You probably could not pick a more timely subject than disease control and the reach of big pharma. With the coronavirus in the daily news and reports of the efforts to combat the spread of it, a medical thriller with those themes should be a no-brainer.
Toxic Deception has the premise locked in, and the parts of the novel that deal specifically with the spread of infectious diseases and the control that pharmaceutical companies exert are well-done. There is a lot of detail to be found from both the medical and business points of view, and this is where the novel is at its most interesting.
However, when the story follows the reporter who is investigating the latest possible subterfuge (due to an obituary taped on her door by an anonymous person), it becomes less exciting and more tedious.
I did not think that Jordan was a likable character, and that’s tough when the main character turns a reader off. I felt that every time the narrative came from her point of view, it became about her. I would have preferred that there was more focus on her investigation.
I know that part of this stems from early in the book when Jordan opines that “the current presidential administration” releases a “constant stream of lies and misdirection….” The author tries to explain it away by also having Jordan hate all politicians, but the intent of the specifics are pretty clear.
I have said several times that commentary like this turns me off. If it is of no benefit to the plot or character development, it has no place in a fictional story. That being said, Jordan’s attitude is pretty crappy about a lot of things. She has obvious disdain for anyone who doesn’t help her, she apparently does not like anyone over 50 in the workforce, and all in all, she seemed way out of her league with this investigation. She was not a character I could get behind and root for success.
And that’s a shame because, as I mentioned at the top, the basic plot is timely and real. As I have written this review, there have been no fewer than six news reports covering different aspects of the coronavirus contagion. Coupled with the conspiracy theories regarding whether or not it is a bioweapon that was accidentally released, the time is ripe for this book. Too bad the main character wrecked it for me.
AUTHOR BIO
K.C. (Kevin) Gillis is the author of the Jordan Reed mystery series. Despite being a lifelong lover of stories and books, writing took a distant back seat as his professional career travelled through the Canadian Air Force, a decade as a chemist, followed by a long and continuing run in corporate America. With writing no longer in the back seat (but not quite yet in the front seat), Kevin has the initial novels (plus one novella) in the Jordan Reed series well under way. His personal interests focus on endurance and water sports, and obviously a lot of reading!. Having grown up in the Canadian Maritimes, he now lives in the US northeast.
He can be found online at www.kcgillis.com. You can connect with Kevin on Twitter at @kcgilliswriter, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kcgilliswriter and you can email him directly at kevin@kcgillis.com.
Information on all of his books can be found at kcgillis.com.
Thank you x