Erie turn of the 19th century New York, echoes of Caleb Carr.
Dr Noah Whitestone attends on a dying boy and is then accused of overdosing him. To prove his innocence he must find the ‘killer’. It’s a testament of a time when patent medicine was coming in and life’s were cheap.

Interesting read, well written and research but not quite Caleb Carr.

Historical fiction is a delicate balance of research and plot- here is an example that moves over the line to interesting but not to heights of its genre as it’s too heavily weighted in the period to seem real.

I was provided this ARC through NetGalley for my honest opinion. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genre's, coupled with mystery I thought this was going to be a winner. While I did enjoy the book, the writing style was not my favorite and I didn't feel attached to any of the characters.

In Lawrence Goldstone's "Deadly Cure", young doctor Noah Whitestone finds himself caught in a dangerous web of intrigue as he investigates a child patient's mysterious death in 1899 Brooklyn. Goldstone's lively, textured characters offer a broad glimpse into the opposing forces of corruption and reform shaping New York City life at the turn of the twentieth century. The stakes are high, and the setting is well-captured, but a heavily detailed subplot regarding pharmaceutical development occasionally slows the pace between action scenes.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance digital ARC of this book. I really wanted to like this book, but it just did not grab my attention.

I've always enjoyed historical mysteries set in New York. The Deadly Cure is richly atmospheric and really captures the feel of that city at the turn of the century. The practice of medicine and prescribing of drugs is unregulated and not everyone is as scrupulous as the young Dr Noah Whitehouse, the main character of the book. As Noah tries to clear his name after a child in his care dies, he uncovers corruption by pharmaceutical manufacturers. Engaging and thought provoking with excellent writing.

Omg this was a awesome book that was part thriller and part non fiction
I recommendit for those who like history .

New York City of 1899 and unknown to Dr. Noah Whitestone several children have already died, in similar circumstances to his new patient. When the child dies he is accused of prescribing a lethal dose of laudanum. He is determined to prove his innocence.
I didn't take to the style of writing, and admit to getting bored, and therefore struggled to finish the book.

This book takes place in Brooklyn in 1899.... at a time when the Bayer Company had developed aspirin and it was considered the newest miracle drug. Heroin was also being prescribed by doctors, and manufactured by Bayer and one other prominent drug company. Dr Noah Whitestone is accused of killing a patient, and in the wake of trying to clear his name, he uncovers doctors being paid to test drugs on humans and drugs that are meant to be safe are anything but.
This book was really interesting. I did not know much about the early medical practices in the U.S. and found that fascinating. I would definitely recommend this book for not only lovers of historical fiction, but fans of mystery & suspense as well.

Lawrence Goldstone’s Deadly Cure begins with one of the worst things that can happen to a doctor. Up-and-coming doctor Noah Whitestone is summoned to the home of a wealthy New York couple because the family’s youngest son is very ill. Whitestone thinks this is his chance to become the doctor to the city’s upper crust until the boy dies that night. As far as Whitestone (and the experts he consults) knows, the boy should have been alright. His guilt spurs him to investigate the boy’s death, an investigation that almost immediately turns into a crusade against unethical medical experimentation.

Noah is foursquare against patent medicines. At the time, before the 1906 passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act, he has a good point. Most of the “medicines” on the market were full of opium, alcohol, and toxic materials. But the opium and alcohol make people feel better for a while, so they are so popular Noah can’t do much more than admonish people. When he visits the rich family’s boy, he immediately recognizes the symptoms of opium withdrawal. The boy’s mother adamantly argues that her son hasn’t been taking any patent medicines. Noah treats the boy for his withdrawal symptoms anyway and leaves for a few hours to attend other patients. When he comes back, the boy is clearly suffering an overdose of some kind of opiate.

The death of a rich child could end his career, but Noah is more worried about how the boy actually died. He knows it wasn’t his fault. He did what he was supposed to do. Still, he starts to ask questions and learns that some of his rival doctors are handing out mysterious green and blue pills to poor children. They’re clearly testing a new drug and keeping everything under wraps. Then Noah is approached by a journalist for a radical newspaper who tells Noah he has evidence that there is a conspiracy to conduct unethical pharmaceutical tests and keep the patent medicine money wheel spinning. With the help of a group of some anarcho-communists and a curious medical examiner, Noah digs even more deeply into the conspiracy.

Deadly Cure races along, with some pointed comments about the wealth gap, social justice, etc. that read like digs at current events and few research drops, to a conclusion that I found disappointing and confusing because of the choices Noah makes. I enjoyed the characters, especially the women in the book. They are wonderfully take charge and capable. What I liked best about Deadly Cure was the opportunity to dive into a fictional account of the real pharmaceutical race to bring aspirin, buffered aspirin, and heroin to market. So while Deadly Cure is flawed, readers who like medical mysteries will enjoy it.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for review consideration. It will be released 7 November 2017.

One of my most favorite shows was the short-lived "The Knick", following the early days of modern medicine in New York hospital. Dr Noah Whitestone would have fit in nicely with that crew.

Deadly Cure is the story of Dr Whitestone, a young and very smart doctor who treats a 5 year old patient and is quickly blamed when the patient dies. What follows is an exploration of the mystery of medicine and medical testing.

Lawrence Goldstone creates and brings the reader into turn of the century New York by creating a vivid landscape, rich with details.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Review goes live on Butterfly-o-Meter Books on Nov 10 at 00.00 am gmt+2 and will show up on Goodreads sometime later.

In a Flutter: Entertaining
Fluttering Thoughts:
Worldbuilding: Brooklyn setting, 1899-1900. It was interesting to explore the world of medicine of those times.
Characters: Dr. Noah Whitestone was subtly funny and caring, so I liked him. I also enjoyed the fact that he was a man of honor with a keen sense of justice. I understood his motivations and actions, and liked how resilient he proved to be.
I enjoyed other characters too: Mrs. Jensen was downright adorable, Alan de Kupyer was very charming too. I really liked Miriam, the feminist gutsy independent lady of her times. It wasn’t that I disliked Maritbeth, but she seemed meh while Miriam was hot stuff.
Plot: The case of poor Willard’s death was gripping. The intrigue is more and more interesting as it builds (and well documented, which only increases its appeal). The pace of events is active enough to respect the decorum of the times of the story, if you will. Big plus for me: the historical notes at the end of the novel explaining all the facts used.
Writing: Third person, past tense narrative, Noah’s POV. His voice is nice; there’s some irony there, and he;s very polite, making his inner monologue very fun.
Curb Appeal: Cool cover, hooking blurb – impulsive buy material for my historical mystery moods.

I recommend Deadly Cure to fans of conspiracy theory enthusiasts on the topic of historical big pharma, amateur sleuth stories, and there’s a bit of romance in there too so you can’t go wrong, really.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC of Deadly Cure by Lawrence Goldstone. The story is a semi historical novel set in the late 1800's. Dr. Noah Whitestone is called to attend to a sick child on an emergency ,his regular Dr being away. Unfortunately the child dies, and Noah is blamed. He knows he did nothing wrong. In his quest to prove his innocence, the author presents history of patent medications, along with some unsavory characters. I found it interesting to discover how Bayer aspirin came to be, and appalled that medical manufacturers were pushing doctors to give heroin to children. The book was an interesting mix of some history and intrigue

Thanks Pegasus Books and netgalley for this ARC.

The Red queen, deal=dly cough syrup, and unscrupulous doctors and laws just skim the surface of this thrilling historical mystery. Lawrence Goldstone knows how to keep his audience begging for more.

The style of writing is step by step descriptions. This style of writing is not engaging to me. Therefore, I’m not the right reviewer for this book. There are others who appreciate this style of writing and they will reveal veracious reviews.

Vivid and haunting- a must read. I was on the edge of my seat the whols time. Gripped me from the first page and wouldn't let go

A turn of the century desperate pursuit for answers with cameos of the titans of medical and scientific discovery

Deadly Cure is the second novel I have read from this author and I believe I enjoyed the countdown mystery with cameos of the titans of medical and scientific discovery in this book a great deal more than The Anatomy of Deception. Perhaps it was the setting or the premise involving a desperate race for answers that passed through the dying opulence of the 19th century and the filthy avenues of changing humanity that grabbed my imagination the most. The two novels are similar in messages but also share writing that brings me back for another chapter. Whatever the winning reason, this author is indeed a master at presenting and organizing facts and I was thrilled as I began to follow the opening lines in this title that he once more nudges the reader to explore names of individuals from a bygone era on their own instead of breaking into the story with a long forced biography about a referenced name. I would recommend Deadly Cure just for that element alone of inviting the curious to investigate further long after the turn of the final page (especially about the dawning of the study of forensics).

Sadly with all the positives of ambiance and little details that delighted and captivated in Deadly Cure I was somewhat disenchanted with quite a few of the characters (or the noticeable gaps in their personal histories that were never mentioned after they fulfilled their intended purposes in the story) and the overly dramatic scenes that just didn’t fit comfortably in comparison to the beginning passages. It was one later awkward almost ridiculous chapter in general that really disappointed me and after that part the action overthrew the intriguing mystery to create a four part ending that seemed there for modern tastes. True it wasn’t what I expecting but I still wish there would have been more subtlety and off scene acts instead but those types of negatives may not bother another reader. In any case the last important encouraging point I must note (that overbalanced the above for me) was the ultimate resolution to the mystery which was perfect and completely believable. Overall, this is one story that keeps you guessing, thinking about the future and continually secretly glancing over at your own medicine cupboard.

*I would like to thank NetGalley and Pegasus Books for the opportunity to read and enjoy Deadly Cure

This is an exciting historical novel with real characters and an exposition about medical practices at the close of the nineteenth century. He describes in detail how the drug companies of the day, criminals,greedy doctors and politics are interwoven.

Deadly Cure by Lawrence Goldstone.
The major topic of this mystery is very interesting, because it includes a true account of early products made by the Bayer Corporation and other drug companies in the first years of the twentieth century. These businesses often started as dye companies and expanded to develop and patent medicines that often killed rather than healed people. The reader learns that Bayer actually patented a drug besides aspirin called  ”Heroin” and guess what it contained? Before 1906 when the food and drug administration started to regulate patent medicines, they could be deadly, and people often overdosed or became addicted to cocaine and heroin through the unregulated, often “quack,” remedies that promised a quick cure for coughs and pains.
Not only is this topic covered by Goldstone in the plot development, but he also includes a short, fictional discussion of U.S. leftists, anarchists and Jewish dissidents in the early years of the twentieth century.  This combination may sound as though there is too much going on in this mystery, but the combination of these topics provides an interesting, quick read.  At some points, this book is reminiscent of a good Anne Perry novel by its choice of interesting subject matter and plot development.
Only the ending spoiled this good story, because it seemed too contrived and included the unnecessary death of a major character whose participation I would like to see featured in at least one subsequent mystery.
4.5/5

Great book. Brilliant plot and main characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Very enjoyable.

Great book! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!