Preview

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Critical

By: Robin Cook
Narrated by: George Guidall
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $20.25

Buy for $20.25

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

New York City medical examiners Laurie Montgomery and Jack Stapleton return in this stunning novel from the “master of the medical thriller” (New York Times)—a ripped-from-the-headlines tale of an innovative doctor’s dangerous downward spiral.

After a rough climb to the top, doctor and businesswoman Angela Dawson appears to have it all: a start-up—Angels Healthcare—that’s about to go public, and a controlling interest in three busy specialist hospitals in New York City as well as plans for others in Miami and Los Angeles. But then a surge of drug-resistant staph infections in all three hospitals devastated her carefully constructed world...

NYC medical examiners Laurie Montgomery and Jack Stapleton are naturally intrigued by the uptick in staph-related post-procedure deaths at these hospitals. Aside from their professional curiosity, there’s a personal stake as well: Jack is facing surgery to repair a torn ACL at Angels Orthopedic Hospital.

Despite Jack’s protests, Laurie can’t help investigating—thus opening a Pandora’s box of corporate intrigue that threatens not just her livelihood, but both of their lives as well.

©2007 Robin Cook (P)2007 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc. and Books on Tape. All rights reserved.
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

"An entertaining mix of suspense, action, and education about medical issues." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Critical

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    300
  • 4 Stars
    242
  • 3 Stars
    135
  • 2 Stars
    30
  • 1 Stars
    16
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    236
  • 4 Stars
    93
  • 3 Stars
    26
  • 2 Stars
    8
  • 1 Stars
    5
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    202
  • 4 Stars
    108
  • 3 Stars
    42
  • 2 Stars
    15
  • 1 Stars
    6

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Riveting and action filled.

Enjoy following Jack and Laurie and the situations they get themselves into.
Also the medical info is very interesting.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I love medical mystery

Narrator could have used a little coaching in medical terminology (not his fault) example: MRSA (We say, "mersa," vs M.R.S.A.")

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Much like previous books of late

If you have enjoyed Robin Cook's most recent books, then you'll like this one.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great who done it

shows how much the medical industry can be taken over buy it's all about the money. it should be all about the people.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Scary

Okay, have to say this one scared the crap out of me, since I am a building principal of a school and the situation and the media scare hype of MRSA in schools. The narrator is great and has me in the seat, but I would really like to focus more on what the medical staff is doing about this risk rather than the mob. Another good one that makes you think yeah, this can really happen in the medical field.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

classic cook

great story just unsure about the reason why the sabotage is still unclear to me.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Okay, not great

I much prefer Robin Cook's early books. Over the last several years his books are just okay. It is a decent story line, but it is bogged down by a lot of slow reading. Too much explanation on HVAC systems, engineering of a hospital, and boring conversation. In addition, the mafia guys were more comedic than serious.
That said, it was not bad and I did keep listening until the book was finished instead of getting a new book. There are a lot of better books out there, but also a lot worse too.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wow

I'm amazed at how the book rang true to life. The writer captured it well :-)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Surprise!

This one did not end as I posited it would. I can't decide how I thought it would end. Throughout most of the book I thought Jack was going to die.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great book!

I really liked this book! I've read several of the Jack Stapleton series and this was definitely one of the best!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!