From the master of the medical thriller comes a heart-stopping tale of intrigue and mystery set at the uncertain juncture of medical care and financial pragmatism; a story that reads like today's headlines. Fatal Cure is a hair-raising, timely foray into the dark side of medical reform, proving that with "managed care" the unthinkable can be as close as the local hospital.

Doctors Angela and David Wilson believe they have found personal and professional bliss when they opt to leave the university medical center for Bartlet Community Hospital, a modern, state-of-the-art medical facility in scenic Bartlet, Vermont.

For Angela, a pathologist, and David, an internist/primary-care physician, Bartlet seems to be a dream come true: a town with green lawns and crystal lakes that is an idyllic haven from urban crime and pollution; a chance for a home of their own and a resurgence of romance in their relationship; a perfect environment for their eight-year-old daughter, Nikki, who suffers from cystic fibrosis; and the opportunity to work within an enlightened system of "managed care.".

But all is not what it seems. After a resplendent fall, a stark landscape looms in Bartlet that reveals more than the skeletons of the trees. Gradually at first and then at a quickening pace, the Wilsons' earthly Nirvana disintegrates as mysterious, unexplained deaths become more than coincidences. The deadly nightmare of their life threatens them all, even Nikki, the most vulnerable.

Fighting for their careers as well as for the very survival of their family, Angela and David must conquer the evil that confronts each of them before they are consumed by the horror. Mystery thriller and romance, a story rich in medical lore, Fatal Cure is Robin Cook at his probing, timely, page-turning best.