This book was a total waste of time. The dialogue was terrible, the characters unbelievable, the construction awful. If there was a rating below one star or even minus stars, that's what I would have chosen. I kept hoping for it to get better and it NEVER did. God forbid I should pick up another Robin Cook book. Toxin was so bad I wouldn't even put it out on a table at a yard sale if for no other reason than to protect others from reading it. I hope Dr. Cook is a better doctor than writer -- if not he must be plagued with malpractice lawsuites.