Review: Consequence of Murder by Michael J. Young M.D.

Is there such a thing as the perfect medical murder? Consequence of Murder, a gripping medical thriller by Michael J. Young M.D., explores the chilling possibility.

Dr. Jay Yamp, Head of the Department of Urology at University Hospital Medical Center in Chicago and his friend and research partner, Professor Max Conit, have created a hydrogel that promises exciting new advancements in kidney stone removal surgery. Dr. Yamp, along with his chief resident, Dr. Sandra Holleb, give the hydrogel its first run during a routine kidney stone surgery and everything goes off without a hitch. The hydrogel shows huge promise and both Yamp and Conit are ecstatic.

Meanwhile, Josh Kandell, a data analyst at Yonie Pharmaceuticals, one of the biggest Big Pharma companies that makes the majority of its income in opioid sales, inadvertently discovers an internal memo encouraging the increased sale of dangerous opioids through a pain management clinic where doctors without U.S. medical licenses are writing scripts for a million pills per year. An angry Josh takes his discovery to the FBI, not realizing that a computer programmer at Yonie has discovered his unauthorized online activity and has reported it directly to the company CEO. Within days, a contract has been put out on the two Yonie employees and it’ll be up to the hitmen to devise the seemingly perfect murders…

These two disparate stories may seem like from disparate parts of their respective industries, and even about different subjects entirely, but the author skillfully weaves these two stories together. It’s no secret how intertwined doctors can be with big pharma, and Young unfolds a complex, thought-provoking, and exciting plot that reflects real-world issues.

Being a doctor, Young is clearly well-acquainted with the medical world, and this lends his book credibility and authenticity. The author knows not only the technical aspects of the medical industry, but also the culture, training, politics and motivations that make a huge hospital or a big pharmaceutical company, like Yonie, run. Importantly, Young doesn’t land too hard on factual detail, and creates an immersive experience for the reader, to the point where you might be boiling with rage at the corruption and man’s inhumanity to man.

In terms of characterization, Young sometimes relies too much on familiar tropes – especially for his villains – but his core group is compelling and relatable from the start. Yamp is the altruistic doctor who’s more about discovering advancements in medicine rather than his own personal glory, Holleb is the brilliant chief resident who has no compunctions about using her beauty when it suits her, while the CEO and head of marketing at Yonie are the typical one-dimensional “bad guys” in expensive suits who’ll stop at nothing to protect their turf. However, it’s the rather unique circumstances of characters like Professor Max Conit and Josh Kandell, and how they all connect to one another, which make for such an intriguing story.

All told, Consequence of Murder delivers a sophisticated, fast-paced story with a compelling cast of characters that should be a priority for fans of the medical thriller genre.