Isolation Ward

By: Joshua Spanogle

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Straight out of today’s hospitals and labs–and tomorrow’s headlines–comes a frightening, scalpel-sharp thriller from medical insider Joshua Spanogle. In an astounding debut, Spanogle takes us on an all-too-real race against time…as a young doctor enters the dark side of scientific research, desperate to stop a terrifying epidemic before it is too late….

In Baltimore’s St. Raphael’s Hospital, three newly admitted patients are among society’s most helpless citizens: female residents of Baltimore’s group homes for the mentally impaired, their bodies racked by a virus the likes of which no one at St. Raphael’s has ever seen.

Dr. Nathaniel McCormick is one of the first on the scene. A young investigator from the Centers for Disease Control, Nate is paid to explore the bizarre, the exotic, and the baffling–from superviruses to bioterrorism. But as soon as Nate begins to investigate the lives and habits of the victims, he knows something is terribly wrong. Using all his skills as a medical detective, Nate soon zeroes in on the “vector”–the one person who had sexual contact with the first victims. And when that suspect is found murdered, Nate fears that the disease he’s chasing may not be an act of nature, but of man.

With his brash style angering his superiors and fellow investigators alike, Nate turns to an old colleague and former lover, Dr. Brooke Michaels, for help. Together the two investigators follow a twisting trail of clues to a discovery that is at once groundbreaking and unspeakable. And as a circle of treachery tightens around him, Nate is about to confront the most chilling revelation of all–and a past Nate himself has been trying to escape.

At once a taut medical thriller and a riveting psychological portrait of a young doctor on the edge, Isolation Ward is a tale of runaway tension–with a brilliant “what-if” premise that is harrowing…heartbreaking…and impossible to wrench from your imagination.©2006 Joshua Spanogle; (P)2006 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"Combines a wonderfully flawed yet stereotypically smart-ass hero with a plot that moves as rapidly as a lethal virus."—Entertainment Weekly, grade A-

"[A] tightly woven debut thriller.... engrossing and intellectually wrought.—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Epidemiology with Attitude

I picked this book out looking for a quick and engaging read, and was pleased to get just that.
"Isolation Ward" is told from the point of view of Dr. Nathaniel McCormick, a CDC officer with an attitude equal to his brain power, both of which have a tendency to get him into trouble. I enjoyed his snarky side comments and disaffected viewpoint on the medical establishment throughout the book. I'm sure this comes across on paper but was made all the better, by narrator Scott Brick's embodiment of the character. While this is not a piece of literature with complex character development, there is just enough detail and witty dialogue to round out the cast and keep things interesting.
The story starts with an outbreak of an unknown hemorrhagic virus in the special needs population of Baltimore, MD. I found the setting intriguing because usually epidemic stories begin in some hugely populated and trafficked setting... airports, casinos, movie theatres... not within a fairly insulated population living in group homes. This was a very clever choice by the author which becomes an important part of the "web" later in the story. The plot ends up going much deeper than the story of the disease, into a hidden world of medical experimentation and interpersonal intrigue. I certainly didn't foresee the source of the disease.
This is a fast-paced, smart book that will keep you reading, and can even be thought provoking at times when it delves into medical ethics. If you're looking for a decent "page-turner," I would certainly recommend it.

A true medical thriller

Isolation Ward is exciting from start to finish and chock full of medical knowledge and detail. Pneumothorax? Don’t mind if I do!

good read

I highly recommend this book and this author. I hope to see more from him. The book has a good pace, some funny retorts, and just enough "heat" dont be afraid to give it a listen.

Isolation Ward

Well written and fast-paced if not just a little bit predictable. Author has a good sense of humor and it comes through with some fairly witty retorts and comments by its protagonist. Of great help to this book is the delightful insight and capability of Scott Brick the narrator, who lends just the right tone inflection to make this work.

Book is worth listening to. Good writing.

medicalthrillerreader

one of the more interesting listens in a long time. Sponagle keeps it fast. His dry humor will be enjoyed by insiders to science. His descriptions will make the book available to all readers inside or out. I'm already looking for more. Great