Coma

By: Robin Cook

Narrated by: January LaVoy

Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

The blockbuster best seller that kickstarted a new genre: the medical thriller.

They called it "minor surgery", but Nancy Greenly, Sean Berman, and a dozen others - all admitted to Boston Memorial Hospital for routine procedures - were victims of the same inexplicable, hideous tragedy on the operating table. They never woke up.

Susan Wheeler is a third-year medical student working as a trainee at Boston Memorial Hospital. Two patients during her residency mysteriously go into comas immediately after their operations due to complications from anesthesia. Susan begins to investigate the causes behind both of these alarming comas and discovers the oxygen line in Operating Room 8 has been tampered with to induce carbon monoxide poisoning.

Then Susan discovers the evil nature of the Jefferson Institute, an intensive-care facility where patients are suspended from the ceiling and kept alive until they can be harvested for healthy organs. Is she a participant in - or a victim of - a large-scale black market dealing in human organs?

©2002 Robin Cook (P)2014 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Strikes a deafening chord of terror." ( The Washington Post)
"Gripping, terrifying, fast-paced suspense." ( The New York Times)
"Unputdownable.... A chilling, fast-moving suspense thriller" ( The Boston Globe)

Coma - Riveting!

I love medical dramas, even through the terminology that I don't understand! I was there with Susan at every turn, thought she was crazy, but enjoyed her spirit!

Slow Start But Once Gets Going Cannot Put it Down

I could have done without most of the first hour of the book with the needless details, but once I got past that, I could NOT stop listening!! I literally almost finished this long book in one night! I had to force myself to stop at 5:30 am, and then was so wound up from the excitement I could not sleep! This is a great medical thriller. Even if it’s from an earlier time, it’s still so relevant and plausible. The narrator is one of my favorites. I mean when I hate a character, January makes me want to reach through my phone and slap them. My only wish is that there would have been an epilogue to the book. I would have loved even a brief 5 minutes for full closure. Maybe Robin Cook can add one? Great read, and if you get stuck in the beginning, keep listening, and you will be fighting sleep to see this to the end!

GREAT BOOK BUT TOO MUCH TECHNICAL STUFF.

Would you listen to Coma again? Why?

YES I WILL. I READ IT SEVERAL TIMES. I ENJOY THE STORY AS WELL AS THE MOVIE.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

YES, HOW? THE TENSION.

Have you listened to any of January LaVoy’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I DON'T KNOW. I HAVE READ OVER 200 BOOKS ON AUDIBLE.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

NO BUT IT IS ONE I WOULD LISTEN TO IN A FEW SITTINGS.

Any additional comments?

THE TECHNICAL STUFF ONLY APPEALS TO DOCTORS AND NURSES. I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT AND DID NOT CARE FOR IT. BUT OVERALL, THE STORY WAS THE BEST ONE ROBIN COOK HAS WRITTEN. I AM GLAD AUDIBLE GOT THIS BOOK FINALLY!

Meh

The main character seemed dumb in her actions. It was hard to relate to her. She was also overly emotional, and along with other indicators in this book clearly reflected that it is decades old. Story was okay though.

Wake Up Johnny

The characters and overall plot of Coma is strong. Cook does get technical and it does slow down the pace of the book. And, it is definitely not politically correct. The mores are very dated and this drags on the story as well. However, Cook ushered in the medical mystery as a unique genre. So, if your interested in this genre, it’s worth reading. The narrator was good, not great, bringing just an average influence of the text.

Some of his more recent books have been nice, escapist, reads.

Finally, Robin Cook is here!

I have waited a long time for Robin's books to be on audible, they do not dissapoint.

A slow start... but worth the wait!

As a Boston native, I PRAY that people don't actually think that is a Boston accent on some of the characters! Yikes! But other than that, the narration was decent - however I do find it distracting when a woman tries to talk in a manly voice... which is a lot of this book.

I feel the author was definitely targeting a reader with a medical background. The first 1/3 of the book could have been condensed to a couple of hours instead of several! If you are l able to get past a lot of the medical jargon I the beginning, you won't be disappointed with the suspense - the last few hours are worth the wait!

Coma

Good story about future in medicine. Does make you scared to have any surgery. I wish the ending didnt leave you hanging just didnt like what it implied.

Dated?

Super predictable with annoying characterization and poor handling of the the concept of sexism. I'm not sure how much of it was thanks to how old the book is. Nevertheless, it could have been a gem if the writer was more skilled.

In need of an epilogue

Great story. Historical Aspects of life in a hospital in the 70s is fascinating, Like all the Doctors smoking in the hospital! Nevertheless, the ending leaves a lot to be desired… No resolution. The story desperately needs an epilogue!