Vector

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Read
Review: I'm not very knowledgeable about bioterrorism, so I am sure the inconsistencies mentioned by others are there, and this book may not deserve 4 stars. But since I don't know about such things, I have to admit I found this a good read.

Most of Cook's books would be able to "fool" me, since I don't know much about medicine and diseases, but sometimes ignorance is bliss, so I enjoy Robin Cook's books (at least the ones I've read). I probably wouldn't notice inconsistencies and mistakes.

Rating:
Summary: Good But Not His Best
Review: Typical Robin Cook; however, only an average read. I found this book to be enjoyable and in this day and age somewhat believable.

This was not one of Dr. Cook's best. I have read a number of his novels and enjoyed them all. This dosn't compare with what I consider to be his best book (Blindsight). It also isn't as bad as (Brain) which I thought was the worst book he has ever written.

This book appeared to have three seperate story lines, and even though the characters were colorful, I felt like Dr. Cook only brought two of the three to a close. We know in the end what happens to Yuri, Curt, and Steve; yet, he never brings the part of the story involving Patricia and Paul to an official close. Without revealing the climax of the book, Dr. Cook dosn't let you know what the final outcome of the relationship between Patricia and Paul is. You have to assume it is over.

As with other typical Robin Cook novels, and stated by other reviews, keep the dictionary handy to look up all the medical terms. Mr. Cook sometimes forgets that the average lay person dosn't know what they all mean.

If you enjoy fiction and are looking for a good book to read while lounging by the pool or on the beach this summer you won't go wrong with this book.

Rating:
Summary: Good But Not Dr. Cook's Best Work
Review: I really enjoyed this book. It was a great read and even a little comical at times. I have read many other books by Robin Cook and this one still does not compare to my favorite which was Blindsight.

The characters in this book were wonderful. I truly liked Jack and Patricia. You could almost feel the hatred coming from Curt and his buddies. Mr. Cook did a wonderful job with Yuri. There were times that you hated him, and times that you actually felt sorry for the guy.

This book seemed to have three seperate story lines. Mr. Cook did an extremely wonderful job of closing most of them out. In particular I enjoyed what happened to Curt and Steve in the end. However, it seemed Mr. Cook did not complete the story line between Patricia and Paul. There was no closure.

Be prepared to keep your dictionary handy as Dr. Cook tends to forget that the average lay person may not understand some of the medical terms.

As I stated before, this was a good book, not great. My favorite continues to be Blindsight which was the first book I ever read by Mr. Cook.

Mr. Cook, keep up the good work. I do enjoy your novels.

I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

Rating:
Summary: A SHAME!
Review: I can't say that Robin Cook hasn't done a very nice research before writing this book. I can't say that the subject - bioguns attacks - isn't cool either. But the fatal problems are so many that the book is a whole boring thing.

After so many months waiting to have money enough to buy it to read, I have to say: I shouldn't have expected so much of Robin Cook. I think he will never more write books like CHROMOSOME 6, his best in my opinion. The characters he had previously used - Jack Stapleton and Laurie Montgomery - are here again - and in my opinion, they shouldn't. They are not as well developed as in the previous books where they also appear, but in this one they almost don't go to places together, and they just don't seem to be the protagonists. The wonderful plot is not well developed, being very boring some times. The end, which in an interview Robin Cook said that was one of the best he ever wrote, is very predictable. To be objective, I only read the whole book because of two reasons: 1) It was a book by Robin Cook, and Robin Cook is always a nice writer, even in despite of everything. 2) We always learn a lot from his books, which is a good reason.

Even giving only two stars for this book - because it doesn't deserve more than this - it is still a nice reading if you like medical-thrillers or if you enjoy reading Robin Cook. But, if you haven't read Cook yet, don't start with that one. Take books like CHROMOSOME 6 - his best! - or CONTAGION. They are much better than VECTOR, I assure you. And also read the books by Michael Palmer. Another adorable medical-thriller author.

Marco Aurelio - contact: [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: I wish I could enter zero stars!
Review: This has got to be one of the worst books I have ever read. I'm very much into "virus" books, and once I read a lot of the ones which are either true or based on true stories (Richard Preston, William Close, etc.), I thought I'd try medical thrillers.

I've read some of Robin Cook's other books, and they've been OK. They're very predictable. But this one was so poorly conceived and even more poorly written, I couldn't even finish it. The characters have no depth, and their personalities were developed according to what makes the headlines about skinheads and Russian immigrants. Does Robin Cook REALLY know anything about the mangled mindsets of Neo-Nazis? And with Laurie and Jack -- enough already!

Maybe it's because I've read enough about the real threat of biological weapons to know that Yuri couldn't have had that lab in his basement the way it was described. And his wife couldn't have popped open the lock, walked in and not gotten sick then.

I could go on and on, and I only read half the book. I very much doubt it gets any better. If you want the real thing, read Richard Preston's The Cobra Event.

Rating:
Summary: my review
Review: This book is about a possible threat of anthrax poisonning by an unhappy immigrant.

Sound far fetched? I'm not so sure.

However, there are certain inconsistencies in the book that do not make it seem real-life, like having the lab in the basement and the neighbors not knowing. We all know how nosy neighbors can be....

As for the characters, the author brings back a character he has used in previous novels. Jack, a doctor at the New York City Medical Examiner's Office. At least he keeps the suspense going between the search for the poison and the relationship between Jack and Laurie, a colleague.

It is an interesting book and it will keep you reading.

Rating:
Summary: Bumbling Losers Lose!
Review: Most writers set up the villains as pretty challenging characters (such as occurs in the James Bond novels). Robin Cook has pulled a reverse of that and put together some of the most incompetent villains ever. Despite their incompetence, they make great progress towards unleashing a bioweapon on Manhattan. This reversal added a comic element (not too far from the Keystone Kops) that made the novel much more entertaining than it would otherwise have been.

The developing attraction between Jack Stapleton and Laurie Montgomery is the other interesting plot element. Laurie meets someone and starts to get serious, which presents nice plot complications that you will enjoy.

As to the main story, it is about as far-fetched as you can imagine except for the relative ease of creating the anthrax-based bioweapon. I hope that the details in the book are not too accurate. I would hate for this book to become a terrorist's training manual.

The characters are relatively vivid. Jack Stapleton's ability to create disorder is charming. This makes for a good read. I hope that Robin Cook will write more novels about Stapleton and Montgomery.

Cook obviously likes people, because he even makes the villains more attractive than they absolutely have to be. That slant on making the characters more sympathetic gives the story an engaging quality that will keep you turning the pages well into the night.

One word of caution. There's some material in here about skinheads that will be very upsetting to some people. If you are easily upset by graphic descriptions of inhumane acts, this is not the book for you. Otherwise, enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: The worst book that I have read.
Review: This was the worst book that I have read this year and I read a lot. Vector was the first Robin Cook book that I have read. It is also the last.

What Vector lacks in plot, it makes up for in unbelievable coincidences and boring filler. The book must have been edited by the Orwellian Ministry of Truth for Political Correctness.

Only someone living in a predominantly white, gated community would have such a warped perspective of life in the inner city. The plot is right out of Hollywood.

The story can be told in less than a paragraph so here it is. The bad guys are, of course, neo-nazi/white supremacists and a Russian immigrant. The good guys are government employees teamed with black gang-bangers. The bad guys plan on unleashing a horrible biological weapon in a federal building. The good guys, through a string of unbelievable coincidences, find out about the plot and attempt to thwart the efforts of the bad guys. Luckily, the bad guys are so incredibly stupid and inept that they actually didn't pose such a threat after all.

Robin, I want my money back.

Rating:
Summary: Cook puts forth an intriguing and plausible terrorist plot.
Review: Cook is expecting the reader to overlook the subplot inconsistancies put forth i.e. running over a policeman without having a statewide manhunt or the russian's basement lab with megawatt requirements not arousing suspicion from the utilities. Then there are the interminable amount of coincidences. O.k., I'll put up with all that because the plot is so incredible the way it unfolds in the book. The anti-heroes are believable and entertaining in the way they view life with all their shortsideness and clever madness, trusting and distrusting each other simultaneously. There is part 'Keysone Cops' and serious human drama that keeps your attention to the end. The scary part of this book is that there is a plausibility that this scenerio played out in Vector could happen to an unsuspecting American city.

Rating:
Summary: Well, it wasn't too bad
Review: I thought the book was entertaining for being fiction. The storyline about the biological warfare was somewhat believable. I thought that Jack was a very well developed character, however, would have been fired long ago because of his escapades. This is a good vacation book.