Host

By: Robin Cook

Narrated by: George Guidall

The explosive new thriller from New York Times–bestselling author and master of the medical thriller, Robin Cook.

Lynn Peirce, a fourth-year medical student at South Carolina’s Mason-Dixon University, thinks she has her life figured out. But when her otherwise healthy boyfriend, Carl, enters the hospital for routine surgery, her neatly ordered life is thrown into total chaos. Carl fails to return to consciousness after the procedure, and an MRI confirms brain death.

Devastated by Carl’s condition, Lynn searches for answers. Convinced there’s more to the story than what the authorities are willing to reveal, Lynn uses all her resources at Mason-Dixon—including her initially reluctant lab partner, Michael Pender—to hunt down evidence of medical error or malpractice.

What she uncovers, however, is far more disturbing. Hospitals associated with Middleton Healthcare, including the Mason-Dixon Medical Center, have unnervingly high rates of unexplained anesthetic complications and patients contracting serious and terminal illness in the wake of routine hospital admissions.

When Lynn and Michael begin to receive death threats, they know they’re into something bigger than either of them anticipated. They soon enter a desperate race against time for answers before shadowy forces behind Middleton Healthcare and their partner, Sidereal Pharmaceuticals, can put a stop to their efforts once and for all.

Critic reviews

Praise for Cell

“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.”
—David McCullough, New York Times–bestselling author of The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris

“Robin Cook has been entertaining medical-thriller fans for decades, but he does much more with his latest novel, Cell…Cook has written a thought-provoking story.”
—Associated Press

Coma- circa 2015

Same old, same old.
Just write a one page op-Ed next time and save us all some time. I would certainly read THAT.

Great story but very wordy

George Guidal can make a hit out of any publication! I do love Robin Cook but why use so many excess words? The minute detail the author goes into gets tiresome. I've found this in most of his works. I love learning about new concepts, careers, and locations I've never heard of. I'll still jeep reading Cooks' novels as the writing get better.

The vulnerable future of medicine

Brilliantly authored, well-researched and shockingly possible. Robin Cook brings yet another medical “fiction” to his readers. And just as always, does not fail to keep us on our toes. The narration of the book is flawless and in-keeping with the tone of the book, leaves you wanting for more.

Ultimate suspense

Story is great. Not as predictable as I thought. Many surprises Never would have guessed a few. I thought dad was in on it. The end leaves it open for a sequel.
I do hope there is one. Maybe Boston is next?????

Rewrite of Coma with an intersectional tweak

I found the dialog between the two main characters to be a bit cringe. The black savior trope in an obvious pandering attempt only detracted from the plot. The plot was enjoyable enough but it was definitely too close to Coma’s plot. Not sure I’m sold on Guidall’s blaccent either. 😉

Narrator is just so boring

Love Cook.. have read all of his work.. was excited to listen to this book after reading it many years ago.. the narrator is just not that great.. in fact he is so boring I found myself drifting off .. so good book.. ruined by really boring and apathetic narration

Plodding

This is one story that just plodded along like a tired old donkey. More than once I certainly considered giving up on it. Normally I can get through an audiobook pretty fast. This one for a relatively short book read slllllllllllowly seemed to be like one of those 40 jour long narathon books.

Biologics' big business

Loved it! True look at healthcare as big business and scary outcomes of its influence.

seemed like just a rewrite of comma. It dragged on

narrarator was good. The story seemed like a rewrite of the book coma. it really dragged on at the end and I had a hard time staying with it and finishing it. Had to skip a few chapters just to get through it.

Another Robin Cook thriller

I have enjoyed Robin Cook's style of writing.
This book has been another late night spell binder. The characters are immediately ones that I have felt I could befriend. The story kept me listening even when I felt I had to get some sleep.