Member Reviews
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
The book was so realistic and scary. It really made me think. This could truly happen. Wow!
Computer hackers could do really serious damage if they were able to hack into our hospitals, doctors files and medical records. Wow! What a number terrorists could do.
The book was very realistic, and I found it engaging.
Recommend.
I absolutely enjoyed this book! I was instantly hooked after finding this takes place around my hometown in Anaheim!
I come from a medical background and ate up all the diagnosis but I can see someone who isn't familiar with diagnosis to get into it as the author does a phenomenal job of explaining things even with the Cyber phenomenon that takes place.
I simply couldn't put this one down I had to find more! 10/10!
Thank you NetGalley and thank you Anthony Lee! I look forward to reading more books from this author!
An interesting take on the medical field and a cat and mouse chase. Lucifer’s Worm has been released onto the world, but is specifically targeting a hospital and specific patients. It’s up to an it team and one doctor to solve the case.
The story started well, but quickly evolved into something very juvenile. On the one hand we have the discovery of the perp’s actions, but do nothing to stop them from continuing to harm the patients. On the other hand, we have professional men coming to fisticuffs in a workplace for [seemingly] no real reason. And also the widow of one of the mal-affected patients physically attacking the doctor the day after her husband's death.
The plot was the same thing over and over.
I suffered through 56% and then gave up.
I appreciate this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I wish this author the best.
I’m unexpectedly surprised at how much I enjoyed Doctor Lucifer. I will say that originally the title sounded a bit “cheesy” to me and there were a few “cheesy” lines early on in the book but the overall quality and thrill factor were there.
Synopsis;
Imagine a cyber COVID-19 pandemic that rampages through a hospital threatening to kill any unlucky patient in it’s path. That’s what Dr. Mark Lin finds when he checks in at the start of his hospital shift. He is immediately plagued with two code blues and one rapid response all happening to his patients simultaneously.
In the aftermath, while combing through each patient’s chart, Dr. Lin stumbles across disturbing inaccuracies. But he is certain he didn’t make these entries or these mistakes that sent three patients into a tailspin. When the hospital administration sends an alert that hospital e mail has been hacked and the media news headlines are flooded with the threat of a new cyber attack, Lucifer’s Worm, Dr. Lin realizes something more sinister is going on. Along with the hospital’s IT team, he goes on a mission to put a stop to Lucifer’s Worm, and the person behind it, before it kills his patients and his career.
Thoughts:
I was easily drawn into the author’s syntax and writing style. The story flowed easily and seemlessly. The medical terminology was well explained and obviously from someone with medical knowledge. I wasn’t surprised to find that the author is also a doctor.
The plot line is unique and intriguing and easily pulls the reader into the story. I loved the addition of incidents and red herrings that pulled my thoughts towards other suspects.
All and all this is a great thriller debut. I will definitely watch out for more novels by author Anthony Lee.
One final comment: this book is published by the author. I’m not sure if that was by necessity or choice but I have a feeling the publishing doors will open if Mr. Lee is interested.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest review.
3.5 ⭐️ Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc.
While I appreciate a good thriller, I found myself skimming a bit through a lot of the extra medical jargon to get on with the storyline.
The plot was a quick and fun read. A cyber attack on the hospital has resulted in missing or incorrect information in Dr Lin’s patients files. He is dedicated to determine the source of the hacker and protecting the safety of his patients. I thought I figured out who the hacker was but I was wrong. The ending was a bit rushed but still a shocker.
I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
The story begins with Dr. Mark Lin starting his workday in the hospital. After reviewing hi patient list with the patient list with the night-time doctor, his day begins with a code blue. Dashing to the patient's room to aid his patient, another code blue is called and once more it is one of his patients. He stays with the 1st one because the team was still working and getting no response. He remains there and finally has to call the effort to an end because the patient has been declared dead. He then leaves the room to proceed to the next code blue call, but in this case, the team is able to handle it. During this time, a rapid response call is made and once more for one of his patients.
After heading to the next patient, he finds this one too has also recovered. This is quite unusual for this to happen all at once. He hopes the rest of the day will go better. He now has to notify the wife of the patient who died and is not looking forward to it. The wife is very combative. The rest of his day goes well and he begins looking at the charts of the 3 patients that had an emergency. As he reads though them, he discovers that his medication orders have been tampered with. He notifies the IT department to look into it. He explains that the Lucifer Worm that affected the email system nay be involved.
The next day he follows up with the IT department since he hasn't heard anything. In addition, he contacted the surgeon that he had asked for a consult on finding that nothing had been done. He was later called into his boss's office and questioned about the events that happened the previous day. It seems that the wife of the patient that had died had filed a complaint against him and talked about a possible lawsuit. He explained what happened and his theory on the Lucifer Worm. Once more there was an event of one of his patients where information was deleted from a patient's medical record. This was important because the patient needed a blood transfusion, and they didn't have info on her blood type.
At the end of his shift as he was trying to leave, there was a protest outside created by the wife of the patient that died. During the day while talking with two of the IT members, the surgeon Mark had tried to reach calls and Mark gives him an earful. The surgeon is not happy later that Mark called the on-call surgeon to handle. That night he joins friends for dinner and meets Peter, Jane's fiance who is involved in IT. After arriving home and relaxing, he gets a call from Dr. Lucifer who threatens him that something will happen the next day.
The next day when he arrives, he learns that one of his patients had an issue regarding her pacemaker. Luckily it was handled. During the day nothing else happens and Mark has the IT guys with him explaining what they found. As their talk is concluding, Mark is confronted by the Surgeon that Mark had initially contacted for the consult. Then he was pushed and attacked. Luckily the IT guys were around and were able to stop it. As a result of the altercation, he is called once more to his boss's office where he explains the nature of the altercation. After leaving the office and later that day, he has another emergency with one of his patients, again a result of Dr. Lucifer.
Mark's shift finally ends and he leaves to head home. As he gets to his car, he is attacked and struggles with his assalant. A gun is pulled and Mark fights for his life. A shot is fired and then Mark fights for the gun and wins after shooting the assailant. Mark winds up being taken to ER to be checked out. He is cleared and he is now off work for 6 days. He later is called by his boss and told to take off more time. After arriving home, he gets a message from Dr. Lucifer threaten him once more. Mark then decides he was going to put an end to this. He would find Dr. Lucifer and stop him.
Follow along as Mark searches for Dr. Lucifer and discover what conclusion Mark develops that finally leads him to the confrontation. Read how Mark has to overcome a situation if he is to survive.
This is definitely a book that you will not want to put down. The ending answers all of the questions as to why this started in the first place.
I was drawn in to this book based off the cover alone. After reading it though, I can see where there is potential for this author to be great. I enjoyed it though it wasn’t as fast paced as I would’ve hoped for. The plot seemed a bit far out of reach, I mean like it wouldn’t happen in real life but i suppose that’s the point. Overall 4/5.
The latest malware, Lucifer's worm, is causing havoc with computer systems all over the world. A resourceful hacker, calling themselves "Doctor Lucifer", will utilize the resulting chaos to get revenge on medical professionals. The hacker's target is Dr. Mark Lin, a hospitalist, which means he is assigned patients who have been admitted to the hospital and is responsible for overseeing their care, including coordinating with the necessary specialists, deciding on treatment plans, and keeping family members informed about the patients and their medical care. It is a hectic, difficult job, but Dr. Lin will experience a day that is much worse than normal. Shortly after arriving for his shift, there are two “code blue” calls and a rapid response (a step below code blue in seriousness) almost simultaneously, and all involving his patients. One patient will die, and another will be taken to the ICU in critical condition. All three patients were victims of medication errors, either given too much of a medication or a medication to which they were allergic. However, Dr. Lin knows he did not order the medications in those doses or order the wrong medication. When reviewing the patient charts, he does not see the orders he placed but instead sees later orders for the incorrect medications that allegedly came from him, including at least one that was allegedly issued after his shift was over. He also discovers that the medication allergy for the one patient had been deleted from all of her records. In addition to the changes to the medical records, Dr. Lin is receiving threatening phone calls, e-mails and texts from Doctor Lucifer.
Dr. Lin is puzzled by why he and his patients are the target. While by no means perfect, he is very conscientious about patient care and has repeatedly been named "Doctor of the Month." He is unaware of any recent patients or their families who are upset at him, especially so upset that they would resort to harming other patients. He gets along with his coworkers, other than Dr. Pierson, a surgeon who is rude and abrasive to everyone -- patients and staff. Working with the hospital IT department, Dr. Lin will have to figure out how to find and stop Doctor Lucifer before more patients are harmed or killed and before his career is ruined. There will be more close calls, as Doctor Lucifer continues to manipulate patient records, and even tamper with medical devices. Added to the chaos is the conflict with Dr. Pierson, as well as the very angry and activist widow of the deceased patient, whose behavior will expose Dr. Lin to physical harm.
"Doctor Lucifer" by Anthony Lee is a gripping and suspenseful medical thriller that delves into the terrifying possibilities of digital sabotage in healthcare. The novel follows Dr. Mark Lin, a talented but jaded internist at Ivory Memorial Hospital, as he battles a nefarious hacker intent on killing patients by altering their digital medical records. The tension is palpable as Dr. Lin races against time to prevent one medical crisis after another, all while navigating threats from a vengeful widow and a self-absorbed surgeon.
Anthony Lee masterfully blends medical expertise with high-stakes drama, creating a fast-paced and intricately plotted narrative. The character of Dr. Lin is both complex and relatable, adding depth to the relentless pace of the story. Lee's adept handling of the interplay between technology and medicine makes "Doctor Lucifer" not only a thrilling read but also a thought-provoking one. This novel is a must-read for fans of medical dramas and cyber thrillers alike.
Dr. Mark Lin is a well-respected internist at Ivory Memorial Hospital. Three of his patients' lives are suddenly in danger due to changes in their medication dosages, changes he did not make. A computer worm has been spreading across the country, and after he is contacted by the hacker known as Dr. Lucifer, he learns his patients are being specifically targeted.
Undeterred by the escalating medical crises, Dr. Lin rallies the hospital’s information technology group to combat the hackers and avert further casualties. Yet, the threat persists. Driven by an unyielding determination to protect his patients, he forges ahead, unearthing the identity of Dr. Lucifer and halting his perilous cyberattacks.
This edge-of-your-seat thriller will keep you reading until you reach the shocking ending.
My thanks to Net Galley and Author Buzz for allowing me to review this arc.
Working in Healthcare for many years and having an IT person in the family, this book was very relatable and checked all the right boxes. Someone released a virus, Lucifers Worm and trying to make Dr Mark Lin look very bad by sabotaging his patients orders.
Though the plot was a bit out there and would never happen on our nursing station, it was entertaining!
2.5/5. Ad a medical/tech thriller I really wanted to like this book and kept reading in the hopes that things would improve, but it didn’t happen for me. The writing ranged from cheesy to ridiculously over the top, and the protagonist was arrogant and unlikeable with insufficient backstory to humanize him.
I have to start this review off saying that I was a little skeptical of this book after reading some of the other reviews. I don’t tend to read reviews before reading because I don’t want anything to cloud my judgement and this completely proved it to me!
I almost dreaded starting this book, but I’m glad I gave it a chance! I saw where others didn’t like the full explanations of the medical procedures, but it was one thing that I appreciated because I don’t work in the medical field and don’t know all about the medical world.
I am not a slow burner type of reader and while things started happening quickly, it wasn’t as quick as I would usually like.
I also saw quite a few other reviews saying they didn’t like the mention of Covid so often, but honestly I felt it made it more realistic, even if I don’t personally believe in everything said.
Overall, for a first book, it wasn’t terrible and at times I would get completely sucked into the story!
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!
This was an interesting take on a thriller, having the cyber aspect and the charting system being changed and hacked. Working in the medical field myself that would be a worse nightmare to be the nurse on a patient and just following orders as inputed to then seeing them being coded soon after giving the new medication. The story was interesting, but it did drag on a little here and there. There was aspects to it that didn't seem necessary for the story line to keep moving forward. It was not a quick page turning thriller but interesting nonetheless.
would recommend this to people that like medical thrillers/slower thrillers.
Thank you NetGalley, AuthorBuzz, and the author for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Dr. Mark Linn has no idea what is going on or how patients charts/ medication dosages are being changed when he is not even on duty. 3 patients code at one time which is un heard of. What is going on? He heard about a computer worm attacking but could this be linked? He starts to think things through and then gets a strange phone call alerting him that he is speaking with Dr. Lucifer and more patients are going to die. Dr. Linn is determined to figure out who is behind this.
Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC !
Overall an okay thriller, although it wasn’t reallya page turner. Covid was talked about to death and there were times I found myself skimming. Lots of internal dialogue or what he was doing/listening to as he was doing it. I did love the medical cyber attack aspect.
I really enjoyed this book. I read a lot of thrillers, but this plot was refreshingly different from the many others I’ve read. I really grew to like the main character, and I was invested in determining who was messing with him in such a horrendous manner. The author pulled things together nicely, so I wasn’t left wondering about anything once I finished the book. There were a few typos, but overall, the book was very well written. This is definitely a worthwhile read!
I'll definitely try this author again, this book just didn't do it for me.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and author for the chance to read this advanced copy.
This book was indescribably bad. Poorly written through and through. The character was flat and meandered in all kinds of useless directions, the conversations were stilted and repetitive—one of the worst written books I’ve ever read.