Description:

A Harlan Coben Classic-Now Back in Print!

In a clinic on Manhattan's Upper West Side, a doctor has dedicated his life to eradicating a devastating disease. One by one, his patients are getting well. And one by one, they're being targeted by a serial killer.

There's only one cure, but many ways to die...

From Publishers Weekly

Coben ( Play Dead ) 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 about a conspiracy apparently designed to prevent the development of a cure for AIDS. When one of a trio of research scientists on the brink of coming up with an AIDS antidote dies, it looks like suicide, but TV journalist Sara Lowell and her husband, NBA star Michael Silverman, who are friends of the clinic's founder, think otherwise. Their suspicions are confirmed when several clinic patients, including the son of a U.S. senator, are murdered. A televangelist with his own agenda, Sara's prominent physician father, and a high-ranking government official all seem intent upon derailing the AIDS research, a situation that becomes most personal when Michael is diagnosed with the disease. Police lieutenant "Twitch" Bernstein, a closet homosexual, ultimately comes face-to-face with the person responsible for the killings. The final revelation of the identity of the master conspirator comes as a real surprise. This page-turner also raises some interesting questions about medical research and its funding.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

YA-- Coben casts a dynamic, beautiful, and successful woman, Sara Lowell, and her handsome and famous sports figure, Michael Silverman, as his main characters. Their friend, Dr. Harvey Riker, takes them into his confidence when he tells them that his medical clinic has discovered a cure for AIDS. To his horror, his cured patients are being murdered by a serial killer dubbed the Gay Slasher by the media. Sara's father is in stiff competition with Riker for funding of his cancer clinic and her sister, Cassandra, is romantically involved with the doctor. When Michael collapses on the basketball court and is diagnosed as HIV positive, tracking down the murderer and supporting Riker's clinic take on new dimensions for Sara. This is a fast moving mystery that's sure to capture YAs' attention, especially in light of today's headlines.
- Katherine Fitch, Lake Braddock Secondary School, Burke, VA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.