Rating: 
Summary: Almost Too Scary
Review: I always appreciate a good medical thriller, so I'm not the type to swoon at the first mention of blood.This book, however, had me so frightened that instead of feverishly forging ahead to see what happens next (which I desperately wanted to do), I had to put it down from time to time to regain my equilibrium. When Gerritsen is at the top of her game, as she is in this novel, I think nobody can beat her. Not Robin Cook, not anybody.It's hard to describe the plot without giving away vital information, and I don't intend to be a spoiler. But I can tell you that the action starts hard and fast on the very first page, when a world-renowned surgeon, elderly but revered in his field, attempts a simple appendectomy and winds up killing his young, healthy patient in the most gruesome of ways. Our glimpse into his mind while this is going on is almost scarier than the act itself...and that is the first chapter of the book! It doesn't get calmer from there. It seems that a number of very fit elderly men, in full control of their faculties and all living in a very upscale retirement home, are showing strange mental symptoms, one after the other, and eventually dying horrible deaths. Dr. Toby Harper,who heads the ER rotation at a local hospital, encounters two of these patients, and is at a complete loss to diagnose the problem, let alone solve it. Her dogged determination to get to the bottom of the illness(es) lands her in a conspiracy so sinister that she can't even guess at the true nature of it, except to know that it is putting herself, her dear elderly mother who suffers from Alzheimers, and seemingly her entire medical reputation at stake. A subplot, wherein innocent young runaway girls are captured on the streets and impregnanted with god knows what, forms a counterpoint to the main tale. All I can tell you is that Toby, probably the one innocent in the drama, ends up wanted by the police for murder--and the bad guys, who are diabolical, seem to be getting away scott-free with their intensely fiendish plot. Sound good? Try it. You may not sleep well at night, but it's worth it. Tess Gerritsen is without peer when she truly believes in what she is writing about, and this book proves it. All I can say is, WOW!
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as I thought it would be.
Review: I first read Tess Gerritsen's book 'The Surgeon' and loved it, in fact I read it 3 times. But when I decided to check out some of her earlier work I was dissapointed. 'Life Support' is a pretty good story but who hasn't done the evil nursing bit? I think just about everyone has. Toby (the main character) was pretty cardboard. She was an ER doctor yet when it came to danger she was a wuss. What the? She ended the story very abruptly. I want to know what happened with Dr. Dvorak and I want to know what happened to Wallenberg and everyone.
I do not recommend this book at all. I'll admit it's okay but come on! Why did certain people have to die? I just did not like what she did to some of the characters.
Rating: 
Summary: Another Really Good Gerritsen Book
Review: This was not my favorite of all Tess Garritsen's books (I liked Gravity and Bloodstream a little more), but it was still a very good, fast read and quite entertaining. I'd recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Life Support
Review: A great "page turner" that kept me up all night to see the end. I enjoy all of Tess Gerritsen's work!
Rating:
Summary: DARK AND DISTURBING
Review: Gerritsen explores the area of longevity and how desperate some people are to prolong their lives; the risks they will take, and the horrifying consequences when that desire exceeds safety and caution. What make this book work so well is Gerritsen's ability to create individual scenes that ring of truth, particuarly in the relationship between Toby, her sister, and her mother. Some of the dialogue is biting, harsh, yet with an underlying compassion and confusion that accompanies the anguish of Alzheimer's. Tess also establishes a great deal of sympathy for a supporting character, Molly Picker, whose life as a prostitute leads her into an unbelievably cruel outcome. Her phone call home to her mother, begging her to let her come home, is gut-wrenching in its realism and her mother's cruelty. The story builds well, and Toby's romance with Dan Dvorak is well-done, although the curtain of doom that hangs over Dan at the end does leave a little bitter taste.
All in all, Tess continues to be a master of the medical thriller; check out her excellent "The Surgeon," "Harvest," and "Bloodstream." She makes you wonder just how safe we are in a hospital!
Rating:
Summary: Gerritsen is fast becoming my new favorite pop novelist
Review: I believe I'm actually going backwards as far as the chronology of her titles are concerned. The first book of hers that I read was "GRAVITY", which I thought was perfect. "LIFE SUPPORT" didn't disappoint either. What makes Gerritsen's medical thrillers work is her utter believability. Although a lot of the medical jargon went right over my head (I'm sure I'm not the only one) it certainly comes across that she knows what she's talking about. So far, both books that I've read have centered around an intelligent heroine, who beat the odds of having their reputations tarnished, and yet end up victorious. I would, however, have preferred to know a little bit more about the fate of the heroine's love interest in the book, maybe by Gerritsen explaining a bit more in detail as to the curability of the illness and so on. Overall, I preferred GRAVITY to LIFE SUPPORT because the heroine in the former was not only a doctor, but a flight surgeon on a NASA shuttle. Makes for a great plot! If you haven't tried that one yet, you certainly should. I'm looking forward to checking out her latest novel THE SURGEON... just waiting to find a copy at a nice price. :)
Rating:
Summary: Top-Drawer Medical Suspense
Review: A doctor's sense of responsibility to follow up on a missing patient turns into a dread-filled horror that leads her to the worst nightmare of her life. Dr. Toby Harper is a tough, intelligent woman with too much to do and too little time. An ER doctor working the night shift at Springer Hospital in the Boston suburbs, Toby must also act as caretaker for her Alzheimer's-stricken mother during the day while trying to catch some sleep. As difficult as her routine is, things take a turn for the worse when Dr. Harper finds her life completely unraveling in a matter of only weeks. Dr. Wallenberg, a geriatrics specialist, has devoted his career to researching a way to extend life beyond its normal span. His blind passion leads to the deaths of many, but in the name of progress he continues his experiments. He finds his subjects among the elderly who are wealthy enough and desperate enough to risk anything for a chance at longevity. Aside from the nuisance of dying patients, Dr. Wallenberg is well on his way to success until Toby Harper enters the scene.
This is yet another triumph for Gerritsen. I have also read Gerritsen's first thriller, "Harvest" (1996), and I thoroughly enjoyed both. "Life Support" has interesting medical aspects without getting too dry or detailed. It also benefits from realistic characters and dialogue, and a good dose of creepiness that heightens the suspense. The story's end is a bit disappointing as it dips into the improbable, but the book is nonetheless a definite must-read.
Rating:
Summary: Gerritsen's improving.
Review: I decided to buy this novel since I love Harvest and Bloodstream so much. I do NOT regret it in any way, shape or form. The characters are ALIVE in this book, you really feel for them. The channel Gerritsen was able to write with the reader and the situations is unbelievable. Also, this book is not as predictable as Harvest, yet it's ending is not as absurd and unlikely as Bloodstream. Although, beware, there are numerous disturbing scenes (trust me on this one). Blood runs free in this novel, but never gratuitously. Do I reccomend this book? YES! Is it worth both your time and your money? YES! Should you be adding this book to your shopping cart instead of reading the rest of my needlessly-long review? YES!
Rating:
Summary: Good medical thriller
Review: This was my first Tess Gerritsen book and I enjoyed it very much. I really like medical thrillers, and this is one of the better ones. (However, I figured out what was going to happen to her mother about 5 pages after her new "babysitter" arrived.) Toby was an interesting character and I can't imagine what it would be like to work the graveyard shift in an ER in addition to being the caregiver for a mother with Alzheimers. Talk about stress!! I plan to read her previous medical thriller and look forward to her next.
Rating:
Summary: Good Book- Medical Thriller
Review: I really thoroughly enjoyed this book. Toby was a good main character to the problems that were faced in the ER. It was interesting how dr. carl wallenberg was opposing her so much of the time! To find out more, read the book!
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