Robin Cook's 'Terminal' Reviews

Fans of bestselling author Cook's novels won't be disappointed by this a hopped-up, anti-medical establishment thriller. Brian O'Grady (Gregg Henry) works for Genesysn Pharmaceuticals but lobbies on behalf of his brother, Dr. Sean O'Brady (Doug Savant), who's applied for a research job at Forbes Medical Center. Sean's ex-girlfriend, Dr. Janet Reardon (Nia Peeples), already works at the cancer research institute, ensuring a cool reception; Sean's dragon lady boss, Dr. Levy (Khandi Alexander), also seems less-than-welcoming and Sean's duties are more circumscribed than he had expected. What the idealistic Sean doesn't know is that the center's bigwigs have already killed a spy named Sheila Adamson (Jamie Rose), who was attempting to expose their secrets — surely the center's renowned creator, Dr. Maxwell (James Eckhouse), couldn't have been involved. Maxwell's business partner, Sterling Rombauer (Michael Ironside), and loony head nurse, Margaret Desmond (Jenny O'Hara), however, seem to be as paranoid as Dr. Levy. Sean recommends the center's innovative treatment to a family friend, Mr. Cabot (Roy Thinnes), whose daughter has a brain tumor. During the course of routine research, he begin to noticing anomalies; Janet shares Sean's suspicions after seeing how possessively Margaret guards the drug protocols. Dr. Cabot's daughter dies unexpectedly, leading Sean further into shadowy areas of Dr.Maxwell's specialty: Maxwell's miracle cures have been dispensed to wealthy patients who just happened to contract the particular brain cancer that Maxwell treats. After Brian and Margaret are killed, Sean and Janet must use all their resources to survive long enough to expose the Forbes Medical Center Center's gruesome secrets. This men-in-white thriller isn't exactly a nail-biter, but it works as an undemanding entertainment and Cook junkies will get their full measure of cliffhangers, emergency-room jargon and conspiracy theories lurking behind every surgical mask.