The Healers

by Thomas Heric

It's the year 2021. Medicine has become corporatized, and proprietary treatments are closely guarded secrets. The mysterious Aesculapian Healers offer complete cures of most illnesses with a money-back guarantee, but the outrageous fees have given them a reputation as medical pirates. When recent medical school graduate Wesley Anderson is approached to become a Healer, he reluctantly signs on, hoping to obtain a cure for his father's heart disease and a solution to his family's money troubles. But he soon discovers that there are dark secrets behind the brilliant cures. As Aesculapian practices become increasingly disturbing, a conflicted Wesley-torn between his conscience and the seduction of power-joins a group of dissidents. The atmosphere quickly becomes deadly as they uncover a plan involving human experimentation, and realize that the lives of millions hang in the balance.

567 pages, Hardcover

First published March 23, 2010

About the author

Thomas Heric received a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley and an MD from UCLA. A practicing physician for over forty years, Heric writes a weekly medical column for the Beverly Hills News. He also writes nonfiction, screenplays, and television shows. Heric resides in Malibu with his wife, Paris, and is the proud father of five grown children.

For author Thomas Heric, the current unrest over the fate of our health care system provided the inspiration for his new novel, The Healers (Synergy Books, January 2010, 978-0-9823140-7-4, $23.95), a tale of a not-so-distant future in which medicine has been corporatized.

A practicing physician for more than 40 years, as well as an experienced screenwriter, Heric utilized his knowledge of the medical profession and penchant for writing compelling fiction to craft a futuristic, suspenseful tale. His writing credits include episodes of “Medical Story,” “The Nurses,” “Chicago Hope” and “Picket Fences.”

Reviews

[Sheree · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This chunkster was quite a surprise; I was initially intrigued by the synopsis and when the book arrived in the mail (all 592 pages of it) a little dismayed at the size. I admit I did cross my fingers and hope it wasn't going to be a long, hard slog. Thankfully that proved not to be the case. I found the medical premise fascinating and was impressed with how the author tied the threads of the Nazi agenda from WWII to the novel setting of 2021.

Thomas Heric's 40 years of medical experience shows, writing medical procedures and trauma with a precision that both fascinated and repulsed me. Be warned some of the experimental practices to further research and gene technology are not for the faint hearted; a bit like watching a car crash ... horrifying and nauseating but you just can't turn away. I found the included emails and memos a bit cryptic, it took me a while to work out the 'who's-who' and their point but that's a minor criticism in the scheme of things. With my nursing background I found the concept of complete cures for illnesses and trauma an incredible thing and not too far from the realms of possiblity but in the hands of those corrupted by money and power, the moral and ethical costs far outweigh the benefits.

If you're going to be an Aesculapian healer, forget about fairness ... Everyone should be treated fairly. Sound familiar to you? It's the biggest crock of bullshit ever foisted on mankind. There's nothing fair about life. Some people are tall and good-looking, others are short, fat, and ugly. Some people have all the smarts, others are as dumb as doorposts. Some people are born into rich families, others are going to suffer a short, protein-deprived life in sub-Saharan Africa. Some people have opportunities galore, while others are screwed from day one. (page 175)

All up, a suspenseful, action-packed read that kept me turning the pages and on reaching the end I was wishing that book 2 was already published. Can't wait to see where the author takes this series.