Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks for accepting my request to audibly read and review Toxic Effects.

Narrated by January LaVoy
Published: 09/20/22

It is the ease in which one can request books (no quota) from NetGalley and all that I have been approved for (many I have not) that kept this hidden gem sitting on the sidelines of my TBR. Let me quantify, this is a solid 4 star read. This is also a storyline that I would love on a snowy day.

No spoiling: There is an element of the main character that absolutely infuriated me. There are suggestions and bread crumbs throughout, I chose to overlook and not focus on what was going to be said at the end. I had high hopes, I wanted to be wrong. I wanted Shulkin to work harder, not take the easy road.

I enjoyed this story, enjoyed the changes in the characters. Then, I don't know how it happened, I saw that this is book 2 of a series; book 2! I have to admit, Shulkin may know more of what's going on than I do. Genre is mystery/thrillers. I would add a touch of sci-fi to that list.

Thoroughly enjoyable storyline. I look forward to exploring book 1 should no-one steal my memory.

Seriously, I don't appreciate all the profanity. I'm being fair and generous with four stars. It makes me feel dirty acknowledging the pleasure I received by this work. Four stars is for me, and they are against the stooping so low this potential hit will be found on a clearance rack. The author has talent, skill, higher education and resources available to him; the profanity wasn't necessary or appropriate.

This just isn’t for me. I can see where this could be enjoyable for some but I was over it pretty quickly.

Did I finish it? Yeah, I did but I can’t say I liked it at all. It started weird, ended fine and the middle was pretty boring. I hate to say that I just didn’t care who was killing the teens. I actually didn’t even want to know, I just wanted it to end. And then it did but idk. It’s just not for me.

For some reason I could not get connected to this book or the characters. There was a lot going on. I also didn’t realize this was a series, so I went into it blind. Typically, I would be able to step right into it and ideally catch up quickly. I think the over concept from previous books made this one too complicated to go into part way through.

Wild ride! You can read my full review on my bookstagram account (www.instagram.com/veganbookbabe) but I liked it a lot!

This CIA/secret mission vibe that Dr. Joel Shulkin was able to convey was exciting in the grand scheme of things. Modifying facial structures, skin compositions, and chemical and biological makeup to bypass toxic crime syndicates and organizations intrigued me before I learned this book was a part of a series, so I virtually had no idea what was going on in the premise of the book. I. would say, however, that I'd be very interested in viewing this adaptation as a tv show or a movie.

Wow what a ride! This was such a good book. I loved the characters and the fast paced story line. The plot will certainly keep you on your toes and the mystery has many twists and turns. The author, Dr. Joel Shulkin sure puts his medical knowledge to work in Toxic Effects and you can see his passion for medicine and writing tie together wonderfully.

Also January LaVoy did an amazing job narrating, I loved it!

Thank you Blackstone Publishing, Joel Shulkin, MD, and NetGalley for allowing me the pleasure of previewing this audiobook.

I have not read Adverse Effects, Book 1 of The Memory Thieves series. Therefore, initially, I thought I might be a little lost. Not to worry, the story pulled me in and I was quickly able to ascertain the situation.

Cristina Silva is trying to figure out who she can trust and who is out to get her, all while having her own internal struggle. Maria, Wilson, Victoria, a man from her past she thought was dead, who can she trust? Joel pulls you in with the action and twists of the story. I love a good medical mystery and this one did not disappoint. Can’t wait for the next in the series!!

January LaVoy does a great job with the narration with emphasis in all the right places. Accents were appropriate, not over the top.

Grab your copy today and start reading today!!

I didn't realise this book was the second in a series before starting but that didn't affect my enjoyment of the novel! Loved the characters and got a little confused at the plot sidelines at times but it came together at the end for a great finale.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I went back and read the first book in this series but I think it would have been fine if I hadn't. Definitely fast paced, and I rather liked the characters quite a bit. The narrator was good as well.

This book has a quick start and jumps right into the action. I enjoyed the plot, but I’ll be honest I did guess the “twist” pretty quickly. This is the second book in a series; however, I didn’t feel like I was missing to much without reading the first book. One thing I did struggle with is the high level of medical jargon. It’s to be expected as the author is a doctor but I felt like I was getting bored during the parts of high medical conversations. I also struggled a little bit keeping up with all the characters and who was who and when. For me it was a 3.5/5 but I highly suggest it to anyone who really liked The Silent Patient and other medical thrillers/suspense.

This was book 2 in The Memory Thieves series. I wouldn’t say that it’s necessary to read book one first but it probably helps. The beginning of the book starts with so much action that I felt a little lost. I did catch up pretty quickly and really enjoyed the book. I feel like maybe that wouldn’t have happened if I had read book one. I can’t say much about the book itself without giving away spoilers. But I will say that it was a great thriller action adventure with a twist of sci-fi. I loved it! Judging from the ending, there will be a book 3. I’ll be watching for it.

The beginning of this book was pretty intense - lots of action; I was totally clueless. The unfolding of the plot - spectacular!
Christina Silva lands a research job - Longwood Memory Center. This allows Christina to research her own memory issues, her dual personalities warring for dominance.
Wilson is called to the scene of a dead teen - tragic case. His behavior had been erratic, including a tense situation at his school. As Wilson digs deeper, he discovers another teen missing. Connected by a supplement supposedly able to enhance test performance.
A terrifying plot - what have you forgotten? Shulkin uses our own fears regarding our forgotten memories to build the suspense and obsession with this story!

TOXIC EFFECTS - Joel Shulkin, MD

I didn’t realise until near the end that this was the second part of the storyline and well, I was captivated by it…Not sure I would go back and read the first one because I enjoyed this one enough to leave it as it was.

Medical mayhem is how I would describe it, it’s a must read to anyone who likes a mystery. 👍🏻


“You can’t save everyone!”

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this free audio

This story is a wild ride! Definitely more action than medical thriller, this story follows a wide range of characters. The story is fast paced. I think I may have enjoyed it more if I read it versus listened

This is the second book in the series and I definitely recommend reading the first one beforehand. I was a bit confused and felt I had trouble keeping up with the motives of the story as well as the characters and the alter egos

In a nutshell, this story follows primarily Christina Silva as she navigates life while also listening to her alter ego Sabrina. It’s a battle of the minds as detectives are investigating concerning deaths of several teens related to a medication. There’s an assassin searching and killing all those who have been involved with the pharmaceutical company ReMind. Sack Man is on the loose causing harm to those under the influence and causing terror throughout the story. The ending was quite a shock and I definitely didn’t predict it

There’s a lot of characters and complex character relationships in this one. Out of my typical genre reads, I’m still glad I got the chance to listen even if I felt I didn’t grasp the full story

Well paced, well narrated. A fascinating premise and an entertaining listen. This was great to listen to as I went about my day and made mundane tasks much easier to get through.

I had no clue that this was a series! I felt like this was a slow burn, but I actually really enjoyed this audio. I am definitely planning on listening to the first book by this author since it is free on my Hoopla app. Definitely recommend this audiobook!

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC.
This was a good one even though I didn’t read or listen to the first one in the series. Now I will have to check out the first book.
Narrator was good as well.

Toxic Effects by Joel Shulkin, MD

I have not read the first in the series, so my understanding of the overarching storyline is limited. Knowing this, the disjointed elements make more sense. Shulkin summarized the previous book well enough to get the basic framework of events. However, I think I would have appreciated the story and characters more if I had read the first book prior.

I had a hard time believing the conversations and interpersonal connections. Some of that can easily be attributed to the fact that I read the second book first, but there was a stilted feeling to the dialogue that I was unable to ignore.

Cristina’s duel personality and the effects of her memory loss were intriguing. The book followed her through some self-realization that felt a tad trite.

I think it is unlikely that I will pick up any of the other books in this series. There is unquestionably skill and practical knowledge behind the story, but ultimately I do not feel invested.


Vibes: The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum/ Eternal Sunshine if the Spotless Mind (Movie)

Plot - 4
Writing and Editing - 3
Character Development - 3
Narration - 5
Personal Bias - 3
Final Score - 3.6

Thank you Net Galley, Joel Shulkin, MD, and Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks for my advanced copy! My opinions are my own.

Thank you Net Galley for an audio copy of Toxic Effects by Joel Shulkin. This story is an mystery/ thriller that is told with the main character Dr. Cristina Silva. It was thrilling and complex and ultimately enjoyable listen.

𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐋𝐄: 𝐓𝐎𝐗𝐈𝐂 𝐄𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐒 ⁣
𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒: 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟐⁣
𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑: 𝐃𝐫 𝐉𝐨𝐞𝐥 𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧⁣
𝐏𝐔𝐁 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: 𝟎𝟗.𝟐𝟎.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 ⁣
⁣
Nail Biting Medical Thriller⁣
Fast paced⁣
Exciting⁣
⁣
The Memory Thieves series just keeps getting better and better! Dr Joel Shulkin’s sophomore medical thriller surpassed my expectations. This series is phenomenal and works amazing as a stand alone. I read the first book ADVERSE EFFECTS in the Fall of 2020 and Shulkin does a wonderful job tying the books together. I slipped through this sequel easily and right away enjoyed being back in the world of ReMind, neuropsychiatrist Cristina Silva, and police detective Gary Wilson.⁣
⁣
𝐓𝐎𝐗𝐈𝐂 𝐄𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐒 is just so fun to read - with big pharma involved, human test subjects, FBI, femme fatale assassins, and memory thieves, I was highly entertained by this pulse pounding thriller that read like I was watching an action flick. Thriller fans, this one is a must read!⁣

Audio Review:
Such a well done audio narration that I enjoyed the book even more.