KILLER CHOICE

4 stars out of 5

Quick: Roll up your pantlegs - it's too late to save your shoes! 

I can't count how many times I've said that over the years. And I'm betting I said it at least half a dozen times during the couple of days it took to read this book. At issue, you see, is that only a ton of money - $200,000, to be exact - will save Gary Foster's wife Beth from dying (or more correctly, give her a chance of not dying as soon as she otherwise will). Beth, who's pregnant with their long-hoped-for child, has been diagnosed with a gioblastoma - the same type of brain cancer that took the life of the son of former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife and currently threatens the life of Arizona Sen. John McCain - making this a timely topic. 

But alas, there's no treatment except via an experimental drug found only in Germany; while there are no guarantees, so far the trials have shown positive results. The only drawback? The exorbitant cost. Gary and Beth try everything they can think of to raise the money, but no matter what they do, it's just not enough. Enter a shady character named Otto, who somehow learns about their dilemma and contacts Gary with an offer he can't refuse: Want the money? Commit murder. 

And from that point on, any sympathy I had for Gary pretty much went out the window. I had to wonder if the Fosters were subjected to the current TV commercial for one of those miracle drugs that proclaims, "Who wouldn't want the chance to live longer?" Well, don't be ridiculous; we all would. But at what cost? I know for certain I wouldn't kill someone else to get a drug that might or might not work; and if I were the patient, I also know for certain I would never try to make my husband feel guilty for not doing more to help, as Beth did at one early-on point. And right then, I pretty much stopped feeling sorry for her as well.

As one might suspect, nothing is as simple as it appears - but many of the obstacles in Gary's quest for serious cash stem from what I'd call plain old stupidity. Who in his right mind would agree to the strict terms Otto sets forth, especially when not accompanied by a hefty down payment at the very least? But agree Gary does, and from that point on no matter how fast he shovels, the mud just keeps getting deeper as new turns of events stand between him and the money he so desperately wants. Meanwhile, almost as an afterthought, we learn that the outdoor apparel shop Gary and his brother Rod operate is in serious financial trouble. But honestly, since Rod is a reformed screw-up and I just can't warm up to Gary or Beth, I found it hard to care.

There's no shortage of action, which held my attention throughout as I tried my best to figure out how the whole escapade would end. Not quite so happily, though, I also wrestled with a few other inconsistencies. Wouldn't Beth, for instance, balk at taking an experimental drug without knowing it wouldn't harm her baby? And why did an event venue operator who claimed to have no open dates for months to come offer, just a few days later, a date only two weeks away? Hmmm, guess a few folks bailed, eh?

Oh well, I'll never know. Regardless, overall this is a fast-paced adventure that I read almost in a single sitting - with, as I mentioned early on, a timely topic. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Killer Choice by Tom Hunt (Berkley, January 2018); 352 pp.