtenberg rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

ISBN 0451183665 - The story isn't terrible, the writing style is pretty bad, though. Michael Crichton, aka Jeffery Hudson, has more than made up for this book and if you're a Crichton fan, you might want to read it just for the "read them all" thing, but don't expect too much.

It's the late '60s. Abortion is illegal, and Art Lee has the misfortune to be a Chinese abortionist in Boston when the young member of a prominent family dies from a botched abortion. His friend, pathologist John Berry, has...more

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Aug 16, 2010 T. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, thrillers-and-suspense

Before Congo, before Jurassic Park, there was this book. My dad shoved this into my hands when I was much younger, when he noticed me devouring his paperbacks. For all the crime and mystery stories that he read, I was surprised that he would be interested in medical thrillers. I suppose it was because he's a frustrated doctor, having been forced to be an accountant because my grandparents can't afford to send him to med school. I remember him telling stories about how he got a job as a doctor's...more Before Congo, before Jurassic Park, there was this book. My dad shoved this into my hands when I was much younger, when he noticed me devouring his paperbacks. For all the crime and mystery stories that he read, I was surprised that he would be interested in medical thrillers. I suppose it was because he's a frustrated doctor, having been forced to be an accountant because my grandparents can't afford to send him to med school. I remember him telling stories about how he got a job as a doctor's secretary to support himself through college - it was a difficult time, but I guess he enjoyed it all the same. It was the closest he can get to that world.

This book is what is linking me to my father's past, in a way. And since my reviews are never what they really should be, let me just say that because of its history, I am bent on keeping this book in my shelf for a long time. And I did read it. So here, my impressions: this book was fantastic, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Crichton wrote this while he was still in medical school, if I remember correctly, and he used the pseudonym Jeffery Hudson. Bloody fantastic. He was one of the writers I really admired primarily for his ideas (not the writing, but more on that below). I have spent many afternoons wondering what it would be like to have his brain actually.

I loved the suspense - the whiz, zing, thrill of it, considering this is about abortion, and everything about babies was icky for me back then. I also understood that when this was written (1960s), abortion was still illegal in the US. This book opened up a lot of discussions, which is what Crichton was aiming for, I think.

In terms of form and structure, the writing, the narrative - what could I say? Over the years I've read other writers whose prose was better, no, fantastic, even - Crichton loves to ramble. The story progressed with a lot of help from the reader, with me plodding on and urging the words to tumble faster in my head so we all can move along, dammit. He used a lot of footnotes, which I appreciated because it allowed me to understand some medical terms I've never heard of, but it jars, mind you. Nevertheless, there's a nice section of appendices after the story that was really interesting, too.

Four stars because I really, really liked the premise. If you read this today, no doubt the plot would be so dated you won't even bother to give it a chance, but this was Michael Crichton before he was the Michael Crichton. Respect.(less)

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Jul 13, 2010 Raja99 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mcpl

Why I Read This Book: I'd enjoyed reading Pirate Latitudes and was intrigued to read about this book in the Wikipedia; it was an early novel that Crichton wrote under a pseudonym, and it won the Mystery Writers of American 1969 Edgar Award for best mystery novel.

The story is narrated by a Boston pathologist whose obstetrician friend is accused of having committed an illegal abortion that killed a young woman. The fact that the obstetrician performs abortions is something of an open secret at th...more

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Aug 13, 2008 Annika rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I like medical fiction....medical thrillers really, and this is just okay. It's more like he's SHOWING you a story instead of telling you a story.

It's very dated. Written in 1968, when abortion was illegal. The names are dated, the way they dress, some of the settings. Why would a random middle aged guy be allowed to sit in a girl's dorm alone to "question" her without suspicions being raised? Some of line of med and law is blurred.

It's an ok read. It passes quickly.

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May 02, 2012 Matthew rated it 4 of 5 stars

Michael Crichton has consistently been one of my favorite authors and I have looked forward to each book. A Case of Need happens to be the first Crichton book I ever read; then I saw the movie Jurassic Park and read the accompanying novel. Afterword, I waited for each Crichton book to appear and it seemed to fit well with my nerd persona.

Essentially that's what Crichton is. His detailed writing and use of specific research and concepts appeals to readers interested in right-brain thinking. A Ca...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Benjamin Thomas rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller, thriller-medical

This was Michael Crichton's first published work, at the age of 26, written shortly after his graduation from Harvard Medical School. I found it to be a fairly straight forward and fairly tame medical thriller by today's standards but at the time of its publication, it might well have been more cutting edge.

The protagonist is a pathologist working in a large Boston hospital who comes to the defense of a friend who has been accused of murder via a failed abortion procedure. It's one man against t...more

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Jan 20, 2011 _incubus rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

tre stelline. Il libro è carino e fra l'altro leggendo l'introduzione di crichton ho scoperto che l'ha scritto mentre ancora frequentava l'università di medicina.. cioè lui mentre studiava medicina ad harvard trovava il tempo per cimentarsi nelle vesti di scrittore (fra l'altro in caso di necessità ha pure avuto parecchio successo).. sono quasi shokkata però è adorabile.. ok tornando al commento... la storia ti prende, è inevitabile.. insomma una ragazza muore in seguito ad un aborto fatto da in...more

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Jun 18, 2011 Katy rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was written in the late 1960s (copyright is 1968) when the author had just finished his own medical internship. As such, it is not at all surprising that it is somewhat medically dense, nor is it surprising that there are footnotes and appendices (which were commonly used during that time and to which people were accustomed, unlike now when, if we don't know, we either don't want to know or we want it covered in the text). I also found it a fascinating look at the 1960s - the language...more

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Dec 13, 2008 Kevin Beary rated it 3 of 5 stars

Michael Crichton , a favorite author of mine`s , first book. I have read some favorable amazon reviews but must differ from them. I gave it a 3 rating so I liked it as the book kept my interest and I enjoyed the medical knowledge (or future knowledge when I look up a half-dozen items) it contained. But , the drama of his later books are clearly superior , and I think it is obvious that this is a weaker precursor of greater things to come. Some touted the plot twists , or the writing , or the con...more

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Mar 09, 2012 Windri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: thrillers

This book started really well. There was a dead patient, a daughter of a famous doctor and a friend of the protagonist was accused doing the abortion that led to the death of the patient.
It was intriguing (though I am not sure that a layman could enjoy reading it uninterrupted without consulting google or dictionary) and the plot was built really well.
Half through the book, I have to admit that I couldn't put it down until I finished
My problem with this book is there was some unsolved mysteries...more

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Jan 02, 2010 Tristan Macavery rated it 3 of 5 stars

Crichton's fist work, published under the pseudonym of Jeffrey Hudson, is one of those "shows promise" books which, at the time of its publication, was highly controversial (abortion was almost completely illegal, with only desperate circumstances permitting the procedure) and now seems like a dull topic for a suspnse thriller. This terse, clipped review isn't intended to insult, only to express the notion that a great many good writers often publish a first novel that, when compared to later wo...more

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Nov 26, 2009 Soennug rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fiction

This book was excellent at piquing my curiosity. When authors write about medical stuff, I usually don't take them for their word. All that vagueness can't be too specific, but Michael Crichton, thanks to his graduation from Medical School at Harvard, is an exception. Reading his novel feels authentic, believable. This guy loves strutting his knowledge of medical terms, and does it well. A Case of Need has good suspense, making it a page turner (I finished the book in one sitting), though the si...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Michael Robinson rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is written in the classic Michael Crichton writing style and method. I love how Crichton peppers his stories with interesting real life tidbits of the underlying subject matter. This one is a medical mystery. In it, Crichton shares his knowledge and keen sense of familiarity with the jargon, habits and protocol of the world of hospitals and doctors with his readers while providing a mystery that catches the reader quick.

Chichton's novels start the reader off in a sense of curiosity on...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book bc it was about the taboo topic of abortion. The characters were well developed and the main character of John Berry was interesting to follow. Another thing i really enjoyed about this book was the scattering of medical jargon within the text. It was like a reality episode of ER or some other popular medical drama. Although i have seen the subject of an abortion going wrong and the patient dying, this was a very good perception. The one thing that wasn't believable was the t...more

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Mar 16, 2011 Little rated it 3 of 5 stars

It might just be pregnant brain, but I had a hard time keeping the characters straight in this novel. There were a number of really important people (one in particular) who were briefly introduced, and then I had forgotten who they were by the time they showed up again at critical junctions. Also, reading as someone who is anti-death in a context where abortion is the accepted norm, the story seems a little less than timely. I know it was topical when it was published, but 30 years is a long tim...more

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Feb 26, 2008 Dufour rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime

Quick airplane read, but oddly, Crichton's best work from an execution point of view. Nowhere else was his writing more concise yet detailed than in this book. And the surprise turns of the plot were incredibly engaging.

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Dec 09, 2010 Mary Lou rated it 2 of 5 stars

The story revolves around a gynecologist, not so secretly doing abortions, who is accused in the botched abortion of a society girl. He believes an abortion should no more be denied in a case of need than an antibiotic should be denied a person with an infection. The dead girl is the daughter of an influential surgeon, thoroughly disliked & a woman who insists that her daughter named the accused before losing consciousness. The accused is a friend of the pathologist telling the story, invest...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Candy rated it 2 of 5 stars

When I begin a book that I didn't think I'd read and find out, after a few pages or chapters, that the opposite is true, then I realize that that book is an utterly forgettable one! Such was the case with this one, which I must have read within the past year. Novels whose character development and richness of plot will stay with me long after putting the book down---those are the ones I rate a 5. Perhaps if I'd read this one when it was first published, when the issue of abortion was so controve...more

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Dec 16, 2008 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars

A Case of Need was my first Chrichton book, recommended to honor his passing a few weeks ago. I figured it would be an interesting but quick read, a detective medical mystery.
I was right, but it was also much more - so well written, and perfectly paced, with just enough bits of medical knowledge sprinkled in. It was also set in my town (Boston) which added another element of interest.
The book also brought up some moral/ethical questions about abortion, and I loved the appendix outlining the 19...more

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Feb 05, 2009 Danna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Back in the airport, on my way to Cupertino on business this time, looking around in Book People for the next trashy thriller to entertain myself on the plane. What fun to find a Crichton novel I haven't read yet. His first novel, written in 1969 under a pseudonym, is rough around the edges and often takes on a textbook tone as he stops to define bits of medical jargon in footnotes or other asides. Despite this, you can tell he already has a good foundation to build upon as he goes on to develop...more

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Feb 09, 2010 Donna rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Bizarre. Not in that it was a strange story, but reading of that particular time period in history. It is 1968, five years before Roe vs. Wade, and the central issue is the mysterious death of a woman from having an abortion illegally performed by some doctor or other. I won't say who, so as not to spoil the story, but one forgets the turmoil of those years when abortion was not legal. Granted, it is still a hotbed issue today; my gynecologist happens to share her office with Planned Parenthood,...more

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Jan 20, 2010 salinthebay rated it 3 of 5 stars

I love reading Michael Crichton because he is such a medical doctor, attorney, as well as a great crime and passion author. And, I must cut him a break here because this was his first published book, c 1969. To the point, it was written when abortion was still illegal in this country. The main character, his Asian friend and colleague, is accused of doing an abortion on a young woman who died as a result. Therefore, one is set up for this moral dilemma. Unfortunately, I was able to figure out th...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Kellie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I like Michael Crichton - Jurrassic Park anyone? This book came from the never-ending magical box o' paperbacks my neighbor gave me and I was pleasantly surprised. It is Crichton's debut novel and was written in the late sixties. Surprisingly, the time frame didn't bother me and was really a non-factor. It was a classic medical who-dun-it with a large (too large) cast of characters and a regular guy trying to figure things out. Didn't much care about any of the characters, but the story held my...more

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