Chromosome 6. Robin Cook. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1997. 457 pp.
Dr. Jack Stapleton is an ordinary Medical Examiner for the city of New York. However, one day a strange cadaver with no head or arms crosses his desk. As Jack performs the autopsy, he finds many strange things about this particular body. Little does Jack know, but this case is about to turn his life upside down. Jack and his loyal partner Laurie Montgomery try anything and everything to identify this body, but when all methods fail they come to the point of giving up. It is not until Laurie comes across a videotape of the person’s death that they finally are able to make an identification on the body. Even with this new evidence, one thing about the body baffles them: where could the body have had a liver transplant? As the dynamic duo set off throughout the city of New York to find the answer to this question, they are continually led on a wild goose chase. After both Jack and Laurie are threatened by one of the mob families in New York, they take a “vacation” to Africa while hoping to renew the trail of the mysterious liver transplant. In Africa, their lives are threatened many more times, but through a new friendship they are able to find an answer to this perplexing mystery.
CHROMOSOME 6 is a nail-biting thriller that keeps readers on their toes. This story really makes one think about personal morals when it delves into the topic “playing God” with human genetics. As the constant action of mob violence and steady stream of new discoveries keep mounting, readers are pushed to keep turning the pages. Robin Cook has successfully created another masterpiece of constant action and thrills that only accents his career. This awesome suspense novel is one that should definitely be put on your bookshelf. Rank: 10 out of 10
Reviewed by Lee