Manner of Death by Robin Cook continues with husband and wife characters Jack Stapleton and Laurie Montgomery and their work as medical examiners. All of Robin Cook books all have a medical bent and bring up questions over the ethics various medical practices or tests. This book brings up the ethics of testing for cancer without knowing where and when the cancer will actually start. This book has a few themes that run throughout that are important to be aware of prior to reading ie: suicide and cancer. That said, I enjoyed the story.
Thank you Putnam Group and NetGalley for digital ARC for my review.

Bestselling author, Robin Cook, has done it again with his medical thriller, Manner of Death. Laurie Montgomery is the chief medical examiner for the state of New York, and loves her demanding job. When she is given the task of training a new doctor for a month in the morgue rotation and finds he absolutely hates what he is doing, she sets out to change Ryan Sullivan’s mind. Because he hates doing autopsies, he volunteers to do some research and find the reason for a large amount of suicides over the last little while. As he researches, he finds that these suicides are really murders that have been covered up and puts his and others lives in jeopardy during his investigation.

Robin Cook is said to be the pioneer of the medical thriller, and his expertise (he is a M.D.) has made it a viable and popular genre. He is a powerful storyteller, and the scenarios are believable and backed by facts. He also does an excellent job of developing his characters and the protagonist is likeable, and relatable, since most working mothers struggle with their job challenges and family. The supporting characters make the story plausible and seem like real people.

While there are numerous deaths throughout, they are not particularly violent, which makes it a novel that can be read by all ages. Cook doesn’t use profanity or sex to move his story along, and while the novel keeps readers on the edges of their seats, it doesn’t offend and flows. The dénouement is suspenseful and a bit scary.

All told, this is another excellent medical thriller from Robin Cook and is highly recommended for thriller aficionados.


Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book by the award winning author Robin Cook. I couldn’t put it down. I submerged myself and was rewarded with a tale of mystery, drama, suspense and murder. The world build was fantastic and I felt like I was in a movie due to the fluidity. The characters were vividly portrayed. I also learned a thing or two. The plot will b)ow you away. I highly recommend this well-written entertaining read.

Dr Cook writes this series about husband and wife forensic examiners Jack Stapleton and Laurie Montgomery. This is a series and it’s fun to be able to come back and revisit the characters in all the books. The author does a magnificent job of building suspense while tackling some of the medical issues of the day. This story is about false positive test results for cancer and referring the patient for further expensive testing at a company secretly owned by the same people who will do anything to keep their business afloat. The series follows the two forensic examiners and is not a continuation of one story so it is not necessary to have read the preceding books in the series. Although there was plenty of suspense and intrigue in this book I felt the ending was rushed but I believe anyone who likes mysteries and thrillers will like this book. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

Interesting storyline with great insight into the medical legal work done through the OCME. This book was dominated by resident Ryan Sullivan with Jack and Laurie and others in more subordinate positions in the story. Enjoyable reading and I look forward to the next one.

This was another good medical thriller Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read IT

Medical mysteries are my jam! And Robin Cook never fails to deliver. Once again, our favorite duo of Jack and Laurie Montgomery must determine what is going on with a pathology resident, Dr. Ryan Sullivan, and his alleged suicide. The storyline is intriguing, giving alternate viewpoints of the main characters in the book, while continuing to maintain a good pace. All in all, this is a well written and engaging book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to the next Robin Cook novel. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to review this ARC.

This book unfortunately wasn't for me. I think it's more for people who don't read a lot of books, as everything has been explained in detail and hence, not much is left for mystery. The reader already knows the culprit, they already know their plan so you just walk through the story with them.
I liked that I learnt things from this book about forensic pathology which was pretty interesting. Multiple POVs made it interesting enough to make me read the whole thing.
Thank you for the book.

This book was great! Medical mysteries are typically not my favorite but this is the legendary Robin Cook!! Whom was one of my first mysteries many years ago ha, so I was excited for the opportunity to read the new ARC and I was not disappointed. I will be going back to read some of his other work as well.

Dr. Robin Cook has once again spun a fast-paced and intriguing tale of murder and the ensuing OCME investigation. This time the story revolved around an autopsy-adverse pathology resident, Dr. Ryan Sullivan. Finding the autopsy process not to his liking he finagled his way into investigating several suspicious suicides. What he found was deadly.

I'd like to thank Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley who very kindly provided me with an advance copy to read and review.

This book is the 14thin the Jack Stapleton/Laura Montgomery married medical examiner’s in New York city. Jack is still recovering from a accident that almost took his life. Laura the Chief Medical Examiner has to make some tuff decisions in her role. When one of her pathology residents ends up on the exam table she has to question who wanted him dead and why.

Manner Of Death

Robin Cook

This was my first Robin Cook book and it was an interesting story about a medical examiner office. I never realized just how dangerous this job is compared to other jobs in the medical field. The story focus is on a bright resident who uncovers some curious findings.

This was a good read with several interesting topics. I enjoyed the medical terminology and how well researched the topics were.

The ending felt rushed and is the only downside to this book.

Thank you Netgally for another excellent read! I always love to get an ARC copy and review it for others.

This book publishes on December 5th, 2023.





✭ ✭ ✭ / 5
3.5/5

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This is definitely Robin Cook’s best book since Outbreak. This should definitely be made into a movie or a limited series. Very entertaining and thrilling. I greatly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

This book kept my interest and kept me reading late into the evening. The story revolves around the NYC medical examiner and autopsy unit. Jack Stapleton and his spouse Laurie Montgomery who is the NYC medical examiner both work at the morgue in NYC doing autopsies. Laurie is mostly in to the leadership of the department. The story develops as a pathology resident, who has a traumatic past, begins a rotation at the morgue. He becomes involved in investigating some deaths that appear to be suicides. A fraudulent Company Cancer Diagnostics has some scrupulous practices due to financial problems which become evident in the story. I enjoyed the story, but felt like ending was a little abrupt.

I realize this may not be the final copy, but there is a typo on page 250-a word is left out.


Thank you for the opportunity to read this!!!

A very interesting read if you like a little forensics like me. While having to do a rotation in his residency at the office of the medical examiners off Ryan Sullivan finds he really detests autopsies. Realizing this when he's teamed up with the Chief Medical Examiner he's suggests letting him look into several cases with red flags about the manner of death. What he finds is more important than anyone ever suspected.

Read to see what happens as the information comes to light.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a normally a fan of Robin Cook thrillers but I found Manner of Death disappointing. The plot was predictable and there were none of the twists and turns that I've come to expect from his other medical thrillers.

Returning couple Jack and Laurie face new challenges when a pathology resident kills himself while working with them. I have read all the books in this series, and I have always found that the relationship between the two lead characters is more like working colleagues and less like married partners. I also noticed that this book has less medical jargon in it than most Robin Cook novels. The ending here is very abrupt and unexpected, with the story being wrapped up in an epilogue occurring a few months after the main story. It almost felt like the author got tired of writing the story and decided to end it quickly. Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing an ARC.

This was the first Robin Cook novel I've read, but I've always been intrigued because I love medical thrillers. After finishing this one, I can't wait to try another! This wasn't a mystery--after the first chapter, you already know what's going on. But Cook is still able to build enough suspense to keep you turning the pages. The ending is a little too tidy for me, there were a couple instances of repeated language among multiple characters that was unrealistic (eg. "distressed, not depressed"), and it definitely needs to be proofread, but overall an entertaining read.

I had a hard time getting into this one. The plot was ok. The characters were bland and I could not connect with them. Also several trigger warning (suicide, abuse). Just was not for me.
****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

If you are a fan of Jack Stapleton and Laurie Montgomery, the husband-and-wife team of medical examiners featured in previous Robin Cook novels, you’ll enjoy reconnecting and catching up with their personal and professional lives in this fast-paced medical thriller. If this is your first exposure, the book works well as a stand-alone novel.

Ryan Sullivan is a resident fulfilling his mandatory rotation through forensic pathology and he is not happy about it. He detests autopsies and bending to the will of authority figures he does not respect. When Ryan performs an autopsy under Laurie’s supervision, his interest is piqued by several “red flags” that possibly indicate a homicide staged to look like a suicide. When it becomes known that there have been six such deaths in a six-month period, Ryan requests authorization to investigate further. As the story unfolds, he finds more and more evidence that suggests the cases may be linked to one corrupt oncology clinic with disastrous consequences for himself and Laurie.

Overall, I found the storyline intriguing with its alternating viewpoints of the key players. There is plenty of suspense, but not much mystery. My one criticism is that the ending was rushed. After the book lead up to a life-threatening event for one of the protagonists, the resolution was wrapped up rather abruptly in an Epilogue.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.