The First Days of August

by Alan Froning

Steve August is lucky to get a job at the world-famous Angion Laboratory in Boston, headed by George MacGregor, a prominent scientist turned entrepreneur. The young neurosurgical resident never expected such an honor. He accepts the position and, in an effort to impress, works to the point of exhaustion. Half-asleep at his desk late one night, Steve overhears company secrets he should never have heard. Steve can't help but investigate, yet the more he digs, the more he becomes entangled in a web of deceit surrounding the laboratory's prize product, Angiotox, a purported miracle cure for brain cancer. Meanwhile, Steve's girlfriend Morgan finds herself in a similar maze of corruption at her corporate law firm in New York. To solve the Angiotox mystery, Steve ruins his career and goes into hiding, while Morgan forsakes her legal career to join forces with the NSA, hoping to find Steve and the secrets he unearthed at the Angion labs. This is a fight to the death, with many millions of dollars and lives in the balance. Wrestling with their own ideals of trust, integrity, and fidelity, Steve and Morgan may lose each other in their struggle for the greater good."

Genres: Thriller

376 pages, Hardcover

First published February 18, 2015

About the author

ALAN FRONING is a prominent physician and educator who has worked for more than twenty years in the worlds of academic medicine and the biomedical industry. He has closely studied the relationships between medicine, science, research integrity, and commerce. This is his first novel. He currently resides in rural New England.

Reviews

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a love/hate relationship with this book. For one, it's seriously incredible and so well written that OMG why haven't you read it yet? For the second, the ending made me SO DARN MAD. I did not enjoy that ending and I think it almost defeated the purpose of this book - but I'm not the writer, so I don't really get a say in that.

Either way, this book is EPIC. It reminds me of Mission Impossible meets Medical Drama - action, adventure, mystery, intrigue, sexy R rated romance, thrills and lots of science! It's a great mash-up of two big draws for books - mystery and medical.

The lead of this book is Steve August. This man takes a job at a famous laboratory to help develop a cure for brain cancer. Along the way, we meet his girlfriend Morgan, some shady co-workers and some giant secrets the lab doesn't want anyone to know. Steve doesn't go actively looking for them, he's simply a tired scientist who accidentally stumbled across them. That ignites a wild chase where everyone is trying to stop everyone else.

There's some side plots in this story that I actually really enjoyed. Morgan's side stories made me quite happy - typically the girlfriends in stories like this are just used as the sex object and damsel in distress. This girl was NOT a damsel in distress and had some quality moments. That being said... there was a woman who was essentially a sex object but was the bad guy. I'm not sure where I sit with her, but I did think her story arc was interesting.

I found this book to be highly addicting. The first few chapters didn't draw me in as much as I would have liked, but I stuck it through and found myself REALLY enjoying the book. It's an adult mystery novel that felt intense and thrilling. I needed to know what would happen to Steve and Morgan (and everybody else, but I was mostly invested in those two). And, to be brutally honest, I'm not sure why more people haven't read this book (or at least rated and reviewed it on Goodreads). It's better than a lot of mystery books I have read! Alan Froning has some real talent!

In summary - this book is a wild ride that I'd highly recommend. I didn't enjoy the ending per say, but it was still a well written book (and ending!). If you like thrillers, mystery, medical books and books with some epic plot twists, grab this book!

Four out of five stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Rachel Sakitis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book free from Goodreads.

The First Days of August is about a Dr who takes a job at a lab that is testing a new medicine for brain tumors. Only problem is, the data is corrupt along with the leading scientist.

This book is full of suspense, especially towards the end. The ending itself though caught me totally off guard. I would certainly recommend this book to others.

[Nic nittle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodreads win.

I would say this was a pretty amazing book. The writing in the book was very well done. The author has a way of weaving a story that I could imagine as I was reading the book. A great book that is filled with some things I did not expect. This book was hard to put down, which made it even that much better. I would highly recommend this book.

[Cin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a while for me to receive this Goodreads win, but it definitely worth the wait! This is a very interesting and addictive story. I really enjoyed reading this novel, and it’s more than science/medicine.
I received a free copy of this book from the Goodreads First Reads program. Thanks for sending me this great novel.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a story! Intriguing and interesting....a well written tale! This is my opinion and I give it freely.

[Robert Singer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by a colleague... Was very enjoyable with a particular attention to creating a "minds eye" image of New England.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

FTC Disclosure: I received this book free from Goodreads hoping I would review it.

[ME · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a strange book. Obviously a break-out novel with all the signs of a writer still trying to find his legs. Several grammar gaffs like "merely impossible" among other examples of poor usage. The dialogue is painfully stilted and unnatural with the characters over-using one another's name through out ("So, Diane, tell me..." "Well, Frank, it's like this..." No one actually does that.) Then there's the seemingly gratuitous crudities. The author has an obsession with freezing testicles as a way to express fear, and the repeated observation of erections and bulging pants. It's unnecessary to the story line and seems completely out of place in most cases, almost as if he went back and wrote those in for good measure. It seems almost an awkward attempt to prove that he is more experienced in this area than he is...like the smallest boy on the playground who has to prove himself. It's uncomfortable and unnatural in the story which would have benefited from some heavy editing in this area. Also, the story is just so contrived and far-fetched, and attempts to answer too many cultural "conversations". I almost gave it up when he started in with the astral projection and the mind-control cult practices...and likely should have because it didn't get any better from there. But I finished and would say that there is potential here, but again, the book would have benefited from some sharper editing. I won't go looking for another, but if I stumbled across a second book I might give it a chance.

[Ramona · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all I wold like to thank Goodreads, Archway Publishing, and especially Dr. Froning for making this book available to me through Goodreads giveaways. The book was well written and held my attention from the start. It also took be back (way back ) to my undergraduate days when I worked in a Pharmacology lab at the University I attended. I appreciated how well rounded Dr. Fronong portrayed the character of August and the ethical situation he became embroiled in. I look forward to reading more of your works. Thanks for a really Goodread!

[Lee Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this for free through Goodreads First Reads

This was a very interesting read. There was a great premise, with good writing, but it was very stilted at times. I think the only real problem area is with the dialogue. Otherwise very enjoyable.

[timothy c ryken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good reading! Very engaging story and interesting characters. I enjoyed the plot twists and the scientific theory applications.

Good reading! Very engaging story and interesting characters. I enjoyed the plot twists and the scientific theory applications. Thank you!

[Mandy Lehti · Rating 5 out of 5]

The First Days of August is a tense, fast-paced thriller that expertly combines corporate intrigue, scientific mystery, and high-stakes personal drama. At its core is Steve August, a bright but overworked neurosurgical resident who lands a dream position at the prestigious Angion Laboratory in Boston. What begins as an exciting opportunity quickly spirals into a web of corporate deceit and life threatening stakes surrounding the lab’s prize product, Angiotox, a purported miracle cure for brain cancer.

Froning skillfully balances the professional and personal stakes, paralleling Steve’s dangerous entanglements with his girlfriend Morgan’s ethical and legal challenges in New York. Their paths converge in a gripping narrative where trust, integrity, and love are tested against corruption, corporate greed, and the threat of lethal consequences. The pacing is relentless, and the tension is heightened by moral dilemmas and the characters’ emotional depth.

Fans of thrillers that combine corporate espionage, medical intrigue, and personal stakes will find The First Days of August both compelling and immersive. Froning’s ability to intertwine scientific mystery with human drama makes this a story that resonates long after the last page.