Cell

By: Robin Cook

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

The New York Times best-selling author and master of the medical thriller returns with a top-notch fusion of groundbreaking medical science and edge-of-your-seat suspense.

George Wilson, M.D., a radiology resident in Los Angeles, is about to enter a profession on the brink of an enormous paradigm shift, foreshadowing a vastly different role for doctors everywhere. The smartphone is poised to take on a new role in medicine, no longer as a mere medical app but rather as a fully customizable personal physician capable of diagnosing and treating even better than the real thing. It is called iDoc.

George's initial collision with this incredible innovation is devastating. He awakens one morning to find his fiancée dead in bed alongside him, not long after she participated in an iDoc beta test. Then several of his patients die after undergoing imaging procedures. All of them had been part of the same beta test.

Is it possible that iDoc is being subverted by hackers - and that the U.S. government is involved in a cover-up? Despite threats to both his career and his freedom, George relentlessly seeks the truth, knowing that if he's right, the consequences could be lethal.

©2014 Robin Cook (P)2014 Penguin Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Rare is the writer who can take us into the fast-paced, miraculous, often bewildering world of modern medicine the way Robin Cook can. Cell is a superbly crafted, full-steam thriller, to be sure, but also a vivid lesson in just how momentous are the advances being made in medicine almost by the day—and how highly unsettling are some of the possible consequences." (New York Times best-selling author David McCullough)

"With Cell Robin Cook demonstrates why he is the undisputed king of medical thrillers. Can a smartphone app kill you? You'll believe it can after you read this story, which blasts along faster than a truckload of quad core processors. Equal measures a substantive social commentary that we will all soon have to deal with and a terrifying blood-and-guts tale of what lies right around the technology corner, Cook has delivered a home run worthy of the writer who has consistently thrilled millions ever since his blockbuster Coma." (Number one New York Times best-selling author David Baldacci)

"Robin Cook has been entertaining medical thriller fans for decades, but he does much more with his latest novel, Cell...a thought-provoking story." (Associated Press)

Topical and very informative

The technology described could be created today. All the parts exist. It kept my attention.

Cell

Any additional comments?

Cell is written by Robin Cook, narrated by George Guidall, and about the audiobook is about 10.5 hours of listening. In the Robin Cook genre, Cell is a medical thriller. In a concept from the headlines, Cell centers on the iDoc application/cell phone. With the current medical applications available in the real world today, i.e., heart/pulse rate, exercise apps, etc., the possibilities raised in this story are chillingly real. iDoc is imagined to replace the necessity for the primary care physician. It even allows for screen tap monitoring of body chemistries and dispensing as needed of drugs like insulin. None of this sounds too far fetched, does it?

Cell takes the concept and runs away with the possibilities … mysterious deaths, the app making decisions. A small hospital radiologist is our hero, and the digging for the truth is fraught with danger in search of the greedy and/or guilty.

George Guidall is … well … George Guidall … great. A good narrator will make a good book better, so they say ... ’tis true with Cell.

Typical Robin Cook! Enjoy.

Abrupt ending but overall good

If you could sum up Cell in three words, what would they be?

It's really over?

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Stunned. I can't believe it ended as it did. I wanted at least a BIT more resolution. I was also quite surprised and I usually can see what's coming, but this time I didn't, which actually pleased me.

What about George Guidall’s performance did you like?

Everything. I've read a lot of Robin Cook books and Guidall has read a lot of them and he's a very familiar comforting voice.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Sal's death really upset me (so did Kasay's death) but in the short time I met Sal I developed an affection for him and his idiosyncrasies. Also felt really bad about Zee.

Any additional comments?

Cell just goes one step further than the current trend - my former insurance company offered a call/consult a dr online feature; I used it once; got zero help. I've also seen Dr. Phil hawking Doctor on Demand. It's just a step to your own personal computer generated PCP, and I think this is a very clever idea for a book. Letting insurance companies provide this doctor is a terrifying idea, however. We all know their top concern is the bottom line.
I was a bit annoyed about mentions of Obamacare (and "death panels") - providing health care to those who previously could not afford it and getting rid of the insurance escape-clause-for-not-paying of "pre-existing conditions" HELPS SAVE LIVES. Denying people insurance & thereby health care is already a form of "death panels" as is dropping people from coverage if they actually get sick and NEED insurance & forcing them to travel far for medical facilities "in network" even for emergency care. There's a great movie called "Damaged Care" about a doctor who blew the whistle on such insurance company practices. Single-payer (Medicare for all) would obviously be better but insurance companies don't want that so we have Obamacare, certainly better than what we had before. The real medical disaster is that big present to insurance companies Part D; for folks who actually need prescriptions like me, it is a nightmare, & I believe it's now illegal to go to Canada to buy the same drugs cheaper. Thanks so much, "W."
Re the book: I had trouble accepting the lengths to which George went. Reaching into a coffin & a wild escape from a funeral home? Risking his entire medical future and, being far from well-to-do, offering every cent he had to pursue the truth? More dedicated than I would have been. I love George Wilson's smarts and his caring, tho. Another fabulous Cook hero.

Big Fan dropped ending

Where does Cell rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Not very high

Would you recommend Cell to your friends? Why or why not?

not really- the story was good but the ending was completely dropped.

Did George Guidall do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

His cadence is a bit annoying but I still enjoy his performances.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

no

Any additional comments?

I'm a big fan of Robin Cook.I love his fact driven extrapolation for fiction, This story was good, however, I literally checked for his obit to see if possibly he passed away before completing this one.

Very Entertaining

Loved the writing, narration was great. Would have given 5 stars all around if someone can answer me this... Where is George now?

Great book

I couldn't put it down. i will read more of mr. cook novels. totally satisfied

lucas

Best one yet. I'm in the car ..
yelling at the suspense.. Mr. Cook paints the story's picture... so clearly
.

Narrative

Book was great, story was great. The narrative sounded a bit robotic, as if a computer was talking, not a human. Maybe it was? Either way, I did not like the voice personally and this is my 10th audio book in the past 4 months.

Listned to all of it.

Thought the we ending was a little strange but what ever it is it is.

riveting until the twist ending

loved it. had visual images of the entire story. the narration was entertaining, as he did different voices