Lethal Remedy

Prescription for Trouble #4

by Richard L. Mabry

What happens when the race to stop a lethal bacteria becomes a race to stop a killer?

Dr. Sara Miles' teenage patient is on the brink of death from an overwhelming, highly resistant infection with Staph luciferus, known to doctors as -the killer.- Only an experimental antibiotic, developed and administered by Sara's ex-husband can save the girl's life.

But potentially lethal effects from the drug send Sara and her colleague, Dr. Rip Pearson, on a hunt for hidden critical data that will let them reverse the effects before it's too late. What is the missing puzzle piece? And who is hiding it?
-A fast-paced inspirational medical thriller that will hold you spellbound.- - FreshFiction.com
-Lethal Remedy boasts a gripping medical plot that only an insider could write so believably... Dr. Mabry takes his knowledge of the medical profession, combines it with a ticking clock, and gives the reader a problem we'd all be terrified to face. What more could the reader of a good medical suspense ask for?- --Susan Sleeman, author of Behind The Badge and The Justice Agency series

-Lethal Remedy is the perfect cure for boredom: a first-rate medical thriller with humor, engaging characters, and realism that only a seasoned doctor could bring to the story.- --Rick Acker, author of When the Devil Whistles and Blood Brothers

Genres: Christian Fiction, Suspense, Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Christian, Romance

288 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2010

About the author

Dr. Richard Mabry is a retired physician, past Vice-President of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and the author of twelve published novels of medical suspense and six novellas. His books have been finalists in competitions including ACFW’s Carol Award and Romantic Times’ Inspirational Book of the Year, and have won the Selah Award from the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference.

Richard’s non-fiction book, The Tender Scar: Life After The Death Of A Spouse (Kregel Publishers), has ministered to multiple thousands of grieving individuals. His meditations and short pieces have appeared in The Upper Room, In Touch, and several other periodicals.

When Richard is not writing, he spends his time reading, working fruitlessly to improve his golf game, and defending his title as the world’s best Granddad. He and his wife live in north Texas and are active members of Stonebriar Community Church, pastored by Dr. Chuck Swindoll.

Reviews

[LA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. My. Goodness.
I have found a new-to-me author that captivated my attention from the first sentence to the last on page 293. I started this book yesterday morning and finished it late this afternoon. I just couldn’t put it down – even with kids vying for my attention.
I was introduced to Richard Mabry through his guest blogs on Seekerville (check out the link on my Favourite Links page). I liked what he had to say in his blog posts so I decided to check out his medical thriller novels. I was not disappointed!
There’s a lot of medical terms and names of drugs thrown around but hey, it’s written by a medical doctor, set in a University hospital, and doctors are racing against the clock to find a cure from a miracle drug that’s being pushed on to the market but has serious side effects – paralysis, or autoimmune diseases, even death – so I totally get it. It didn’t phase me one bit though. I devoured the text and even sacrificed precious hours of sleep (yes, it was THAT good) to find out what happened next.
Honestly, I didn’t see the ending coming. There were twists and turns that had me talking to myself out loud. At one point I thought, Dr. Mabry, you’re clever but I know who “the man” is. And then there was a spot in the final quarter of the book where I thought, That’s not fun killing off those two guys. Now what’s going to happen? And when “those two guys” showed up a few pages later ALIVE, I thought, Dr. Mabry, you ARE very clever. Now who were those two guys???
The gist of the story is this: An experimental antibiotic is developed to combat the highly resistant staph luciferus, reportedly 100% effective with no side effects. Potentially lethal side effects send Dr. Sara Miles and her colleague Dr. Rip Pearson searching for critical data to help them reverse the effects before someone else dies. The drug was developed by Sara’s ex-husband, who is highly secretive and evasive when it comes to EpAm848.
It’s exciting!
Racing against the clock to save a young girl’s life.
Secrets and backroom dealing of the Big Pharma.
Malpractice suits and irate patients.
A colourful cast of characters with secrets of their own.
Who can you trust?
And who is “the man” who holds all the cards in his hand?
The answer will surprise you.

[Glynith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 4th in the Prescription for Trouble series by Dr. Richard Mabry. The series shows us his diversity. He maintained his easy to read, fast paced, clean, Christian writing style without being preachy. You will have suspense, mystery and romance without gory death or intimate love scenes. In Lethal Remedy, Dr. Mabry gives us a medical thriller that will keep readers on the edge of our seats.

People are dying from Staphylococcus luciferus worldwide. A very fitting name for a bacteria known as "The Killer". Dr. Jack Ingersoll and Jandra Pharmaceuticals have an experimental antibiotic that would kill it after 10 days of intravenous Jandramycin.

Dr. Sara Miles have a teenage patient dying of Staph luciferus. Should she try the experimental drug on her patient? She have no other alternative and Jandramycin worked. No known side effects and a 100% success rate so far in the studies. A few weeks after the treatment, teenage patient and some others treated with the same "wonder drug" are back showing another serious illness going on. Are there late side effects to the drug that are being kept secret? How far are the people rooting for Jandramycin's approval going to do to get it approved? Will greed eventually trump over health in the medical field?

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lethal Remedy was a fine read, but I was a little confused with all the characters being introduced in the beginning. While I found the plot interesting, it took some time before I got invested in it. So, all in all it was good, but not a favorite.

*I received a complimentary ebook copy via NetGalley for my honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

[Books and Things · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am giving this book 4.5 stars.

This was an unexpectedly enjoyable read! I found myself getting sucked in and wanting to know what was going to happen next. A book hasn't made me feel that way in a long time, so it was really nice to experience that feeling again.

I was considering DNF'ing this book at 36 pages, due to Lethal Remedy having a completely different writing style than the book I read prior to it (it took me a bit to readjust 😅), but I'm so happy I continued to read. I will admit, I was reading Lethal Remedy for the plot, not really for the characters (although John and Lillian are absolute gems), but it was still a good read. I loved how everyone worked together to solve the mystery, and I need to point out how much I appreciate the characters not acting stupid for the sake of the story. I think in some suspense novels, an author will make the characters as not-very-smart so the reader does most of the guessing, but the characters in Lethal Remedy didn't come up with any assumptions I hadn't already considered, so that was refreshing to see.

The medical information was very interesting to read about. Some people may not like that aspect of it, but I do. My only complaint about this book is the number of characters introduced in the beginning. It was a bit overwhelming, but I got used to it and was fine after a little while.

I will definitely be checking out more Richard Mabry books in the future!

[Loraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Richard Mabry is an expert at writing medical mysteries. As a doctor, he knows the ins and outs of the medical establishment. As a Godly man, he always includes good spiritual content. I enjoyed this suspense novel that focuses on a new antibiotic that is in the pipeline. The company claims it will be a miracle drug, but Dr. Sara Miles, Dr. Rip Pearson, and 2 other doctors are seeing side effects that can be lethal appearing months after the drugs have been used on patients to combat a killer bacteria. What is the missing link when all the company officials including Sara's ex are saying there are no side effects?

I found the suspense in this wasn't quite up to Mabry's usual standards, but I did enjoy the story.

Rating: 3.5

[Tamara Tilley · Rating 3 out of 5]

LETHAL REMEDY was a bit of a disappointment. I say “a bit” because there were still parts that I enjoyed, but unfortunately it still left me wanting. While I really enjoyed books one and two in the Prescription for Trouble series, the last two were not as well rounded. Now– I am reviewing this book from a female perspective, and the parts of the book I felt were lacking were the relational influence between characters, but I also am a suspense reader and I felt the tie-up in this novel was rushed and lackluster.

Dr. Sarah Miles is struggling on many fronts. The collapse of her marriage, the loss of a child, and now, one of her patients is under attack by a deadly disease that only her ex-husband’s research can help her with. But the more Sarah researches this new wonder drug, the more she realizes it’s a potential killer and someone is willing to silence her before she can make her findings known. As she teams up with fellow physicians, personal attractions arise, but that is where they are left.

The first third of this book was difficult to get into. In fact, when I read the forward and realized book four was an add-on, I felt that answered a lot of questions. It just didn’t have the impact as books one and two. Multiple characters were introduced, but none of them, other than Sarah were really fleshed out. Mabry tugged on heartstrings here and there, but that only left me wanting more. But, that is something I’ve come to realize with male authors. Sometimes they lack on the emotional front. The conclusion was a bit anticlimactic and rushed. In fact, I read the wrap-up without even realizing it.

All that to say, I haven’t given up on Richard Mabry, I would still probably buy his future books, hoping they have the intensity of his first two installments.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

First posted on my blog, Legacy of a Writer.

While I know next to nothing when it comes to the medical industry, every so often I do enjoy picking up a medical suspense or mystery. Doctor Richard Mabry brings to readers the fourth and final book in the Prescription for Trouble series. While I have only read one other in the series (book 3, Diagnosis Death), I was looking forward to more by this author who is, obviously, very knowledgeable in this area.

There were a lot of characters in this book. Moreso then in his previous book. The first few chapters I was a bit confused as I tried to remember all the different characters and, as the story progressed, what their motives were. Sarah Miles and Rip Pearson were two characters I really got to like but, as a result of all the added characters, I didn’t get to know them as well as I had liked.

The whole suspenseful plot surrounding the wonder-drug, Jandramycin, was really good and kept me reading. I think the ‘mysterious person’ behind the plot to take down Jandra was almost kept too mysterious. At the end, when all was revealed, I was surprised—but not in the way I usually am surprised when the bad guy is discovered. It was just…different, I guess.

In all, Lethal Remedy was a nice, mildly suspenseful read. The scenes were all relatively short, and I found myself easily flying through the pages, making this an easy read. The ending felt a bit rushed and quickly wrapped up. I would’ve liked to have read more on where Sara’s relationship with Rip and Mark went. But, all in all, Lethal Remedy is a great conclusion to the Prescription for Trouble series. Richard knows his stuff when it comes to medicine!

[Sarita · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of the story was promising, especially to deliver a suspenseful ride. Was there suspense? Yes, but more mild to my liking. It felt like some of the suspenseful events were more of an afterthought, than taking me as reader along for the journey.

The author did a great job though of hiding who "the man" was and it was really only revealed at the end, more in a subtly why than a big bang revelation.

There was a lot of characters to get to know and by the end I felt the story was a bit too short to develop each of these characters' stories fully. I was left with a lot of unanswered questions/open endings especially since this was the last book of the series.

Narrator: The narrator was okay. I didn't really enjoy her presentation of the story or really communicating the characters feelings over without sounding a bit whiny.

[AlegnaB † · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4

[Adair · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyable well written series

[sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed in the way it ended. It didn't seem like a solid conclusion.

[Kristie Rolston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book even though it is different than the other books in the series. The story is told from multiple perspectives, including that of the bad guy.

It was pretty easy for me to create a suspect list. Dr Ingersoll has a lot to lose if the side effects of his medication go public. He’s arrogant, self absorbed, has a history of pretty sketchy behavior in regard to his ex wife, and a borderline drinking problem. Then there is Mark. He’s a doctor with a law degree who consults with pharmaceutical companies. He’s inserted himself into too many situations for me to trust him.

I am one of those people who never fully trusted pharmaceutical companies before, and having read this book, I can say I feel justified in my opinion. If even half of the underhanded, cutting corners, fudging data stuff in this book is true… well it makes sense that the FDA pulls meds and allows class action lawsuits.

Good story. Lots to think about.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had "interviewed" two books and set them back on the shelf before reading the first pages and being captivated by Dr. Richard L. Mabry's "Lethal Remedy". From the very beginning this CF suspense story questions raised the epic what-ifs.

What kept the pace moving rapidly was the inclusion of at least two characters, and sometimes four characters perspectives while keeping the plot moving linear. Never hopping back and forth in time.

Dr. Sara Miles questions the veracity of a trial drug aimed at curing a new super staff virus infecting the population globally. While the patients were "cured" of the virus, they developed odd symptoms that in some cases turned deadly within weeks. She along with Dr. John Ramsey, Dr. Rip Pearson, and Dr. Lillian Goodman risk their lives in this riveting pursuit of a cure.

I highly recommend this story.

[Pam Chaffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love fictional medical mysteries, and to find a Christian medical mystery series that is as good as this one is a gift. This is a well written series, (by a doctor), and keeps you guessing throughout. The characters are well developed; some you will love, whereas some you will strongly dislike. This definitely shows Christian values, but not in a heavy handed way, so it will hopefully appeal to a wider audience. In my opinion, this series is a must read!

[Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars so I've rounded up to 4. I enjoyed the characters; Sara, Rip, John and Lillian. It was great to see their relationships grow over the story and how they worked together to solve the mystery. There was a cover-up but the story for me was more about what they could do for their patients. It was a nice, easy read.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this work of fiction fascinating. I am drawn to medical type fiction and this series, written by a doctor, was excellent. Written from a Christian world view but not "preachy". Great mystery as well.

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Medical Suspense written by a medical doctor

My favorite suspense books are often related to hospitals and the practice of medicine. This book is about greed cancelling the promise made when doctors pledge the Hippocratic Oath, and other doctors seeking the truth.

[Teresa Yarbrough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing suspense and surprises all around

Dr. Mabry does it again. Keeps the reader in suspense, page after page. And just when you think you figured out who did it, Dr. Mabry throws in another twist.

[Edward Arrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. Since I read it five years ago, it has been too long to recall enough to write a review now. Suffice it to say that I am hooked on Richard Mabry's books.

[Jacob Peled · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book in the style of the authors Robin Cook and Michael Palmer. Medical stress. Lots of medical terms. Those who are not interested in terminology can simply skip it.

[Trish · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars/Fiction; Suspense

The fourth book in the Prescription for Trouble series, this book left me with more questions than answers.

The main story idea was good. One doctor who has developed an antiobiotic against a deadly virus and two additional doctors trying to identify what is causing the long term side effects in their patients once they have been given the experimental drug during study trials. That part of the book made for an interesting read and would warrant three out of five stars from me. I liked the suspense of not knowing who was 'behind the scenes' putting everything in motion and also trying to figure out how the doctors were going to connect all the dots.

Notice the lack of names there? It's because sadly, there were so many characters that none of them made enough impact for me to remember.

All the 'side stories' that were introduced throughout the book were enough to make me want to throw it across the room. There were numerous parts of the story that were disjointed and made no sense with the overall plot. Crying babies, talking dead people. Really? I can honestly say that I never did understand what Dr. Ramsey's role was in the story. His character seemed like an afterthought that Mabry used to try and tie some of the fragmented information together. The overall character development was flat and none of them overly likeable. I never felt a connection with them or between them, though the author tried hard to make it work.

The only details that were in abundance were the medical terms used in relation to the patients. Were I someone who knew that medical terminology, I might have enjoyed the story better, but as it were they seemed highly overused. I found myself skimming over those sections when I get tired of looking them up.

The middle of the book was slow and at some point, maybe two-thirds of the way in, I lost interest. Needless to say, I forged my way through anyway hoping for some grand finale. Without spoiling it, I will just say that it was a mediocre conclusion at best and ended with little explanation for some of the incidences that happened early in the story. Perhaps it might be a story better understood the second time through, but I did not care enough for it to want to read it again.

***
As a side note, it ticks me off when authors write scenes in their books that involve what they call 'automatic' guns. Unless a person (or character, for that matter) is of a military background, a spy or an international drug smuggler, to whom access to an automatic weapon is probable; the average person (in this case, Dr. Ingersoll) would not/could not possess the said 'automatic pistol' NOR would he be capable of shooting a single round with it, had it actually been an automatic. Correctly identified, the gun used is semi-automatic.

Regardless of their personal beliefs, if authors are going to incoporate the use of handguns into their stories they should at least do their homework.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read one other book by Richard Mabry, the first in the series, though I've not read any of the others. The main character here, Sarah, has a fairly lengthy backstory, and from reading my review from the other book Code Blue, it sounds like Mabry's books in the series are all standalones, but it feels like there could be enough material there to be at least a subplot in an earlier book. Likewise, there is an older doctor, Jack, who plays a minor role here but feels like the kind of character who could have starred in his own book earlier in the series.
In 'Lethal Remedy', the medical world is fighting the newest superbug, Staph Luciferus, and Sarah's ex-husband is an infection control doctor who is working closely with Jandra Pharmaceuticals to speed the development of the only antibiotic which is shown to be effective against it. Meanwhile, Sarah is a clinic doctor at the same hospital and sees the devastating effects the infection has on her patients until she enrolls them in the trial for the drug, Jandramycin. The drug has shown to be 100% effective, which holds true for Sarah's patients, as well as those of her colleague, Rip, who holds a fellowship in infection prevention and works closely with her ex, until some of the patients return to the hospital with signs of serious new health crises. Sarah and Rip compare notes and find that the common link among them is treatment with Jandramycin, but when they try to confront her ex with these potential side effects, he shuts them out, knowing that the success of this drug is his key to a life of luxury, even if it mean compromising his standards.
While the Jandramycin plot is well-developed, I felt there were others left hanging. For example, the older doctor, Jack, who I mentioned above, pricks himself with a needle that is in a trash can pointy side up, which feels like an intentional act, especially when it turns out to be infected with S. Luciferus, but Mabry never elaborates on how it got there. There is also a scene at the boardroom meeting of a rival pharmaceutical company that wants to acquire Jandra, and a voice comes from somewhere talking about sabotage, but I couldn't figure out where they fit into the picture, as the rival company is hardly mentioned again.
This book was an enjoyable quick read, but didn't have the whodunit feel of other medical thrillers I've read, as the good guys stayed good, and the bad guys stayed bad, and it was just a matter of sorting things out to come to the conclusion. I rated the other book of his 'Code Blue' very highly, so I'll probably read the other books in this series because I did enjoy this one even though I found some flaws and rated the first one higher.

[Alexa (Alexa Loves Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review posted on Alexa Loves Books

If I walked into a bookstore, I would never have gravitated towards the section where you'd find this book. And that would have been unfortunate because I really and truly enjoyed reading this novel.

Medicine, for the most part, has never been something I've found an interest in (unlike most of my best friends, who are nurses or doctors in the making). It says something about this book that I was interested in the story line, despite the fact it revolved around just that very topic.

There are various medical terms and jargon sprinkled throughout the book, but I never for a moment felt lost because they were always defined or explained in layman's terms that I could understand. I believe that this is because the author, Richard Mabry, is actually a medical practitioner himself and thus had a very knowledgeable grasp of the subject matter and how to impart it to people outside of the field of medicine.

The suspense of the novel - from figuring out what the "lethal remedy" was doing to its test subjects to the succeeding corporate intrigue that followed - definitely had me hooked. There are times when I enjoy a good mystery/suspense story and this one was quite well written. I couldn't figure out for sure who the culprit was or what the solution would end up being, but the author manages to bring us to a tidy conclusion in the end.

I feel quite affectionate towards the characters, especially Sara Miles, Rip Pearson and John Ramsey. These three embody the qualities and attitudes that I believe real doctors ought to have - a sincere compassion and concern for their patients, logical and clear thinking and a strong sense of what's right and what's wrong being some of the more stellar examples we see in the story.

Despite the fact that there were some outrageously out of the blue occurrences in the book (though I guess they tied in well enough with the whole threat aspect of the novel), I thought that Lethal Remedy was quite enjoyable for my first foray into this particular sort of book. Richard Mabry does a wonderful job bringing to life his characters and a story that will intrigue and command the reader's attention -- and he's convinced me to start trying more novels of this kind, starting with the rest of his Prescription for Trouble series.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lethal Remedy by Dr. Richard L. Mabry

Ok, so this new drug can cure a deadly staph infection, one even worse than MRSA, and it is perfectly safe, no side effects, just all good stuff? That should throw a red flag right there! Yet Jandra Pharmaceutical was using Dr. Ingersol to convince Doctors and patients that this experimental drug is the wonder drug of all times. But someone somewhere is not telling all, and Dr. Rip Pearson is determined to find some answers. As I was reading the book I had to wonder if things like this happen today. The way people are always trying to get ahead and make the big money, you have to wonder. Is it all about the patient or all about the money?

Being a huge fan of Dr. Mabry’s books, I was anxious to read this forth book in the Prescription for Trouble Series. Though Lethal Remedy was a lighter read than the other three books, I was still glued to the pages until the last word! Again, he created a cast of characters that were unique and played their part so well to make the book a fast-paced, easy read enjoyable thriller. Throughout the book was the big question of whodoneit. And Dr. Ingersol’s character was very well written but he was a jerk! It sure wouldn’t do for him to be my Doctor! And the way it all ended was interesting, and good old doc Ingersol wasn’t as great as he wanted people to believe he was. But you need to read the book to find out all about that! And I can’t leave out the way the author writes the faith of his characters into the story, not so it jumps out of the book at you, but so we can see Christ in the lives of the characters. I appreciate the way God is using Dr Mabry to spread the gospel to a group of people that may not hear it otherwise.

I’m glad Abingdon Press and Dr Mabry decided to add a fourth book to this series. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lethal Remedy and highly recommend it to anyone who likes medical fiction, thrillers, mystery and just a good book to read!

I rec’d this book from the publisher Harvest House through F.I.R.S.T. WildCard Tours. I was not expected or required to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are mine only.

[Kathleen (Kat) Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Staphylococcus luciferus - also known as the Killer by those in the medical community. This is the super bug of all because there is no known drug to treat it. Those who come down with the diagnosis will die unless a cure is found.

Dr. Jack Ingersol is just the man! In his recent study into antibiotics, he believes he has discovered the miracle drug, known as Jandramycin named after the pharmaceutical Jack works for Jandra Pharamceuticals, when administered for 10 days intravenously, the patient recovers with no side effects. Now this will not only be the drug that saves lives but will save the career of Dr. Jack Ingersol as well as his struggle pharmaceutical company from ruin.

Dr. John Ramsey has been a doctor for forty years, and has mentored many including Dr. Sara Miles, the ex-wife of Jack Ingersol in his career. Struggling himself to find a purpose in life since losing his wife, he believes he needs to return to being a doctor again and save lives. What he doesn't expect is to be saving not only his own but the life of his fellow colleagues including Sara Miles.

When Sara begins treatment of one of her patients a young teen girl named Chelsea with Jandramycin whose dying from the Killer infection.She soon is well to go home after being at death's door. When Chelsea shows up with paralysis weeks later, Sara soon discovers that she may have just administered a lethal remedy instead.

In the medical suspense thriller, Lethal Remedy by Richard L. Mabry, MD, the reader is taken into the dark world of the clinical trials for a pharmaceutical company that will stop at nothing to make sure this drug is approved and ready for sale. I LOVED this book and being a fan of medical mysteries, this one had me on the edge of my seat and questioned just how safe are the drugs we take on faith today. What would happen if this occurred today? I rate this one a hands down 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait to read more by Richard Mabry in the Medical Suspense with a Heart series. I received this Kindle edition compliments of Abingdon Press and NetGalley for my honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lethal Remedy, a Prescription for Death book by Richard Mabry
Abingdon Press
October 2011
ISBN: 9781426735448
$13.99

Genre: suspense

An addition to the Prescription for Death series, Dr. Mabry will force you to look into the microscope of contemporary drug companies challenging each other in the race for power, glory and riches.

The scare of the infection that can’t be cured gives academic medical facilities a reason to use hospital patients facing frightening illnesses in drug study tests that will find a cure for the particular ailment without causing worse harm.

The research sometimes has…fatal consequences to more than the patient’s health.

Dizzy with the amount of storylines all coming together, I occasionally lost track of where I was, and what had been happening. Told in an almost scene-by-scene cut and action method, the reader is compelled by ramping tension to follow Drs. Sara Stiles, Rip Pearson, Mark Wilcox, John Ramsey, and Lillian Goodman as they unravel the devastating treatment of a deadly fictional staph infection with an experimental drug that leaves patients with damaging side effects, or death.

This was my first Dr. Mabry book, and I suspect that Dr. John Ramsey was the main thread in the earlier books, although he wasn’t introduced until well into the story, and then felt like an accompanying character. Mabry also set up a love triangle between Drs. Stiles, Rip and Wilcox that was rife with red herrings, doubts, and heroics that did leave me guessing on occasion, even as I wondered if there was going to be any culmination to the drama. A loose end left me hanging and made me despise the main bad guy worse than Mabry wanted me to, and some too tidy tie-ups in Europe and at home wasn’t what I expected. As an ensemble who-dun-it, I found Lethal Remedy to be a fast-paced thriller. Those who love all the medical tech jargon and the excitement of the rich and famous lifestyle will be satisfied by Mabry’s natural and common use of scientific terminology.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a good book! This is a medical murder mystery (M3) thriller. Just about the time you *think* you know who the murderer is -- another person looks like he might be the bad guy. BTW -- I'm giving nothing away by saying "bad guy". You'll know that fact within a few pages of the beginning of the book. And frankly -- it won't help you solve who did it.

I did something different while I read this book. Since it was in the Kindle edition (downloaded free from Amazon), every time I had a thought about *who* did it -- I'd make a note. BOY! Did I end up with a bunch of notes. Not every one of them had to do with the murderer. I also highlight good phrases or sentences. For example, this one after the lead female character Sara has a run-in with a "self-important, self-centered, pompous" character (who, I'm sure you will grow to dislike along with Sara. She mentally quips, "Who says Lamaze training can't be useful except in labor?"

The writer tells us in the "Acknowledgments" that he hopes to witness for God through his writing. He does that but not with a weighty hand but by just doing the typical things that a Christian does. For example: offering a silent prayer. I really liked how Dr. Mabry shows that a Christian prays easily. That prayer isn't always audible not is it forced but, in fact, is an automatic situation.

I really can't write any more names in this review for fear of giving the conclusion away. This is TOO good of book to have that happen. This series consists of standalone books. This is the second in this series I have read. And I'm actually reading another one at this moment. If I'm wrong about that, please add a comment to this review correcting my perception.

I gave this book 5 stars even though some typos were found in the book. Within the last few days, I've read several books on publishing in Kindle. There are MULTIPLE, very easy ways to generate an error in the Kindle edition that did not exist in the one uploaded to Amazon. I will continue to deduct star(s) for poor grammar and excessive typos.

[Julie Witt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love medical mysteries, so when I saw this book listed on NetGalley I knew I had to read it. I wasn't aware at that time that this was the fourth book in a series (Prescription for Trouble) but luckily it can be read as a stand alone as well.

From Goodreads: "What happens when the race to stop a lethal bacteria becomes a race to stop a killer?"

That sentence alone was enough to interest me in this book! Intriguing, no? I am very happy to say that Dr. Richard Mabry did not disappoint! This is a very fast paced medical mystery, with characters who you can relate to and care about. The author keeps you guessing until the end, trying to figure out who is involved and who isn't in this globe spanning conspiracy.

The subject matter was very interesting as you hear all the time about drug companies putting so much money into developing new drugs in the cut throat industry of pharmaceutical research. One of the reasons I really enjoyed reading this thriller is because you can actually imagine this scenario occurring in real life, and that is definitely scary!!

The book moved along at a quick pace and there was good character growth, especially in the female MC, Dr. Sara Miles, who learns to trust again after a bitter divorce and the loss of a child, and Dr. John Ramsey, who finally starts to move on after the death of his wife. There were a few side plots that I think the book could have done without as they didn't really add anything to the story, but nothing that detracted from my ability to enjoy the book. I liked the Christian tone of the book as well.

All in all, I thought this was a very interesting book, and I look forward to going back and reading the first three books in the series :D

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens when the race to stop a lethal bacteria becomes a race to stop a killer vaccine?

Dr. Richard Mabry’s book, Lethal Remedy, is a suspense that includes high-level managerial participants, with one anonymous snitch. A vaccine, Jandramyacin, is claimed to be the miracle cure for Staph luciferus, a world-wide epidemic that has killed hundreds around the world. This book has been my favorite so far based on the number of scenarios, the conflicting participants, and how quickly the circumstances change. It’s fast-paced and multi-leveled from the first page to the last.

Richard shows how money, greed, and status can become center stage instead of healing people, and that some people are willing to kill to get it all! Secrets, mysterious testing, and missing data are the impetus of distrust between some of the doctors and the pharmaceutical companies. As the international convention is convening, will the crucial missing methodology puzzle piece that creates the intensity of the lethal side effects data be exposed?

The story makes one wonder how much of this goes on today in the medical world. Can we trust the drug companies and their employees? How about our own doctor? Is he/she really looking out for our best interests, or are money, power and prestige driving the use of certain medications? Find out at the end what the author’s experience has been.

The gentle romance took some of the intensity off the situation, and I was surprised with the outcome of the relationships!

The faith of several of the characters made a huge impact on the end results. I was surprised with who was willing to put prayer to the test.

Special thanks to Julie Dowd (Abingdon Press) for sending me a review copy. No monetary compensation was exchanged.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prescription for Trouble Series Book 4

Dr. Sara Mile's teenage patient is on the brink of death from an overwhelming, highly resistant infection with Staph Luciferus, known to doctors as "the Killer". Only an experimental antibiotic developed and administered by Sara's ex-husband can save the girl's life. But potentially lethal effects from the drug send Sara and her colleague, Dr. Rip Pearson on a hunt for hidden critical data that will let them reverse the effects before it's too late.

What is the missing puzzle piece? And who is hiding it?

Mom read this first and then because I didn't have anything else to read at the time I decided to give it a try, I enjoyed the suspense and mystery very much. I prefer something a little lighter usually. Mom has read the first three in the series but I haven't had a chance to read them as several of the books I requested at the library have come in recently several at a time. I do look forward to reading them.

For more information on this book or others you may go to:

www.gale.cengage.com/thorndike or www.cengage.com

I don't suggest this to readers under 16 due to some violent or graphic details in the book, some parts might be a little frightening for someone younger, or just not suitable for younger readers, it is more of an adult novel.

It got me started wondering what really goes into medications and makes me want to start trying to find some way to research the ones I'm allergic to.