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Pia Grazdani #2
Nano
After a tumultuous year in which her mentor is murdered and her estranged father comes back into her life, Pia Grazdani, the embattled medical student from Death Benefit, decides to take a year off from her medical studies and escape New York City. Intrigued by the promise of the burgeoning field of medical technology and the chance to clear her head, Pia takes a job at Nano, LLC, a lavishly funded, security-conscious nanotechnology insititute in the picturesque foothills of the Rockies. Nano, LLC is ahead of the curve in the competitive world of molecular manufacturing, including the construction of microbivores, tiny nano-robots with the ability to gobble up viruses and bacteria.
But the corporate campus is a place of secrets. She's warned by her boss not to investigate the other work being done at the gigantic facility, nor to ask questions about the source of the seemingly endless capital that funds the institute's research. And when Pia encounters a fellow employee on a corporate jogging path, suffering the effects of a seizure, she soon realizes she may have literally stumbled upon Nano LLC's human guinea pigs. Is the tech giant on the cusp of one of the biggest medical discoveries of the twenty-first century—a treatment option for millions—or have they already sold out to the highest bidder?
But the corporate campus is a place of secrets. She's warned by her boss not to investigate the other work being done at the gigantic facility, nor to ask questions about the source of the seemingly endless capital that funds the institute's research. And when Pia encounters a fellow employee on a corporate jogging path, suffering the effects of a seizure, she soon realizes she may have literally stumbled upon Nano LLC's human guinea pigs. Is the tech giant on the cusp of one of the biggest medical discoveries of the twenty-first century—a treatment option for millions—or have they already sold out to the highest bidder?
448 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
247 people are currently reading
2640 people want to read
About the author
Robin Cook
165 books5,015 followersLibrarian Note: Not to be confused with British novelist Robin Cook a pseudonym of Robert William Arthur Cook.
Dr. Robin Cook (born May 4, 1940 in New York City, New York) is an American doctor / novelist who writes about medicine, biotechnology, and topics affecting public health.
He is best known for being the author who created the medical-thriller genre by combining medical writing with the thriller genre of writing. His books have been bestsellers on the "New York Times" Bestseller List with several at #1. A number of his books have also been featured in Reader's Digest. Many were also featured in the Literary Guild. Many have been made into motion pictures.
Cook is a graduate of Wesleyan University and Columbia University School of Medicine. He finished his postgraduate medical training at Harvard that included general surgery and ophthalmology. He divides his time between homes in Florida, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts where he lives with his wife Jean. He is currently on leave from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. He has successfully combined medical fact with fiction to produce a succession of bestselling books. Cook's medical thrillers are designed, in part, to make the public aware of both the technological possibilities of modern medicine and the ensuing ethical conundrums.
Cook got a taste of the larger world when the Cousteau Society recruited him to run its blood - gas lab in the South of France while he was in medical school. Intrigued by diving, he later called on a connection he made through Jacques Cousteau to become an aquanaut with the US Navy Sealab when he was drafted in the 60's. During his navy career he served on a nuclear submarine for a seventy-five day stay underwater where he wrote his first book! [1]
Cook was a private member of the Woodrow Wilson Center's Board of Trustees, appointed to a six-year term by the President George W. Bush.[2]
[edit] Doctor / Novelist
Dr. Cook's profession as a doctor has provided him with ideas and background for many of his novels. In each of his novels, he strives to write about the issues at the forefront of current medical practice.
To date, he has explored issues such as organ donation, genetic engineering,fertility treatment, medical research funding, managed care, medical malpractice, drug research, drug pricing, specialty hospitals, stem cells, and organ transplantation.[3]
Dr. Cook has been remarked to have an uncanny ability to anticipate national controversy. In an interview with Dr.Cook, Stephen McDonald talked to him about his novel Shock; Cook admits the timing of Shock was fortuitous. "I suppose that you could say that it's the most like Coma in that it deals with an issue that everybody seems to be concerned about," he says, "I wrote this book to address the stem cell issue, which the public really doesn't know much about. Besides entertaining readers, my main goal is to get people interested in some of these issues, because it's the public that ultimately really should decide which way we ought to go in something as that has enormous potential for treating disease and disability but touches up against the ethically problematic abortion issue."[4]
Keeping his lab coat handy helps him turn our fear of doctors into bestsellers. "I joke that if my books stop selling, I can always fall back on brain surgery," he says. "But I am still very interested in being a doctor. If I had to do it over again, I would still study medicine. I think of myself more as a doctor who writes, rather than a writer who happens to be a doctor." After 35 books,he has come up with a diagnosis to explain why his medical thrillers remain so popular. "The main reason is, we all realize we are at risk. We're all going to be patients sometime," he says. "You can write about great white sharks or haunted houses, and you can say I'm not going into the ocean or I'm not going in haunted houses, but you can't say you're n
Dr. Robin Cook (born May 4, 1940 in New York City, New York) is an American doctor / novelist who writes about medicine, biotechnology, and topics affecting public health.
He is best known for being the author who created the medical-thriller genre by combining medical writing with the thriller genre of writing. His books have been bestsellers on the "New York Times" Bestseller List with several at #1. A number of his books have also been featured in Reader's Digest. Many were also featured in the Literary Guild. Many have been made into motion pictures.
Cook is a graduate of Wesleyan University and Columbia University School of Medicine. He finished his postgraduate medical training at Harvard that included general surgery and ophthalmology. He divides his time between homes in Florida, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts where he lives with his wife Jean. He is currently on leave from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. He has successfully combined medical fact with fiction to produce a succession of bestselling books. Cook's medical thrillers are designed, in part, to make the public aware of both the technological possibilities of modern medicine and the ensuing ethical conundrums.
Cook got a taste of the larger world when the Cousteau Society recruited him to run its blood - gas lab in the South of France while he was in medical school. Intrigued by diving, he later called on a connection he made through Jacques Cousteau to become an aquanaut with the US Navy Sealab when he was drafted in the 60's. During his navy career he served on a nuclear submarine for a seventy-five day stay underwater where he wrote his first book! [1]
Cook was a private member of the Woodrow Wilson Center's Board of Trustees, appointed to a six-year term by the President George W. Bush.[2]
[edit] Doctor / Novelist
Dr. Cook's profession as a doctor has provided him with ideas and background for many of his novels. In each of his novels, he strives to write about the issues at the forefront of current medical practice.
To date, he has explored issues such as organ donation, genetic engineering,fertility treatment, medical research funding, managed care, medical malpractice, drug research, drug pricing, specialty hospitals, stem cells, and organ transplantation.[3]
Dr. Cook has been remarked to have an uncanny ability to anticipate national controversy. In an interview with Dr.Cook, Stephen McDonald talked to him about his novel Shock; Cook admits the timing of Shock was fortuitous. "I suppose that you could say that it's the most like Coma in that it deals with an issue that everybody seems to be concerned about," he says, "I wrote this book to address the stem cell issue, which the public really doesn't know much about. Besides entertaining readers, my main goal is to get people interested in some of these issues, because it's the public that ultimately really should decide which way we ought to go in something as that has enormous potential for treating disease and disability but touches up against the ethically problematic abortion issue."[4]
Keeping his lab coat handy helps him turn our fear of doctors into bestsellers. "I joke that if my books stop selling, I can always fall back on brain surgery," he says. "But I am still very interested in being a doctor. If I had to do it over again, I would still study medicine. I think of myself more as a doctor who writes, rather than a writer who happens to be a doctor." After 35 books,he has come up with a diagnosis to explain why his medical thrillers remain so popular. "The main reason is, we all realize we are at risk. We're all going to be patients sometime," he says. "You can write about great white sharks or haunted houses, and you can say I'm not going into the ocean or I'm not going in haunted houses, but you can't say you're n
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 620 reviews
March 29, 2013
This is the worst Robin Cook book since Seizure. Not only have nanobots already been overdone in other medical/suspense fiction, but this book was pretty boring. Add to that an ending that leaves the fate of the heroine unclear to make a bad book. I'm not sure if the end was just poorly written and the heroine is dead or if it's supposed to be a cliffhanger for another book. Cook needs to go back to Jack Stapleton and Laurie Montgomery.
January 20, 2013
Honestly this book was a waste of time. That Pia is a absolute nightmare!!! No one is that beautiful, unwashed, and sexy really!!!!. All she does is run around and put people in danger. Count me as unimpressed......
December 29, 2012
Never met a nanotech thriller I didn’t like—until now
Michael Crichton’s novel Prey opened the possibilities of nanotechnology to me. Sure the plot was preposterous, but I devoured both the fiction and the fact, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages! Subsequently, I’ve taken great pleasure in other nano-thrillers such as Nano by John Robert Marlow, Plague Year (and its sequels) by Jeff Carlson, and most recently, Spiral by Paul McEuen. I enjoyed each of these novels immensely, and so was looking forward to Dr. Cook’s take on the subject.
It is unsurprising that his interest in the science of nanotechnology is from a medical perspective. The protagonist of Nano is Pia Grazdani, who some readers met in Cook’s prior novel Death Benefits. I am not among those readers, but I don’t believe that additional familiarity with the lady would have helped Cook’s cause. I found her a truly unlikable protagonist to build a novel (or series?) around. Diagnosed with attachment disorder due to her traumatic upbringing, she’s a cold fish indeed. Consequently, no matter how intelligent and beautiful she was, I found it truly difficult that she was so sought after for friendship and romance. I did not enjoy my time in her company at all.
And perhaps I could have overlooked that—after all, Mr. Crichton’s novels were not known for their cozy characters—if the plot or the science had carried me away. I’m sad to say that this was a three strikes situation. Pia has graduated from med school, but rather than enter residence and get her license to practice, she has (wisely) turned towards the research side of the field. She’s doing very well at Nano, LLC, working on original research into microbivores, microscopic bots that can function almost as an auxiliary immune system.
Now, you know how readers are always kvetching about too much science in these books? I’m the reader that says, “Give me more! And a bibliography at the back!” Therefore, it is saying something when I tell you that in Dr. Cook’s hands this fascinating science is a snooze. Seriously, I don’t know how he did it.
Things briefly perk up when Pia stumbles across an apparently lifeless body on the company grounds—and then manages to revive him. After which the corporation all but kidnaps the man in order to keep hospital doctors from running further tests on him. But truthfully, none of it was very interesting, very believable, or very well plotted. The final insult is the novel’s utter lack of resolution.
Oh, Dr. Cook, I grew up reading you. I have such fond memories! Is it you that’s changed, or is it me? Whoever it is, we’ve grown apart. And you, my friend, have jumped the shark.
Michael Crichton’s novel Prey opened the possibilities of nanotechnology to me. Sure the plot was preposterous, but I devoured both the fiction and the fact, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages! Subsequently, I’ve taken great pleasure in other nano-thrillers such as Nano by John Robert Marlow, Plague Year (and its sequels) by Jeff Carlson, and most recently, Spiral by Paul McEuen. I enjoyed each of these novels immensely, and so was looking forward to Dr. Cook’s take on the subject.
It is unsurprising that his interest in the science of nanotechnology is from a medical perspective. The protagonist of Nano is Pia Grazdani, who some readers met in Cook’s prior novel Death Benefits. I am not among those readers, but I don’t believe that additional familiarity with the lady would have helped Cook’s cause. I found her a truly unlikable protagonist to build a novel (or series?) around. Diagnosed with attachment disorder due to her traumatic upbringing, she’s a cold fish indeed. Consequently, no matter how intelligent and beautiful she was, I found it truly difficult that she was so sought after for friendship and romance. I did not enjoy my time in her company at all.
And perhaps I could have overlooked that—after all, Mr. Crichton’s novels were not known for their cozy characters—if the plot or the science had carried me away. I’m sad to say that this was a three strikes situation. Pia has graduated from med school, but rather than enter residence and get her license to practice, she has (wisely) turned towards the research side of the field. She’s doing very well at Nano, LLC, working on original research into microbivores, microscopic bots that can function almost as an auxiliary immune system.
Now, you know how readers are always kvetching about too much science in these books? I’m the reader that says, “Give me more! And a bibliography at the back!” Therefore, it is saying something when I tell you that in Dr. Cook’s hands this fascinating science is a snooze. Seriously, I don’t know how he did it.
Things briefly perk up when Pia stumbles across an apparently lifeless body on the company grounds—and then manages to revive him. After which the corporation all but kidnaps the man in order to keep hospital doctors from running further tests on him. But truthfully, none of it was very interesting, very believable, or very well plotted. The final insult is the novel’s utter lack of resolution.
Oh, Dr. Cook, I grew up reading you. I have such fond memories! Is it you that’s changed, or is it me? Whoever it is, we’ve grown apart. And you, my friend, have jumped the shark.
April 15, 2013
Way back in the early 80's I took a speed-reading class, and the instructor had a pile of paperbacks from which to choose for practice during the course. I ended up picking 'Brain' by Robin Cook, and it turned out to be a good vehicle for such a class: I truly enjoyed reading it, and had no problem staying attentive while pushing myself to take larger and larger bites of text. After the course, I went on to read 'Fever', and then went back and read 'Coma', both of which I also really liked. But by the time I got through 'Godplayer', even though I did still like the story, I was growing a bit weary of Cook's two-dimensional characters and one-dimensional plots. As a result, he never found his way back onto my reading list...until this book came to my attention. I have family members who were educated and worked in the nanotechnology field, and I was also intrigued by the fact that the book is based in Boulder, CO (not too far from where I live), so I optimistically dove in...
In assigning stars to a book, I begin by giving it a default of three, and then work up and down from there based on merit. And I will nudge 'Nano' up a half-star due to the somewhat interesting if implausible nano-scenario created in the book. But boy are there reasons to knock it down. Maybe I missed something somewhere along the line, but has Cook now become a 'franchise' with ghost-writers actually generating the text from his general storylines? Just curious, as the book's 'dedication' was highly impersonal, and there were no acknowledgements of any kind from the author. At any rate, it's disappointing enough to encounter basic grammatical errors (e.g. '...there were a lot things I didn't know.' - p. 260), but so much of the book was simply uncomfortable to read due to the poor writing style. Minus one star.
For whatever reason, Cook also decided to trash the Boulder locale. If he can accurately mention Boulder's Carter Lake Loop bike trail (p. 218), then why mix up Boulder's Flatirons with Montana's 'Flathead Mountains' (p. 75)? And why resurrect an old hospital name from the past ('Boulder Memorial Hospital'), place it in Aurora, CO (about 45 minutes away from Boulder), and then claim that 'Paul' can get from his Boulder apartment to the hospital and back in half an hour (p. 301)? Minus a half-star. (And speaking of Paul, I wasn't sure if I was reading a book or some deleted lines from the script of A Hard Day's Night as I followed the adventures of Paul and George in the last quarter of the book...)
Finally, I'm back to the same complaint I have about Cook's characters: lack of depth. For me to truly enjoy a book, I've got to care about a central character. I won't go into the details of what happens to whom in this book, but when all was said and done, I just didn't care. Minus another star. That leaves me at one star, and I guess I'm OK with giving it a star since I did stay with it until the finish.
I've read quite a few books lately that I haven't bothered to rate or review, but I felt pretty strongly about this one. Sadly I was very disappointed.
In assigning stars to a book, I begin by giving it a default of three, and then work up and down from there based on merit. And I will nudge 'Nano' up a half-star due to the somewhat interesting if implausible nano-scenario created in the book. But boy are there reasons to knock it down. Maybe I missed something somewhere along the line, but has Cook now become a 'franchise' with ghost-writers actually generating the text from his general storylines? Just curious, as the book's 'dedication' was highly impersonal, and there were no acknowledgements of any kind from the author. At any rate, it's disappointing enough to encounter basic grammatical errors (e.g. '...there were a lot things I didn't know.' - p. 260), but so much of the book was simply uncomfortable to read due to the poor writing style. Minus one star.
For whatever reason, Cook also decided to trash the Boulder locale. If he can accurately mention Boulder's Carter Lake Loop bike trail (p. 218), then why mix up Boulder's Flatirons with Montana's 'Flathead Mountains' (p. 75)? And why resurrect an old hospital name from the past ('Boulder Memorial Hospital'), place it in Aurora, CO (about 45 minutes away from Boulder), and then claim that 'Paul' can get from his Boulder apartment to the hospital and back in half an hour (p. 301)? Minus a half-star. (And speaking of Paul, I wasn't sure if I was reading a book or some deleted lines from the script of A Hard Day's Night as I followed the adventures of Paul and George in the last quarter of the book...)
Finally, I'm back to the same complaint I have about Cook's characters: lack of depth. For me to truly enjoy a book, I've got to care about a central character. I won't go into the details of what happens to whom in this book, but when all was said and done, I just didn't care. Minus another star. That leaves me at one star, and I guess I'm OK with giving it a star since I did stay with it until the finish.
I've read quite a few books lately that I haven't bothered to rate or review, but I felt pretty strongly about this one. Sadly I was very disappointed.
August 10, 2014
I'm one of those people that absolutely has to finish a novel that I start reading. I picked this book up randomly and got a few chapters in before things started going awry, and I stubbornly trudged on despite the fact I stopped enjoying myself long ago. I also hate giving books a 1 star review, because almost everything has some redeeming feature, but every now and again I stumble across a book that somehow makes me angry at myself for still reading it. Be warned that there are spoilers below, but as my advice is to not read this book I don't feel as if I am ruining anything for you.
Things don't get off to a great start. The lead character Pia is so unbelievably annoying it's untrue. She's super hot, and smart, and athletic, and apparently has beer flavoured nipples because every man in the novel seems to be trying to get into her pants. That would all be fine if she wasn't such a massive be-atch to everyone literally all the time. This is briefly explained as a result of her bad upbringing in a foster system, which apparently gives her carte blanche to treat all the men she knows like dirt, and for some reason they just lap it up. Just when you think maybe Pia might get over herself to find love and happiness with the hunky doctor thats been flirting with her for weeks, he suddenly remembers he's gay - it literally happens that fast. He's basically like 'so I was totally going to kiss you, but then i remembered I love the dudes. Sorry about that, probably should have mentioned that weeks ago...'
So enough about the characters, what about the plot? Well there's some mildly interesting nano technology shenanigans going on - but there's also a whole lot of filler. Pia farts around at work making 'breakthrough science' but gets mad that her boss won't divulge all the companies trade secrets, even though he's always getting drunk and trying to shag her. Her totally logical response to his pragmatic secrecy is to run around breaking in to all the other labs. Nano inc (best name ever by the way) clearly needs to stop buying their security systems at the dollar store, as Pia foils their 'state of the art' retina scanner with a photo of someones eye. She might as well have used a crayon drawing to break in. Nano understandably doesn't take her gross insubordination very well, but they've clearly gone to the same school of logic as Pia as their retort is to try and kill her by flipping her car. To be fair though I can hardly blame them, if I was forced to spend longer than 30 seconds with this woman I would be running her car off the road too.
So some other stuff happens, big bad guys appear and reveal Bond villain-esque plots, somehow everyone ends up in England, Pia's Dad shows up and reveals he's a geezer and then even the author gets bored of all this nonsense and decides to just end the misery practically mid sentence. I was reading this on an e-reader so I had no idea it was the end, I literally turned the virtual page and it said 'thanks for your money sucker, buy my next book for the rest of this story...' (I may be paraphrasing slightly) There is no resolution whatsoever. Still this was a preferable outcome to more chapters to trudge through. Needless to say I won't be joining Pia on her next wacky adventure!
Things don't get off to a great start. The lead character Pia is so unbelievably annoying it's untrue. She's super hot, and smart, and athletic, and apparently has beer flavoured nipples because every man in the novel seems to be trying to get into her pants. That would all be fine if she wasn't such a massive be-atch to everyone literally all the time. This is briefly explained as a result of her bad upbringing in a foster system, which apparently gives her carte blanche to treat all the men she knows like dirt, and for some reason they just lap it up. Just when you think maybe Pia might get over herself to find love and happiness with the hunky doctor thats been flirting with her for weeks, he suddenly remembers he's gay - it literally happens that fast. He's basically like 'so I was totally going to kiss you, but then i remembered I love the dudes. Sorry about that, probably should have mentioned that weeks ago...'
So enough about the characters, what about the plot? Well there's some mildly interesting nano technology shenanigans going on - but there's also a whole lot of filler. Pia farts around at work making 'breakthrough science' but gets mad that her boss won't divulge all the companies trade secrets, even though he's always getting drunk and trying to shag her. Her totally logical response to his pragmatic secrecy is to run around breaking in to all the other labs. Nano inc (best name ever by the way) clearly needs to stop buying their security systems at the dollar store, as Pia foils their 'state of the art' retina scanner with a photo of someones eye. She might as well have used a crayon drawing to break in. Nano understandably doesn't take her gross insubordination very well, but they've clearly gone to the same school of logic as Pia as their retort is to try and kill her by flipping her car. To be fair though I can hardly blame them, if I was forced to spend longer than 30 seconds with this woman I would be running her car off the road too.
So some other stuff happens, big bad guys appear and reveal Bond villain-esque plots, somehow everyone ends up in England, Pia's Dad shows up and reveals he's a geezer and then even the author gets bored of all this nonsense and decides to just end the misery practically mid sentence. I was reading this on an e-reader so I had no idea it was the end, I literally turned the virtual page and it said 'thanks for your money sucker, buy my next book for the rest of this story...' (I may be paraphrasing slightly) There is no resolution whatsoever. Still this was a preferable outcome to more chapters to trudge through. Needless to say I won't be joining Pia on her next wacky adventure!
July 8, 2013
I have about 90 minutes of reading to finish this novel. I just can't force myself to complete this novel for the sake of "finishing."
I can't say I'm a Cook fan. I read & saw Coma back in the late 70's. And thoroughly enjoyed the story. Then I just never picked up another Cook novel.
I thought Nano would become my "Return to Cook" reading frenzy. Yikes!
I haven't read any novels with nanotechnology. So this was all new to me. Cook writes well. I was deep into the story line, when Cook amputated the love interest between our heroine (a female James Bond) and Dr. Paul (who takes on the role of "Q").
Huh? That's exactly what I thought, only with more ??? marks and silent cursing.
Cook develops several scenes where Dr. Paul & Pia connect. This is after you see Pia rebuff the CEO of the company where she works and a college friend who flies in from LA to see her. I'm picturing Notebook, Sleepless in Seattle and As Good As It Gets; believing not only will Pia stop the villain(s) from stealing nanotechnology & murder, but she'll finally be with Mr. Right.
(Insert Expletive Here)<---- me!
Nope. It turns out Mr. Right is gay, but despite Pia's damaged psyche he in almost desperation WANTS to be her friend. Huh? WTF? Yes, this emergency room doctor is also a fitness nut. And because we all know doctor's have oodles of spare time, he all but throws himself at her before the gay shoe drops.
I didn't know it was possible to be fully awake & comatose at the same time. But Cook took me to that place.
Then because Pia needs a techno-wizard/roofie supplier to help the plot along, our GQ debonaire doctor puts on his "Q" hat and provides Pia with the necessary drugs, devices, and stern DANGER warnings!
Luckily I have 11/22/63 waiting for me.
I can't say I'm a Cook fan. I read & saw Coma back in the late 70's. And thoroughly enjoyed the story. Then I just never picked up another Cook novel.
I thought Nano would become my "Return to Cook" reading frenzy. Yikes!
I haven't read any novels with nanotechnology. So this was all new to me. Cook writes well. I was deep into the story line, when Cook amputated the love interest between our heroine (a female James Bond) and Dr. Paul (who takes on the role of "Q").
Huh? That's exactly what I thought, only with more ??? marks and silent cursing.
Cook develops several scenes where Dr. Paul & Pia connect. This is after you see Pia rebuff the CEO of the company where she works and a college friend who flies in from LA to see her. I'm picturing Notebook, Sleepless in Seattle and As Good As It Gets; believing not only will Pia stop the villain(s) from stealing nanotechnology & murder, but she'll finally be with Mr. Right.
(Insert Expletive Here)<---- me!
Nope. It turns out Mr. Right is gay, but despite Pia's damaged psyche he in almost desperation WANTS to be her friend. Huh? WTF? Yes, this emergency room doctor is also a fitness nut. And because we all know doctor's have oodles of spare time, he all but throws himself at her before the gay shoe drops.
I didn't know it was possible to be fully awake & comatose at the same time. But Cook took me to that place.
Then because Pia needs a techno-wizard/roofie supplier to help the plot along, our GQ debonaire doctor puts on his "Q" hat and provides Pia with the necessary drugs, devices, and stern DANGER warnings!
Luckily I have 11/22/63 waiting for me.
January 27, 2014
Very disappointing..first that Cook brought back his most irritating and unlikable lead character..and then that he decided to have a cliffhanger ending so that the reader has to get the next book to find out what happens. Nest time Dr. Cook decides to write an uncompleted book..he should have the courtesy of letting the reader know (Nano-Part one)
December 20, 2012
I hated it. There, I said it! I wanted to like it since I have been reading Robin Cook books for 30 years but I just detest the "leading lady" Pia Grazdani and while I understand that her character is supposedly rude, nasty, and hateful because she spent years in New York's foster care system, a lot of people did too and aren't where they just have no social skills at all and no desire for any.
I read the previous book about Pia, Death Benefit
in which I didn't like her either and thought that maybe her being in Boulder, Colorado 2 years later doing nano research would have made her nicer but she was downright hateful when George from the other book shows up with flowers on her birthday, still in love with her which is a lost cause. Her sleazy married boss is also pursuing her and there are some deadly secrets abound in this hellish nanotechnology institute where there is a serious lover of money and indifference to humans. Nasty things are going on and Pia is nosy as ever which almost got her and George killed in the other book.
If you love Robin Cook, rude and unsympathetic leading characters, and boredom, well, here it is. Not Robin Cook's best by far.
I read the previous book about Pia, Death Benefit
in which I didn't like her either and thought that maybe her being in Boulder, Colorado 2 years later doing nano research would have made her nicer but she was downright hateful when George from the other book shows up with flowers on her birthday, still in love with her which is a lost cause. Her sleazy married boss is also pursuing her and there are some deadly secrets abound in this hellish nanotechnology institute where there is a serious lover of money and indifference to humans. Nasty things are going on and Pia is nosy as ever which almost got her and George killed in the other book. If you love Robin Cook, rude and unsympathetic leading characters, and boredom, well, here it is. Not Robin Cook's best by far.
January 19, 2023
Menudo final, no me lo esperaba así....☹️
Want to read
May 23, 2013~Spoiler Alert~
This was horrible, I felt like it could be good, but since everyone has pretty much entertained the books strengths, I will point out what I thought to be it's weaknesses.
1: Lack of government oversight, it seems improbable that in a large corporation on the frontier of medical technology wouldn't have a government lackey to at least notice where their mystery funding came from, or get clued in by a company employee with a conscience, the FBI/CIA would care, anyway. Spying is what they do.
2: Our "heroine" was really very stupid and all so determined for it.
3: Berman, you have the obsession of a pedophile and creep me out in almost every possible way, you were also a convenient plot device that was overused, much as Pia was.
4: Romantic interest in a Pia that was stuck in childhood and completely irresponsible, right...
5: The ending, the Chinese totally upstage Berman, kill him, steal his technology, promote his secretary, sell Pia to the slave market.
I know everyone says the ending is ambiguous, leaves Pia hanging and leaves us in the dark about whether they rescue her.
Heads up: They do not manage to rescue her, the book clearly describes the "tunnel" used for thousands of slave transfers a day, and that once there, an individual is impossible to track or find the location of, this is where Pia ended up due to her father being too late.
Props for her dad though, he seemed like a good guy, upstanding member of the Mafia, loved his daughter, and the only character I liked.
This was horrible, I felt like it could be good, but since everyone has pretty much entertained the books strengths, I will point out what I thought to be it's weaknesses.
1: Lack of government oversight, it seems improbable that in a large corporation on the frontier of medical technology wouldn't have a government lackey to at least notice where their mystery funding came from, or get clued in by a company employee with a conscience, the FBI/CIA would care, anyway. Spying is what they do.
2: Our "heroine" was really very stupid and all so determined for it.
3: Berman, you have the obsession of a pedophile and creep me out in almost every possible way, you were also a convenient plot device that was overused, much as Pia was.
4: Romantic interest in a Pia that was stuck in childhood and completely irresponsible, right...
5: The ending, the Chinese totally upstage Berman, kill him, steal his technology, promote his secretary, sell Pia to the slave market.
I know everyone says the ending is ambiguous, leaves Pia hanging and leaves us in the dark about whether they rescue her.
Heads up: They do not manage to rescue her, the book clearly describes the "tunnel" used for thousands of slave transfers a day, and that once there, an individual is impossible to track or find the location of, this is where Pia ended up due to her father being too late.
Props for her dad though, he seemed like a good guy, upstanding member of the Mafia, loved his daughter, and the only character I liked.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2013
Read more than halfway and forced to abandon. I just can't take it anymore...
I LOVE medical thrillers/mysteries. I've read and emjoyed many other Robin Cook books. But did someone else actually write this book and use Robin Cook's name? I definitely don't like this one.
Nanonots -- ooh, cool idea. Loved learning a little about their use in paints to block off cell phone reception. That's cool! I can see so many uses in medicine, and so many terrifying possibilities. I would think about book about these tiny little biochemical robots would be incredibly interesting! Alas, did not intrigue me past a few interesting tidbits.
A terribly unlikeable "heroine" in Pia. I like her social awkwardness and find that interesting. But this chick is too much -- gorgeous no matter what has happened, but not interested, brilliant, but has cockamamie ideas about gathering clues. Men just adore her. Reckless, missing planning skills, but supposedly brilliant doctor? Ahhh, no. Doesn't work. What is this, an old James Bond story?
The writing is weaker than I'd expect from a prolific author. It was clunky and artificial -- I'd lose the flow of the story because I notice the unsophisticated writing.
Unless there is some huge twist near the end of the book, I already know the whole story and "mystery" of what they are trying to do and where the money is coming from. Unfortunately, the need for closure isn't strong enough to carry me forward and I am abandoning this book.
I LOVE medical thrillers/mysteries. I've read and emjoyed many other Robin Cook books. But did someone else actually write this book and use Robin Cook's name? I definitely don't like this one.
Nanonots -- ooh, cool idea. Loved learning a little about their use in paints to block off cell phone reception. That's cool! I can see so many uses in medicine, and so many terrifying possibilities. I would think about book about these tiny little biochemical robots would be incredibly interesting! Alas, did not intrigue me past a few interesting tidbits.
A terribly unlikeable "heroine" in Pia. I like her social awkwardness and find that interesting. But this chick is too much -- gorgeous no matter what has happened, but not interested, brilliant, but has cockamamie ideas about gathering clues. Men just adore her. Reckless, missing planning skills, but supposedly brilliant doctor? Ahhh, no. Doesn't work. What is this, an old James Bond story?
The writing is weaker than I'd expect from a prolific author. It was clunky and artificial -- I'd lose the flow of the story because I notice the unsophisticated writing.
Unless there is some huge twist near the end of the book, I already know the whole story and "mystery" of what they are trying to do and where the money is coming from. Unfortunately, the need for closure isn't strong enough to carry me forward and I am abandoning this book.
August 23, 2015
I haven’t read any of Robin Cook’s books in quite a while and I am sorry I picked this one up. I loved Coma, Outbreak, Acceptable Risk – I could go on but Nano was not his usual fare. While reading, although I don’t believe it is a series, I discovered the heroine, Pia was also in a previous novel. In this novel, Death Benefit, Pia was kidnapped and I am sorry to say that I guess the ransom was paid because here she is again. I found her a very unlikable character. She is, of course exceedingly beautiful, athletic, and brilliant. Did I mention beautiful, so beautiful that every man that sees her has to have her. She gets kidnapped again and I skipped to the end hoping that she wouldn't get rescued. I closed the book and I don’t think I will reach for one of Robin Cook’s books for a long, long time, if ever. My advice is to skip this one but if you want to read about nano technology give Michael Crichton’s, Prey, a try - that was a fun, entertaining read.
July 25, 2013
I have read every Robin Cook novel ever written and concur with the review that recommended he return to Jack Stapleton and Laurie M.It. as the absolutely WORST Cook book I have ever read. I even looked online to see if there is a part two and wondered if I perhaps downloaded a book missing part of the ending.
It is a continuation of the previous book with the troubled Pia ,who grew up in an orphanage or foster care and has an estranged father in the Albanian mafia. Pia attacks a mystery like a dog with a bone and her personality issues portray her as someone even difficult for readers to relate to though she has some redeeming qualities.
Still, this book covers a subject already well covered but not well explained by Cook. Perhaps I searched for more complicated issues and he seems almost back at the level of Coma which was at least a thriller for its time. This one lacks significant scientific data for me anyway.
And that ending was too frustrating. Any more of those and I will not read any if his. There are better medical mystery writers now ,Canada's Dan Kalla,Stephen White who is more of a psychological thriller author or Tess Gerritsen fir example.
It is a continuation of the previous book with the troubled Pia ,who grew up in an orphanage or foster care and has an estranged father in the Albanian mafia. Pia attacks a mystery like a dog with a bone and her personality issues portray her as someone even difficult for readers to relate to though she has some redeeming qualities.
Still, this book covers a subject already well covered but not well explained by Cook. Perhaps I searched for more complicated issues and he seems almost back at the level of Coma which was at least a thriller for its time. This one lacks significant scientific data for me anyway.
And that ending was too frustrating. Any more of those and I will not read any if his. There are better medical mystery writers now ,Canada's Dan Kalla,Stephen White who is more of a psychological thriller author or Tess Gerritsen fir example.
July 29, 2013
What the heck was that?! I've read a few Robin Cook thrillers & that was by far the worst.
To start off, the book seemed to be dominated by personalities with psychological disorders.
you had the supposedly heroine of the novel with adult detachment disorder. Pia was shying away from having any sort of productive relatioships with anyone, was socially inept, selfish, headstrong, did not understand the importance of contingency plans when rushing into dangerous situations & seemed completely naïve about the consequences of her actions. She was supposed to be intelligent since she was a doctor and conducting groundbreaking research, yet she was dumb and toddler-like in every other situation. Didn't mind using and abusing even her friends which made her impossible to get along with. And while she shyed away from intimate relationships, she didn't mind leading men on, such as she did with Berman (not to mention also sleeping with George).
You had the main villain of the novel, Zach Berman who had his head filled with mostly libido and the remaining little space taken up by the creation of dasterdly plans. He seemed to look at every woman as though she was a walking vagina till he won the seduction game and then tossed her aside.
Then there was Mariel, Pia's immediate boss, a woman who seemed to get jealous over nothing - Pia had initally spurned Berman's advances so there was no need for jealousy. Whatever happened to professionalism? A career woman like her would certainly not had a love tryst in the office with her own boss, and even if it happened, she surely would not be marking her territory to every chick that came by- she would have been discreet.
Berman's right hand woman, - she was a mere robot with no depth, feeling, or sense of self worth. Yet, her character turns out to be a snake in the grass - I wont say more since it is a spoiler.
Then there was George. A lovesick puppy who apparently had not gotten over Pia in the 2 years she had been incommunicado, so much so that he literally buys a plane ticket to fly out to Boulder, Whoop whoop. Plus he was obviously intimidated by Berman, insecure, and could not hold his liquor. His blabbing to Whitney about how he had tried for Pia, and asking about whether Berman and Pia were an item was overly stupid of him. After all, if a chick says she wants to take another guy along to her boss's house for dinner, then obviously the girl does not want to be alone with that boss. Add to that, Berman had asked Whitney Jones to accompany him. How stupid can you get?
Then there was the immaculate ER doctor who at first seems more interested in Pia's good looks( we dont know he is gay at that point) than in treating his Asian patient, who had been in cardiac arrst only moments ago. And within a short period of time he seems to develop a strong friendship with a woman who cuts off phone conversations in his mid-sentence, who uses him to get prescription meds and a digital camera and who never includes him in any of her crazy plans but asks him to do things without explanation.
So those were the characters. But the plot itself is equally limp. The idea of Nanotechnology was great but the story needed to be sharpened and properly fleshed out. It's one thing having to create and set the scene, but when you take almost 100 pages to do so, then it distracts the reader.
And then Cook was guily of little peccadillos - such as the ER Doctor thinking that Pia had not done up her seatbelt when their car crashed. These days cars beep and yell at you like crazy if a passenger or driver is not belted in. And some cars even crawl to a stop if you dont buckle in. And writing about how Pia glared at him when he asked her to strap herself in - no matter what kind of person you are, I don't think that such. A response is forthcoming. And then there is the part where in the wee hrs of the morning, when Whitney Jones' mobile beeped her about the comings and goings of her boss - no matter how motivated a career woman you are - you would not wake yourself up and sms the big boss just because he entered his own lab at an unearthly hour. After all, being the head honcho, he would have probably come and gone from that secret lab several times a day.
There are such unbelievable actions a mile long and I wont nitpick at each one. But the plot was thin and characters were not believable. And the ending leaves much to be desired for. Obviously, Cook tried to end with a cliffhanger but it not much of an ending, not enough for me to eagerly await the next installment of the neurotic and pathetic Pia. Unfortunately, it looked like Cook had compromised his story because of publisher deadlines to turn out novels every few months.
To start off, the book seemed to be dominated by personalities with psychological disorders.
you had the supposedly heroine of the novel with adult detachment disorder. Pia was shying away from having any sort of productive relatioships with anyone, was socially inept, selfish, headstrong, did not understand the importance of contingency plans when rushing into dangerous situations & seemed completely naïve about the consequences of her actions. She was supposed to be intelligent since she was a doctor and conducting groundbreaking research, yet she was dumb and toddler-like in every other situation. Didn't mind using and abusing even her friends which made her impossible to get along with. And while she shyed away from intimate relationships, she didn't mind leading men on, such as she did with Berman (not to mention also sleeping with George).
You had the main villain of the novel, Zach Berman who had his head filled with mostly libido and the remaining little space taken up by the creation of dasterdly plans. He seemed to look at every woman as though she was a walking vagina till he won the seduction game and then tossed her aside.
Then there was Mariel, Pia's immediate boss, a woman who seemed to get jealous over nothing - Pia had initally spurned Berman's advances so there was no need for jealousy. Whatever happened to professionalism? A career woman like her would certainly not had a love tryst in the office with her own boss, and even if it happened, she surely would not be marking her territory to every chick that came by- she would have been discreet.
Berman's right hand woman, - she was a mere robot with no depth, feeling, or sense of self worth. Yet, her character turns out to be a snake in the grass - I wont say more since it is a spoiler.
Then there was George. A lovesick puppy who apparently had not gotten over Pia in the 2 years she had been incommunicado, so much so that he literally buys a plane ticket to fly out to Boulder, Whoop whoop. Plus he was obviously intimidated by Berman, insecure, and could not hold his liquor. His blabbing to Whitney about how he had tried for Pia, and asking about whether Berman and Pia were an item was overly stupid of him. After all, if a chick says she wants to take another guy along to her boss's house for dinner, then obviously the girl does not want to be alone with that boss. Add to that, Berman had asked Whitney Jones to accompany him. How stupid can you get?
Then there was the immaculate ER doctor who at first seems more interested in Pia's good looks( we dont know he is gay at that point) than in treating his Asian patient, who had been in cardiac arrst only moments ago. And within a short period of time he seems to develop a strong friendship with a woman who cuts off phone conversations in his mid-sentence, who uses him to get prescription meds and a digital camera and who never includes him in any of her crazy plans but asks him to do things without explanation.
So those were the characters. But the plot itself is equally limp. The idea of Nanotechnology was great but the story needed to be sharpened and properly fleshed out. It's one thing having to create and set the scene, but when you take almost 100 pages to do so, then it distracts the reader.
And then Cook was guily of little peccadillos - such as the ER Doctor thinking that Pia had not done up her seatbelt when their car crashed. These days cars beep and yell at you like crazy if a passenger or driver is not belted in. And some cars even crawl to a stop if you dont buckle in. And writing about how Pia glared at him when he asked her to strap herself in - no matter what kind of person you are, I don't think that such. A response is forthcoming. And then there is the part where in the wee hrs of the morning, when Whitney Jones' mobile beeped her about the comings and goings of her boss - no matter how motivated a career woman you are - you would not wake yourself up and sms the big boss just because he entered his own lab at an unearthly hour. After all, being the head honcho, he would have probably come and gone from that secret lab several times a day.
There are such unbelievable actions a mile long and I wont nitpick at each one. But the plot was thin and characters were not believable. And the ending leaves much to be desired for. Obviously, Cook tried to end with a cliffhanger but it not much of an ending, not enough for me to eagerly await the next installment of the neurotic and pathetic Pia. Unfortunately, it looked like Cook had compromised his story because of publisher deadlines to turn out novels every few months.
December 21, 2012
Okay, I don't get it - quite. Despite the prologue explanation, about all I understand about nanotechnology is that everything in that realm is really, really, really small. Such is the case, I've found, with other books by Robin Cook, a doctor and long-time writer of medical thrillers. Every time I start one, I get the feeling that I'll never be intelligent enough to figure out what's going on, but usually, the good doctor is good enough at spinning a wild yarn that once I get into the book's nitty gritty, my confusion over the details doesn't seem to matter much.
In Nano, we meet up again with medical student Pia Grazdani, who was featured in Cook's 2011 Death Benefit as an exceptionally talented medical student working on cutting-edge research at Columbia University Medical Center together with her classmate George Wilson. Disastrous things happen there, and in this book, she's put off her medical residency and earning a Ph.D. to work as a researcher at a Nano LLC, a closely held and very private company in Boulder, Colorado.
To the outside world (and many of the employees including Pia, Nano is scrambling to develop "microbiovores" which, when introduced into the human body, can be programmed to attack specific bacteria and slow, if not outright cure, certain medical conditions. But all is not what it seems; the egotistical, maniacal company owner, Zach Berman, apparently is secretly testing the microbiovores on humans long before it's been tested sufficiently on animals - research that's being funded by the Chinese, who want to move to the front of the multi-billion-dollar nanotechnology industry ASAP. After Pia finds a dead biker who miraculously comes to life again in perfect health, she begins to suspect that something is amiss.
In her usual go where angels fear to trod manner, Pia comes up with schemes that challenge credibility to unearth what's really going on at Nano - despite warnings that she should back down and stick to her own research. A subplot has her lecherous boss Berman so besotted with her that he can barely function, and her two male friends (one returning from the previous book and one who's new to this one) behave as though they don't have a whole brain between them despite the fact that they're both doctors.
And it was right about there - maybe a third of the way into the book - that I couldn't wait to finish it. I'd love to say that's because it was so engaging and exciting that I didn't want to put it down, but alas, it was just the opposite. The dialogue started to take a turn for the downright juvenile, the plot so contrived and silly, that all I wanted to do was close the book on the whole thing and forget I ever started it. Even the ending was a disappointment, although that's mostly because it was so abrupt. Among other things, it left the question of what happens to Pia unanswered, but it seems clear to me that Cook deliberately left that door is open for her to return in his next adventure.
I do believe that one will happen without me.
In Nano, we meet up again with medical student Pia Grazdani, who was featured in Cook's 2011 Death Benefit as an exceptionally talented medical student working on cutting-edge research at Columbia University Medical Center together with her classmate George Wilson. Disastrous things happen there, and in this book, she's put off her medical residency and earning a Ph.D. to work as a researcher at a Nano LLC, a closely held and very private company in Boulder, Colorado.
To the outside world (and many of the employees including Pia, Nano is scrambling to develop "microbiovores" which, when introduced into the human body, can be programmed to attack specific bacteria and slow, if not outright cure, certain medical conditions. But all is not what it seems; the egotistical, maniacal company owner, Zach Berman, apparently is secretly testing the microbiovores on humans long before it's been tested sufficiently on animals - research that's being funded by the Chinese, who want to move to the front of the multi-billion-dollar nanotechnology industry ASAP. After Pia finds a dead biker who miraculously comes to life again in perfect health, she begins to suspect that something is amiss.
In her usual go where angels fear to trod manner, Pia comes up with schemes that challenge credibility to unearth what's really going on at Nano - despite warnings that she should back down and stick to her own research. A subplot has her lecherous boss Berman so besotted with her that he can barely function, and her two male friends (one returning from the previous book and one who's new to this one) behave as though they don't have a whole brain between them despite the fact that they're both doctors.
And it was right about there - maybe a third of the way into the book - that I couldn't wait to finish it. I'd love to say that's because it was so engaging and exciting that I didn't want to put it down, but alas, it was just the opposite. The dialogue started to take a turn for the downright juvenile, the plot so contrived and silly, that all I wanted to do was close the book on the whole thing and forget I ever started it. Even the ending was a disappointment, although that's mostly because it was so abrupt. Among other things, it left the question of what happens to Pia unanswered, but it seems clear to me that Cook deliberately left that door is open for her to return in his next adventure.
I do believe that one will happen without me.
December 7, 2012
Some readers may not have heard much about the world of nanotechnology, but it’s becoming as popular in the 21st century as social media and/or Smartphones. And because of that, Robin Cook has once again delivered a tale that seems ‘out there’ yet, beyond frightening, because of the fact that this particular technology is most definitely real. Yet again this brilliant mind has brought together a tale of thrills and chills, using a science that has made incredible strides and is literally the future of medicine.
As we delve into a world where ‘nanobots’ could be created to do every human task necessary with speed and precision, readers once again meet up with Dr. Pia Grazdani. She’s looking for something different that will calm her mind and focus her attention on something new, so she takes a job at Nano, LLC.
This is a company that some would call a unique paradise on earth. Funded with billions of dollars and filled with security in order to keep their cutting edge science a secret, Pia is practically blown away by the intense work they do. She is soon part of a group that’s working on creating tiny, barely there ‘robots’ that have the ability to kill viruses and bacteria of all sorts. Incredibly useful for athletes, these discoveries could help people who want to push themselves much further than they could with a simple shot of adrenaline or illegal drugs.
The deeper Pia sinks into the institute the more she begins to hear things and meet people who seem to be in a far ‘darker’ place than she is, and starts to see all the ways that this particular science could harm instead of help. Pia uncovers more than a few nightmares regarding this technology and how it can literally test a human’s endurance - so much so that they can become creatures that can do harm to others.
In essence, this is a book that is thrilling, exciting, frightening and extremely unnerving. Yet again, we are seeing the light and dark side of medical science and technology. And the scariest part is, Robin Cook may not be far off when it comes to the ‘dark side’ he delivers with a bang!
As we delve into a world where ‘nanobots’ could be created to do every human task necessary with speed and precision, readers once again meet up with Dr. Pia Grazdani. She’s looking for something different that will calm her mind and focus her attention on something new, so she takes a job at Nano, LLC.
This is a company that some would call a unique paradise on earth. Funded with billions of dollars and filled with security in order to keep their cutting edge science a secret, Pia is practically blown away by the intense work they do. She is soon part of a group that’s working on creating tiny, barely there ‘robots’ that have the ability to kill viruses and bacteria of all sorts. Incredibly useful for athletes, these discoveries could help people who want to push themselves much further than they could with a simple shot of adrenaline or illegal drugs.
The deeper Pia sinks into the institute the more she begins to hear things and meet people who seem to be in a far ‘darker’ place than she is, and starts to see all the ways that this particular science could harm instead of help. Pia uncovers more than a few nightmares regarding this technology and how it can literally test a human’s endurance - so much so that they can become creatures that can do harm to others.
In essence, this is a book that is thrilling, exciting, frightening and extremely unnerving. Yet again, we are seeing the light and dark side of medical science and technology. And the scariest part is, Robin Cook may not be far off when it comes to the ‘dark side’ he delivers with a bang!
May 20, 2021
Hacía mucho tiempo que no leía una novela de Robin Cook. Me he leído la mayoría de las que ha publicado y tengo bastantes en casa. Son novelas que llaman de "thriller médico", muy entretenidas, con intriga, investigación, personajes destacados que son los que descubren que algo no va bien... Y que te atrapan desde el principio de la lectura.
Esta obra es la segunda de la serie "Pia Grazdani". Se sigue la trama perfectamente, aunque en algunos momentos el autor hace referencia a la anterior novela, "Polonio 210".
En "Nano", la protagonista es Pia Grazdani, una futura médica que ahora se dedica a la investigación en una empresa un tanto especial: estudian las aplicaciones de la nanotecnología en diferentes usos, sobre todo en medicina.
El director de la empresa está obsesionado con ella, pero Pia es una mujer fuerte, con carácter, independiente, y quiere controlar su vida.
Pero la situación se complica desde el momento en que, cuando ha salido a correr, encuentra a un hombre desmayado, prácticamente muerto. Pero al poco tiempo, esa persona, de rasgos asiáticos, comienza a hablar y se recupera. Es como un milagro. Para la protagonista es el inicio de una investigación en la que pondrá todo su empeño para descubrir qué ocurre en las instalaciones donde trabaja.
La novela deja varios temas en el aire, sin resolver, así que parece que la serie tendrá una tercera parte... No os cuento más. Si queréis, podéis leer la sinopsis. O mejor, leed el libro.
Esta obra es la segunda de la serie "Pia Grazdani". Se sigue la trama perfectamente, aunque en algunos momentos el autor hace referencia a la anterior novela, "Polonio 210".
En "Nano", la protagonista es Pia Grazdani, una futura médica que ahora se dedica a la investigación en una empresa un tanto especial: estudian las aplicaciones de la nanotecnología en diferentes usos, sobre todo en medicina.
El director de la empresa está obsesionado con ella, pero Pia es una mujer fuerte, con carácter, independiente, y quiere controlar su vida.
Pero la situación se complica desde el momento en que, cuando ha salido a correr, encuentra a un hombre desmayado, prácticamente muerto. Pero al poco tiempo, esa persona, de rasgos asiáticos, comienza a hablar y se recupera. Es como un milagro. Para la protagonista es el inicio de una investigación en la que pondrá todo su empeño para descubrir qué ocurre en las instalaciones donde trabaja.
La novela deja varios temas en el aire, sin resolver, así que parece que la serie tendrá una tercera parte... No os cuento más. Si queréis, podéis leer la sinopsis. O mejor, leed el libro.
April 8, 2023
Serio? Dosłownie taki sam schemat jak w pierwszej części? Żenada. Nie wiem co więcej powiedzieć. Ile można. Dobrze, że nie ma już kontynuacji.
August 6, 2015
Hats off to Robin Cook for creating one of the most unlikeable protagonists in the history of fiction. Pia is a downright intolerable character. She has some sort of disorder that makes her socially awkward and unable to look people in the eye; it also makes her rude, overly nosey, inconsiderate, and pushy. If Cook's plan was to make this some sort of endearing quality, then he failed. What he did was create a character that the reader disliked and found themselves rooting against; I didn't care what happened to her.
Oh, and of course Pia is smoking hot and every man that encounters her(even a gay guy) is magnetically drawn to her and just can't help themselves. Here's what gets me, how is it that a woman who is socially awkward, avoids human interaction, and rarely has sex, rarely find herself attracted to anyone, suddenly some master seductress who can dance better than your average stripper?
On to the story. You have a company called Nano that specializes in the research and development of Nano technology. Pia is one of the main brainiacs behind this, but she, just like other employees of Nano only knows a small portion of what's really going on and believes that her research is benign.
The head of the company has a deal with the Chinese where they are providing Nano with virtually unlimited capital and guinea pigs to run tests on. The test subjects are Chinese athletes(runners and cyclists). An incident at a hospital where one of the test subjects was brought in after collapsing and then later taken away by armed Nano security guards led by Pia's boss before any tests could be ran on him by the hospital, got the whole ball rolling on Pia's relentless mission to find out what's going on.
This had the ingredients for a decent thriller. Shady organization conducting illegal experiments, noble, suspicious employee trying to get to the bottom of it(too bad she's such a lousy character), and nanotech; Somehow, some way, Robin Cook made nanotechnology, something I am intrigued by, boring. He really dropped the ball on the execution of this one. Michael Crichton's "Prey" is immensely more entertaining.
Now the ending. . .well, who knows what happened to Pia? If he ended it this way so that he could give us a third book starring this character, count me out. Of all the character to star in multiple books. . .her?
Read Michael Crichton's "Prey" if you want a much better story dealing with nanotech.
Oh, and of course Pia is smoking hot and every man that encounters her(even a gay guy) is magnetically drawn to her and just can't help themselves. Here's what gets me, how is it that a woman who is socially awkward, avoids human interaction, and rarely has sex, rarely find herself attracted to anyone, suddenly some master seductress who can dance better than your average stripper?
On to the story. You have a company called Nano that specializes in the research and development of Nano technology. Pia is one of the main brainiacs behind this, but she, just like other employees of Nano only knows a small portion of what's really going on and believes that her research is benign.
The head of the company has a deal with the Chinese where they are providing Nano with virtually unlimited capital and guinea pigs to run tests on. The test subjects are Chinese athletes(runners and cyclists). An incident at a hospital where one of the test subjects was brought in after collapsing and then later taken away by armed Nano security guards led by Pia's boss before any tests could be ran on him by the hospital, got the whole ball rolling on Pia's relentless mission to find out what's going on.
This had the ingredients for a decent thriller. Shady organization conducting illegal experiments, noble, suspicious employee trying to get to the bottom of it(too bad she's such a lousy character), and nanotech; Somehow, some way, Robin Cook made nanotechnology, something I am intrigued by, boring. He really dropped the ball on the execution of this one. Michael Crichton's "Prey" is immensely more entertaining.
Now the ending. . .well, who knows what happened to Pia? If he ended it this way so that he could give us a third book starring this character, count me out. Of all the character to star in multiple books. . .her?
Read Michael Crichton's "Prey" if you want a much better story dealing with nanotech.
December 6, 2013
Why is 2-stars considered "It was okay."
I feel like a dishonest prune rating NANO as "okay" when it certainly was NOT. In fact, it was very near the 2nd or 3rd worst "Cookbook" I've suffered through. So why do I continue to hop in the vehicle with this author?
Robin Cook as an author is a genius. I dont know any other who could master the art of basically writing the tone of a novel in reverse. Instead of these being a suspenseful buildup, Cooks nets in the readers by digressing! These books, NANO specifically, do not buildup at all ..they tear down.
It goes from everything going on to absolutely nothing going on.
While not quite riveting but certainly (at least minutely) interesting, NANO somewhat kinda starts off with a minimal mystery. We are also privileged with timestamps for each chapter which seems to all take place within in two days at all hours in all places. The timestamps in other novels play a large part in setting pace and placement. Here: it was just useless filler.
Then, gradually, the timestamps become more sparse. Two days later... Five weeks later... The danger dissipates as does the sense of urgency.
By this point many previous readers tossed this book to the side--and hard. My dumbass continues to read. And what is my reward for being so faithful? The author snatches this novel from my hand and truly slaps me in the face with it.
The only saving grace was the audiobook format featured narrator George Guidall who is just easy to listen to. I could not image reading this in print line-by-line. How exactly does one physically read Shit?
I feel like a dishonest prune rating NANO as "okay" when it certainly was NOT. In fact, it was very near the 2nd or 3rd worst "Cookbook" I've suffered through. So why do I continue to hop in the vehicle with this author?
Robin Cook as an author is a genius. I dont know any other who could master the art of basically writing the tone of a novel in reverse. Instead of these being a suspenseful buildup, Cooks nets in the readers by digressing! These books, NANO specifically, do not buildup at all ..they tear down.
It goes from everything going on to absolutely nothing going on.
While not quite riveting but certainly (at least minutely) interesting, NANO somewhat kinda starts off with a minimal mystery. We are also privileged with timestamps for each chapter which seems to all take place within in two days at all hours in all places. The timestamps in other novels play a large part in setting pace and placement. Here: it was just useless filler.
Then, gradually, the timestamps become more sparse. Two days later... Five weeks later... The danger dissipates as does the sense of urgency.
By this point many previous readers tossed this book to the side--and hard. My dumbass continues to read. And what is my reward for being so faithful? The author snatches this novel from my hand and truly slaps me in the face with it.
The only saving grace was the audiobook format featured narrator George Guidall who is just easy to listen to. I could not image reading this in print line-by-line. How exactly does one physically read Shit?
July 31, 2013
Another reader called the writing in Nano, "clunky and unsophisticated." I couldn't agree more. It was so awkward I wondered if Dr. Cook delegated the writing of the story to a summer intern. About a quarter of the way through I decided I couldn't endure another sentence. The book practically bludgeons the reader with repetitive and unnecessary detail. This book was poorly edited if at all.
The following examples are what finally did it for me.
On page 135: "As she retreated toward the ER's front desk where she intended to inquire about getting a taxi, Pia recognized she was more shaken up than she had initially admitted to herself. The sight of guns disturbed her. It was a common enough occurrence to see armed guards with weapons, even assault rifles these days, especially at an airport, but the memory of seeing Will McKinley getting shot in the head at point-blank range was still fresh, and she herself was kidnapped by men with guns. She'd seen firsthand what a bullet could do to flesh and bone."
On page 138 "Go on, "said Paul. As he listened to Pia, Paul reconfirmed that she was undeniably gorgeous, with exotic features and lovely skin. He knew she had an athletic runner's body, having caught a glimpse of her in her spandex when she'd first come into the ER and before she'd been given the white coat she was still wearing."
The following examples are what finally did it for me.
On page 135: "As she retreated toward the ER's front desk where she intended to inquire about getting a taxi, Pia recognized she was more shaken up than she had initially admitted to herself. The sight of guns disturbed her. It was a common enough occurrence to see armed guards with weapons, even assault rifles these days, especially at an airport, but the memory of seeing Will McKinley getting shot in the head at point-blank range was still fresh, and she herself was kidnapped by men with guns. She'd seen firsthand what a bullet could do to flesh and bone."
On page 138 "Go on, "said Paul. As he listened to Pia, Paul reconfirmed that she was undeniably gorgeous, with exotic features and lovely skin. He knew she had an athletic runner's body, having caught a glimpse of her in her spandex when she'd first come into the ER and before she'd been given the white coat she was still wearing."
February 16, 2013
Absolutely Horrible
This is my first Robin Cook book and what a let down it was. I had no idea about this Pia character and hoped that Cook would portray her in a better way but alas he does more harm than good.
Considering whatever Pia had gone through in the previous book, Death Benefit and a half decent summary in this book one would expect to feel a bit sad for this female lead.
BUT NOOOO, the character portrayal is absolutely flawed. The novel started feeling like a drag sometimes and from what I have been hearing in the reviews this book doesn't even have a proper ending and one has to wait another 12 months to get to it. Had this been a better book, I would have eagerly waited for the book and cursed time for moving so slowly. But that is not to be.
Nanotechnology is quite an interesting subject in the real world due to its limitless possible applications and due to which it also makes a very good foundation for this story, which is another reason I hate this book. Cook had a great foundation to work on but he fails miserably.
If anybody has a suggestion for the best Robin Cook book, I would love to hear that.
Not recommended for anyone.
This is my first Robin Cook book and what a let down it was. I had no idea about this Pia character and hoped that Cook would portray her in a better way but alas he does more harm than good.
Considering whatever Pia had gone through in the previous book, Death Benefit and a half decent summary in this book one would expect to feel a bit sad for this female lead.
BUT NOOOO, the character portrayal is absolutely flawed. The novel started feeling like a drag sometimes and from what I have been hearing in the reviews this book doesn't even have a proper ending and one has to wait another 12 months to get to it. Had this been a better book, I would have eagerly waited for the book and cursed time for moving so slowly. But that is not to be.
Nanotechnology is quite an interesting subject in the real world due to its limitless possible applications and due to which it also makes a very good foundation for this story, which is another reason I hate this book. Cook had a great foundation to work on but he fails miserably.
If anybody has a suggestion for the best Robin Cook book, I would love to hear that.
Not recommended for anyone.
April 19, 2013
Ok, this review is going to be short because if you're considering reading this, odds are you've read a lot of his other books.
As usual, he writes an intense thriller. I always love the medical/scientific side. That's the reason I keep coming back.
Good plot, decent characters. A likeable and believable scientific breakthrough, but then with nano technology, it's all interesting and believable. While the main character is not necessarily a character that one really likes or begins to bond with, she gets props for being driven and being a "good" person and for sticking with the hard stuff to get to the truth.
Could live without the odd swearwords but he doesn't use them often.
Could live without the sexual musings of the main nasty guy.
This is the killer - the ending really bites. Sure, bad guy gets his in the end, because I wouldn't keep reading these books if they didn't, but some bad guys don't. That's okay, it makes sense, unfortunately, and fits. However, the ending for the main character really doesn't. No real conclusion, no real finale, and not even in a way that feels like it will be coming in the next book. Just nothing. Very unlikeable ending, it left me frustrated and annoyed.
As usual, he writes an intense thriller. I always love the medical/scientific side. That's the reason I keep coming back.
Good plot, decent characters. A likeable and believable scientific breakthrough, but then with nano technology, it's all interesting and believable. While the main character is not necessarily a character that one really likes or begins to bond with, she gets props for being driven and being a "good" person and for sticking with the hard stuff to get to the truth.
Could live without the odd swearwords but he doesn't use them often.
Could live without the sexual musings of the main nasty guy.
This is the killer - the ending really bites. Sure, bad guy gets his in the end, because I wouldn't keep reading these books if they didn't, but some bad guys don't. That's okay, it makes sense, unfortunately, and fits. However, the ending for the main character really doesn't. No real conclusion, no real finale, and not even in a way that feels like it will be coming in the next book. Just nothing. Very unlikeable ending, it left me frustrated and annoyed.
April 3, 2014
Disappointed. Suffered through to the end, only to have my hopes for a conclusion dashed upon the rocks of obscurity.
I am loathe to give book a two-star rating, but I am unashamed to proclaim this as a meager one-star.
This book would never have been published if it had not been penned by a best-selling author. It is an incomplete first draft, rushed to market, which has the potential of a good story and glimmers of good writing sprinkled throughout, but the potential and glimmers are lost in the mire of:
1. A protagonist with no empathetic value,
2. A protagonist with no true motivation and so she becomes a plot device,
3. An antagonist who is flatter than 3-day-old road kill,
4. Persistent "head-hopping" (point-of-view shifts) that most readers don't mind, but drives me as an author crazy, since I've been required to weed them out of my own narrative, and
5. A contrived plot that ends in a fog.
To all authors and publishers: Don't be a slave to the deadline. If the story doesn't work or is underCOOKed, don't print it.
I am loathe to give book a two-star rating, but I am unashamed to proclaim this as a meager one-star.
This book would never have been published if it had not been penned by a best-selling author. It is an incomplete first draft, rushed to market, which has the potential of a good story and glimmers of good writing sprinkled throughout, but the potential and glimmers are lost in the mire of:
1. A protagonist with no empathetic value,
2. A protagonist with no true motivation and so she becomes a plot device,
3. An antagonist who is flatter than 3-day-old road kill,
4. Persistent "head-hopping" (point-of-view shifts) that most readers don't mind, but drives me as an author crazy, since I've been required to weed them out of my own narrative, and
5. A contrived plot that ends in a fog.
To all authors and publishers: Don't be a slave to the deadline. If the story doesn't work or is underCOOKed, don't print it.
July 15, 2023
Coś działo się we wstępie i coś działo się w zakończeniu. Rozwinięcie - booooring.
May 31, 2017
Robin Cook has once again crafted an interesting thriller involving the new medical technology of nanotechnology. He’s done his research so that the science is believable. He’s able to put together an incredible story of how industrial greed involving China creates an action filled thriller. To make the characters interesting, he throws in a horny CEO scientist who goes after a tactful female protagonist. But a clever character from China outsmarts them all. I feel this novel falls into what I call biotech thrillers.
July 4, 2015
Writing is often like cooking; the end result can depend upon the sum and proportion of a book's key ingredients. Just the right mix of things like plot development, characterization, suspense, setting and action can nourish and satiate like a fine four-course meal. Leaning back, feeling intellectually fuller and emotionally stimulated after devouring another fantastic read, you'll barely wait to blast buzz of your satisfaction to all your Good Reads friends.
Word gets out faster than trendy food-truck re-Tweets.
Then there's the experience of reading "Nano" by Robin Cook. Think instead in terms of the forlorn and barely-hanging-on eateries encountered by Gordon Ramsay or Robert Irvine on their restaurant rehabilitation shows. Bland flavors. A passive overseer. And too much of one ingredient that kills the whole dish.
That's what Cook serves up in this follow-up to "Death Benefit" in which he continues the at-times suspenseful but mostly painstaking plod of medical researcher Pia Grazdani and her knack for placing herself among the sinister and covert of the healthcare world. This time Pia finds herself working for Nano, a company specializing in nanotechnology research and development, particularly its impact on medical science. Ensconced in her youthful idealism, she slowly -- and I mean slowly -- realizes the maniacal ambitions of those above her at Nano, who hope to exploit this experimental technology and prize personal gain over ethics in the world of cutting-edge medicine. Just as in "Death Benefit," Pia again finds herself kidnapped, with her rescue dependent on characters just as unsavory as those from her own company who hold her prisoner.
Admittedly, the book has some slow-building suspenseful moments, such as when Pia on several occasions risks behind-scenes access into secret laboratories at work or into her boss' home office, in attempts to gain information and proof of her employer's nefarious activities. It takes absurdly long to reach these teeth-clenching moments, however, and the chapters between languish with the main characters' stupidity and bizarre rationalizations. The book lacks that grit-and-release suspense pattern of successful thrillers. Instead, Cook over-seasons this concoction with back story and pontification. While he's a wordsmith with fine ability at expressing both the technical and the emotional, his writing lacks a punch and promptness, at least in this foray.
Like the long-suffering restaurant, however, the plot keeps the reader moderately curious, perhaps hoping for a modicum of turnaround and sensing that possibility in the latter chapters, as the scene shifts from the lethargic, high-altitude feel of Colorado to more urgent climax-building scenes in London. But the end is a calamity for the reader seeking resolution. Cook leaves Pia's fate a holdover to the next series installment. A ploy to whet the reader's appetite will doubtless leave a horrible aftertaste for most.
If "Death Benefit" was the appetizer and "Nano" the main course, then no thanks on dessert.
Word gets out faster than trendy food-truck re-Tweets.
Then there's the experience of reading "Nano" by Robin Cook. Think instead in terms of the forlorn and barely-hanging-on eateries encountered by Gordon Ramsay or Robert Irvine on their restaurant rehabilitation shows. Bland flavors. A passive overseer. And too much of one ingredient that kills the whole dish.
That's what Cook serves up in this follow-up to "Death Benefit" in which he continues the at-times suspenseful but mostly painstaking plod of medical researcher Pia Grazdani and her knack for placing herself among the sinister and covert of the healthcare world. This time Pia finds herself working for Nano, a company specializing in nanotechnology research and development, particularly its impact on medical science. Ensconced in her youthful idealism, she slowly -- and I mean slowly -- realizes the maniacal ambitions of those above her at Nano, who hope to exploit this experimental technology and prize personal gain over ethics in the world of cutting-edge medicine. Just as in "Death Benefit," Pia again finds herself kidnapped, with her rescue dependent on characters just as unsavory as those from her own company who hold her prisoner.
Admittedly, the book has some slow-building suspenseful moments, such as when Pia on several occasions risks behind-scenes access into secret laboratories at work or into her boss' home office, in attempts to gain information and proof of her employer's nefarious activities. It takes absurdly long to reach these teeth-clenching moments, however, and the chapters between languish with the main characters' stupidity and bizarre rationalizations. The book lacks that grit-and-release suspense pattern of successful thrillers. Instead, Cook over-seasons this concoction with back story and pontification. While he's a wordsmith with fine ability at expressing both the technical and the emotional, his writing lacks a punch and promptness, at least in this foray.
Like the long-suffering restaurant, however, the plot keeps the reader moderately curious, perhaps hoping for a modicum of turnaround and sensing that possibility in the latter chapters, as the scene shifts from the lethargic, high-altitude feel of Colorado to more urgent climax-building scenes in London. But the end is a calamity for the reader seeking resolution. Cook leaves Pia's fate a holdover to the next series installment. A ploy to whet the reader's appetite will doubtless leave a horrible aftertaste for most.
If "Death Benefit" was the appetizer and "Nano" the main course, then no thanks on dessert.
January 11, 2013
I'll be honest. When I began reading this and learned that the lead character was going to once again be Pia Grazdani, the young woman with the social disorder that Cook featured in his last book, I groaned inwardly. I did not enjoy the last book at all, because she was just so singularly unlikeable and rude, and her would-be boyfriend such an unrelenting masochist where she was concerned that it was painful for me to read about them. I need to feel some empathy with the leading character or characters in a book or else I don't enjoy it.
Well, Pia is back and is as rude as ever, but you do have to admire her nerve and determination to get to the bottom of every dangerous situation with not a thought for her own safety. This time, the person whose affections she was toying with was a rich and powerful womanizer who happens to be her boss, and is used to getting his way with women and then tossing them aside, so I felt more inclined to cheer her on. Although the insipid George was back in this book, still willing to drop everything and run to Pia's rescue although she doesn't really seem to care if she ever sees him again, a new character was introduced: Dr. Paul Caldwell. Dr. Caldwell befriends Pia (he's gay, so is in no danger of becoming sexually enthralled with her as every other man seems to) and ends up interested enough in her story to help her. Pia is now working for Nano, a nanotechnology research lab in Boulder, CO, as a researcher. The work she is doing is aboveboard, and although she is aware that it will eventually be used to aid in the treatment of disease, she is unaware that Zachary Berman, the owner of Nano, has teamed up with the Chinese government to fast-track the release and bypass FDA approval. What's worse, he is experimenting with humans, albeit criminals from China facing capital punishment. When Pia undercovers this scheme, she becomes a threat that must be eliminated.
The book becomes quite suspenseful, particularly towards the end when Pia's father (an Albanian mobster) is once again brought into the mix to help locate his daughter. Just when everything is coming to a head, the book ends abruptly. Pia is still missing, and we are left to wonder what became of her. Of course, this leaves the perfect situation for a continuation in another book, but the suddenness with which it ended left me a little cold.
I have to say, though, that I really enjoyed this book - much more than the last one. My hope is that at some point Robin Cook will have Pia go through therapy and treatment for her disorder, leaving her as brave and adventurous as before, but a bit more human.
Well, Pia is back and is as rude as ever, but you do have to admire her nerve and determination to get to the bottom of every dangerous situation with not a thought for her own safety. This time, the person whose affections she was toying with was a rich and powerful womanizer who happens to be her boss, and is used to getting his way with women and then tossing them aside, so I felt more inclined to cheer her on. Although the insipid George was back in this book, still willing to drop everything and run to Pia's rescue although she doesn't really seem to care if she ever sees him again, a new character was introduced: Dr. Paul Caldwell. Dr. Caldwell befriends Pia (he's gay, so is in no danger of becoming sexually enthralled with her as every other man seems to) and ends up interested enough in her story to help her. Pia is now working for Nano, a nanotechnology research lab in Boulder, CO, as a researcher. The work she is doing is aboveboard, and although she is aware that it will eventually be used to aid in the treatment of disease, she is unaware that Zachary Berman, the owner of Nano, has teamed up with the Chinese government to fast-track the release and bypass FDA approval. What's worse, he is experimenting with humans, albeit criminals from China facing capital punishment. When Pia undercovers this scheme, she becomes a threat that must be eliminated.
The book becomes quite suspenseful, particularly towards the end when Pia's father (an Albanian mobster) is once again brought into the mix to help locate his daughter. Just when everything is coming to a head, the book ends abruptly. Pia is still missing, and we are left to wonder what became of her. Of course, this leaves the perfect situation for a continuation in another book, but the suddenness with which it ended left me a little cold.
I have to say, though, that I really enjoyed this book - much more than the last one. My hope is that at some point Robin Cook will have Pia go through therapy and treatment for her disorder, leaving her as brave and adventurous as before, but a bit more human.
May 25, 2013
Pia Grazdani had lived a hard life. Her early years were spent in the foster care system, where she endured a nightmare of psychological problems. Like an avenging angel, Pia’s true father, a powerful crime boss, miraculously showed up to save her, but for Pia, it was too late. She was already angry and bitter about being denied a normal childhood. She needed to get away.
Pia took a research jog at Nano, LLC in Boulder, Colorado, a firm poised on the brink of striking breakthroughs in nanotechnology. The tiny microbivores gobbled up viruses and other diseases and were small enough to flow through the tiniest capillaries.
All is going well and Pia loves her new job until she stumbles across the body of a runner. The Oriental man has apparently suffered a complete collapse and isn’t breathing. Immediately, Pia begins CPR. The EMTs transfer the patient to the hospital, where he seems to make a miraculous recovery. Even stranger is the sudden appearance of Nano security personnel, who spirit the runner away before a full battery of hospital tests can be completed. Why were Nano personnel so interested in the Chinese runner and what else is going on at the facility that Pia doesn’t know about?
Pia begins to investigate, but her attempts to learn anything are repeatedly thwarted. Her friends, George and Paul, aren’t able to uncover anything, either, and caution Pia about becoming too determined in her quest for the truth.
At last, Pia realizes she has to go to the top. She ingratiates herself with Zachary Berman, the head of Nano, LLC. The lecherous deviant is enthralled with Pia’s beauty, wit and intelligence. Certain that he will eventually win her affections, Berman pursues her. Berman knows that nothing must get in the way of securing the Chinese funding for nano-robotics, but he cannot seem to help himself. Pia is like a fever in his blood, perhaps a deadly obsession from which he will not recover.
Intriguing and thought provoking, this book stands out in its scope of cutting edge technology and realistic ending. In this case, the heroine is swallowed up in the white slave pipeline and the bad guys triumph. Frighteningly realistic.
Pia took a research jog at Nano, LLC in Boulder, Colorado, a firm poised on the brink of striking breakthroughs in nanotechnology. The tiny microbivores gobbled up viruses and other diseases and were small enough to flow through the tiniest capillaries.
All is going well and Pia loves her new job until she stumbles across the body of a runner. The Oriental man has apparently suffered a complete collapse and isn’t breathing. Immediately, Pia begins CPR. The EMTs transfer the patient to the hospital, where he seems to make a miraculous recovery. Even stranger is the sudden appearance of Nano security personnel, who spirit the runner away before a full battery of hospital tests can be completed. Why were Nano personnel so interested in the Chinese runner and what else is going on at the facility that Pia doesn’t know about?
Pia begins to investigate, but her attempts to learn anything are repeatedly thwarted. Her friends, George and Paul, aren’t able to uncover anything, either, and caution Pia about becoming too determined in her quest for the truth.
At last, Pia realizes she has to go to the top. She ingratiates herself with Zachary Berman, the head of Nano, LLC. The lecherous deviant is enthralled with Pia’s beauty, wit and intelligence. Certain that he will eventually win her affections, Berman pursues her. Berman knows that nothing must get in the way of securing the Chinese funding for nano-robotics, but he cannot seem to help himself. Pia is like a fever in his blood, perhaps a deadly obsession from which he will not recover.
Intriguing and thought provoking, this book stands out in its scope of cutting edge technology and realistic ending. In this case, the heroine is swallowed up in the white slave pipeline and the bad guys triumph. Frighteningly realistic.
January 10, 2018
Nano is one of Cook’s more recent books (as evident by the characters use of iPhones throughout the story) and probably one of his more unrealistic in term of the concepts and ideas. The second book in the ‘Pia Grazdani’ series, we follow Pia as she works in the revolutionary field of nanotechnology as she tries to recover from the traumatic experiences of the first book in the series. Working on nano-robots designed to fight infection and cure cancer, among other things, she gets the feeling something is not right as she comes across an employee who appeared to have had a major heart attack…and later wakes up perfectly fine. After all of her questions are shut down by the higher powers, Pia along with her new friend Paul, start to look into the owner of the company and expose the potentially dangerous and illegal work they are performing. The storyline of this book and the technology included is a lot more unrealistic then normal (and that is coming from someone who works in the field of medical research) which didn’t let me fully immerse myself into the story as much as I normally do. The storyline was also less focused on the research and the science and into Pia and her character, especially her relationships with her father, her friend Paul (who is such a cool character), her long time friend/potential partner George, and her shady boss who constantly tries to hit on her. The book also ended on a cliffhanger which is totally unlike any of his other books. The story was not tied up with a nice bow at the final page and I am actually keen to read the next book as I want to know what happens to Pia.
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