There is no doubt that the media highlights pharmaceutical companies' tendencies to raise prices of drugs that are vitally necessary to certain groups of people, but novelists often shine a light on other frightening instances. The safety of drugs often come into question, and in The Death of Distant Stars, Deborah Hawkins introduces a young woman whose husband died because of a drug he was given for hypertension.
Public Defender Kathryn Andrews believes that the medication her husband was prescribed was not sufficiently tested, and finds her way to Plaintiff's attorney Hugh Mahoney. Hugh is the "best in the business," and prides himself in handling the toughest of class action suits. Both Kathryn and Hugh are strong characters who are determined to win, and watching them handle this case and their personal lives makes for some very intense reading.
There is evidence of a cover-up where Wycliffe Pharmaceuticals is concerned, and there are attempts made on Kathryn's life as the book progresses. When witnesses begin to die and accusations begin to fly, Hugh finds himself in deeper than he thought. Even Kathryn's perfect marriage had secrets, and the reader is swept into a story with many angles.
The court scenes are fairly realistic, and the characters are compelling in this fight against a company that seems to be untouchable. Although the book was probably a bit longer than it needed to be, and there were slow moments, I did enjoy it and have just ordered the author's previously written book.
- Beverly
Publisher - Amazon Digital Services LLC
Date of Publication - August 19, 2016