Foreign Body

By: Robin Cook

Narrated by: George Guidall

In this chilling new novel from the one and only Robin Cook, New York City medical examiners Laurie Montgomery and Jack Stapleton rush to India to help a UCLA student investigating medical tourism - and a sinister global conspiracy.

©2008 Robin Cook (P)2008 Penguin

Critic reviews

"Does for hypochondriacs what Ludlum does for paranoiacs." (Raleigh News, Observer)

foreign body

I feel like the story just stops at the end never telling about the results of the other 2 bodies that they traveled all over to get samples. The story does tell much what happened after everyone getts back to the hotel and what or how the murders were dealt with by India why they were not charged with breaking the law and how they just flew home without any consequence.

As if I walked the streets of Calcutta

Robin Cook's books are always entertaining. This one is especially educational. There is no chance that I will ever travel to India, but I felt the roughness of the roads, I smelled the cities and towns in which a billion people live. I learned about medical tourism and much more. This book is recommended for those who want to travel in their reading chairs.

It was okay

Entertaining. Not as good as other books cook has done. Wondering if he is trying to set up a new medical power couple dynamic with the introduction and focus on new characters. Laurie and Jack are in this book.. but it is primarily about two new characters one very Laurie-esque the other manchild in nature just like Jack.. only they are on the west coast so no worries about Laurie/Jack having competition ..

Great book

Love the series. Ready for the next one. Jack and Lori have great adventures together,

Absolutely Addictive! Pulsating!

Although it seemed to take a minute to get off the ground and get into the book, knowing it was a Robin Cook book sets the tone that soon you will be immersed into the narrative in no time. And before I knew it I was almost done when I took my first break! By then the main characters were well grounded in my core like family. By the time I hit chapter 31 I was worried sick about Jennifer, wondering when they were going to get anyone to help them with her Grandmother's case, and how Nurses International was going to play out. I couldn't move the last 5 chapters because the pace is so fast you don't realize it's over. I actually cried out and then cried like a baby at the end.
Truly worthy of listening to, I can't wait to start my next book! Robin Cook just keeps me glued to my chair! Bravo! 😂 Bravo!😂

Not the best, but passing

This is one of the slowest, if not THE slowest Robin Cook story, at least in the series with Jack and Laurie. For one thing, less than 3 hours remain in the book before Jack and Laurie really make an appearance. The feeling I got is that instead of the story being set up in the beginning and then the rest of the book following the "heroes" as they work to solve the mystery, this one spends the first 85% of the book setting up the story, with the main characters coming in only at the end. I hate to say anything negative, but none of the characters grab you, and the story takes way too long to get moving. I felt the previous book "Critical" moved a bit slow, but it moves a LOT faster than this one.

As far as the narration, I didn't think it was all that bad. Maybe his Indian accent isn't that great, but it didn't bother me. I find it more distracting when the narrator goes over the top with accents. George gives enough of an accent to get the point across, but he keeps the focus on the story and keeps it moving. I got all the way through it, but it was certainly not one of Robin Cooks greatest hits. I am really hoping the next books go back to the way they were in the beginning of the "series".

Great book, great narrator

What made the experience of listening to Foreign Body the most enjoyable?

Really enjoy the narrator. He gives all the characters personality.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jack Stapleton is always my favorite. His character and personality are down to earth and real.

Have you listened to any of George Guidall’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. Crisis and Critical. I enjoyed both of them as well. Crisis is my favorite then Foreign Body. I was disappointed that Jack was not more involved in this story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No. Just a great listen.

Any additional comments?

I agree with one of the other ratings that stated it's nice to listen to a book that isn't filled with profanity.

Better The Second Time Around

I have a colleague who has just recently been “introduced” to Robin Cook and she is hooked! I’ve read a few his books over the years, but frankly it’s been such a long time since the last one that I don’t really remember much about them other than that they are medical thrillers.

I suppose because it’s been so long since I’ve read a Cook Book (ha!) I must not have been that impressed - but my colleague’s enthusiasm peaked my curiosity and I decided to pick one up again. I first read Foreign Body in 2009 and thanks to my lousy memory it was like reading a new novel so I didn’t feel like I was wasting my time; I remembered some scenes as I was rereading them, but overall it felt new.

I liked it! It was better than my previous review of “Just OK”. Perhaps I needed a break from his books in order to renew my appreciation? I also never realized that this book was the 8th in a series – I didn’t love it enough to feel like I need to go back and catch up on previous instalments, but I am in for the next ones.

Foreign Body, buy Robin Cook

I found this book to be exciting as the protagonist figured out what happened to her Grandam in India where she had gone for a operation in a state of the art hospital. Good read (listen) I recommend it to people who enjoy medical thrillers

Not up to par with the other book

Not the best of Robin Cook. Most Robin Cook books are enjoyable and move along at a good pace. This was lacking