Dr. Nate McCormick has reached a turning point in his life. He just left a plumb job with the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta to move to San Francisco to be with his girlfriend Brooke, director of the local health department. It looks like Dr. Nate's life is headed for marriage, mortgage and babies while he's dragging his cold, commitment-phobic feet.

A call from a long-lost college chum named Paul Murphy sends Dr. Nate's life careening out of control and provides a compelling distraction from his current relationship turmoil. Apparently Paul has gotten in way over his head with his job, some questionable medical research, some vain women looking for the fountain of youth and what appears to be an Asian gang. A few dead bodies and mutilated faces later, Dr. Nate uses his free time and medical background to crack a very clever case.

Author Joshua Spanogle is a sharp, witty, sarcastic writer who nails the details of plot and character. While this is a medical thriller, this reviewer was not overwhelmed with jargon. I was hooked from page one and enjoyed the suspenseful (and sometimes bloody) ride.