Genre: Medical Thriller
Synopsis:
Explore the depths of the human psyche and soul…
Dr. Naseem Hamed loves the thrill of having a patient’s life in his hands. He is a brilliant heart surgeon known for steady hands and nerves of steel. His wife is suddenly diagnosed with heart failure, and is placed on a waitlist for a heart donor. They spend a year waiting when one night—their prayers are answered. Under dire circumstances, with time running out, Naseem must perform his own wife’s heart transplant.
But when she suddenly bleeds out and dies on the table, Naseem is sued by her father for malpractice.
Nader is a charismatic broker for black market organs, working for a group of criminal doctors known as the ‘Organ Reapers’. He wishes to marry into a wealthy family headed by Prince Mihammad. The Prince falls ill and needs a heart transplant to live. But it is unlikely for the hospital to find him a donor within 6 months, as younger recipients are given priority.
The Prince will allow Nader to marry his daughter—if he can find him a new heart.
Naseem fears he will lose his medical license and fall into bankruptcy. Knowing this, Nader offers Naseem $1 million to perform the illegal heart transplant to save the Prince’s life—by harvesting an innocent man’s heart. When Naseem refuses to be complicit in murder, Nader kidnaps his daughter. Having lost so much, Naseem must perform the operation without error to save his daughter’s life.
And must eventually face the truth about his wife’s death…
My Review:
This is my first time reading a medical-themed book and I’m not disappointed at all. Elixir of Life by Andrew Dulay is emotional medical thriller. The story follows a heart surgeon, Dr. Naseem Hamed, whose life spirals out of control both personally and professionally after a tragic loss. The story blends the day-to-day with the most intense decisions-making it even more engaging and real.
I especially liked how the author made the reader feel the emotions Naseem was going through. His character was written very well. The story gets technical and hard to keep up at some points, especially when diving into the medical details. Since the story is medical themed, there were moments where I had to slow down to fully grasp the depth of the situation.
The black-market organ trade subplot added an extra layer of suspense. Nader is a person who trades organ in black-market. The way his past unfolds gives a deeper understanding of his choices, making him one of the most compelling characters in the book. Also, the way Naseem’s personal and professional struggles connected at one point makes the story thrilling.
If you enjoy emotionally driven thrillers with ethical dilemmas and strong character arcs, Elixir of Life is definitely worth reading. It’s gripping and thought-provoking read.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5
*Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of the book. I was compensated for the time and effort required to read and review the book, but my opinions remain honest and unaffected.*
Deepireads 