Miracle Cure

By: Harlan Coben

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 13 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

They’re one of the country’s most telegenic couples: beloved TV journalist Sara Lowell and New York’s hottest basketball star, Michael Silverman. Their family and social connections tie them to the highest echelons of the political, medical, and sports worlds - threads that will tangle them up in one of the most controversial and deadly issues of our time. In a clinic on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a doctor has dedicated his life to eradicating a divisive and devastating disease. One by one, his patients are getting well. One by one, they’re being targeted by a serial killer. And now Michael has been diagnosed with the disease. There’s only one cure, but many ways to die....

©2011 Harlan Coben (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Coben adroitly applies the fundamental rules of thrillerdom (offer a raft of potential villains; keep the action moving at breakneck speed) in this highly entertaining novel...a page-turner!” ( Publishers Weekly)

It was ok

Harlan warned us in the intro it was his second book and not as good as later books. He was right.

The Violent Politics of HIV & Est'd Medical Rsrch

What did you like best about Miracle Cure? What did you like least?

The gratuitous violence thought necessary to make the point

What other book might you compare Miracle Cure to and why?

Like most other thrillers with HIVas the main story line

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Scott Brick has a good voice albeit he is excessively melodramatic and after awhile all his characters sound the same. Just read the story without all of the excessive conspiratorialy voicing.

Did Miracle Cure inspire you to do anything?

No, unless avoiding other Harlan Coben's stories if they exhibit the same level of unecessary discriptions of violence.

Not the best

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No, I really do not like Harlan Coben. I listen because he is the favor writer of my husband. He preaches.

Would you ever listen to anything by Harlan Coben again?

yes, but I will not do it anymore,not even if the books is free

Which scene was your favorite?

No one

Do you think Miracle Cure needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No way

It was a bit confusing

I’m not sure if it was the narrative or the narrator. As the book was wrapping up it was difficult to know who the narrator was in the book. This made the twists a bit confusing. Thus a good book was not as good as it may have been with 2 narrators or a change in voices.
This happened on the last book I listened to and I kept backing it up and re-listening. Now I understand why.
I do enjoy the writer.

Miracle Cure

This is an excellent book. So very well written and the characters are fantastic. it felt like you were reading a true crime.

Enjoyable thriller

Liked this very much. Plot was good, narration was good, you cared about the characters. Villain was detestable, exactly what a villain should be.

Always a good listen

A favorite author. i buy them all.
Scott Brick does a good job on this as well.

A look back

I really enjoyed this story, it was suspenseful, lots of twists and turns and I was not able to guess the ending. I did not pay much attention to the aids epidemic as I was never personally touched. So it was good to get some historical info and a sense of how crazy people were. It was a most enjoyable story.

Coben's prologue apology not necessary--great book

Although a bit too reminiscent of his "Play Dead" book, Coben proves that even his older books can hold up,against the best of the new thriller offerings. It also provides some Interesting historical perspective as to how we used to deal with and think about AIDS, and makes you wonder if we have come far enough. The story is ingenious, disturbingly plausible, and so full of twists and turns that I found it impossible to guess the villainous mastermind. As often is present in Coben's books, there is a sports star who destroys every thick necked stereotype we ever had about jocks. And, a smart female in an "opposites attract" relationship. The intrigue involves virtually every friend and relative they both have, and creates a dynamic story. As always, Scott Brick could read the phone book, and I would be rapt.

I sometimes avoid earlier attempts from now famous authors, and generally feel cheated out of my credit. Not so in this case; Coben always had it. And this is extremely professional and masterful. You won't be disappointed.

Dated but suddenly timely again

In re-releasing his earliest titles, Harlan Coben added a foreword that ostensibly advises readers to read his other books rather than these that he wrote when he hadn't fully matured as an author. In this case, he admits that the material is dated and that he gets too preachy, both true. But he also reiterates that he still likes these early works -- he's still hoping that they sell, after all.

I've read most of his books at this point, though not all, so when Miracle Cure came up in an Audible sale, I went for it, despite the warning. I'm happy I did. Yes, it's dated and he gets too preachy. But it's still a well crafted thriller about the search for a cure for AIDS, with characters that are well developed and relatable, and a whodunit that holds up (even though I guessed right early on, it was a lucky guess, not a giveaway).

And after living through the politicization of COVID and its vaccine, the subject matter is in fact timely again, at least for the moment. You must be forewarned, however, that there is language used in this book by the bad guys that Coben would probably not put in a book today -- he is clearly not sympathetic with such language, but in the early 90s was willing to still put those words in the villains' mouths.