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.
A NetGalley Book ( )

Deadly Cure is both a medical mystery and a historical mystery novel. It takes place in 1893 in New York City.

Physician Noah Whitestone is called to a rich neighbor's home to urgently care for their 5 year old son, Willard Anschutz, as his regular physician, Dr. Frias, was not available. Noah finds the boy exhibiting the symptoms of morphia toxicity, with leg tremors, a rancid odor, extreme perspiration and dilated pupils. Noah asked the boy's mother, Mildred Anschutz, if he had taken any patent medications which were not regulated but were known to have morphine as an ingredient. She said that he had not taken any but that he had been taking a blue pill prescribed by Dr. Frias for a cough. Noah doesn't believe that Willard was not on any patent medications but has to take her word so he gives the boy 2 drops of laudanum and leaves to see 2 more patients. When he returned to the house later that night, the boy had died. However, he was able to get 2 of the blue pills that Willard was taking.

The next day Noah stops by the Anschutz home to pay his respects to the family. Here he find himself accused of wrongdoing in the boy's death. After leaving the house he goes to the local hospital lab to do tests on the blue pill to determine what it is made of. Dr. Frias finds out he is testing the pill and threatens to yank his license. Noah later meets a radical working for a newspaper who tells him the paper is trying break the Patent Medicine Trust. This radical/reporter knew about Willard's death and the death of other children from patent medications. Noah wants to get involved with research for the publication in order to clear his name but knows that there is a risk with being associated with the radicals. He does it anyway.

Deadly Cure was spellbinding! I was hooked from the first page and could not put this book down. The book had a fast pace, fascinating characters and an intricate plot. However, what I found most interesting was how aspirin and heroin were initially introduced in the U. S. as patent medications. In their beginning forms these drugs killed people. Various German companies worked on what eventually became known as aspirin and heroin and while their products were not initially healthy they were marketed to the public by physicians who became wealthy by prescribing them. This history was expertly woven into this story by the author. ( )

Although this starts with the mysterious death of a young boy, this book is so much more than a mystery. It is 1899 in Brooklyn, and a young doctor who practices with his father becomes embroiled in the world of profit and greed. A fascinating look at unregulated medicines, the lack of foresight or outright falsification of testing, and the many dangerous combinations that some physicians prescribed.

What a scary world, morphine, opium, all in medicines given to children as well as adults. Fantastic rendering of time and place, a dark, forbading atmosphere, with many willing to do anything for money. Not much has changed there, nor the greed of the drug companies, but now at least there is some control. As a young doctor seeks to clear his name, he is drawn into a group of nonviolent anarchists who are trying to keep the scales even, protect those who cannot protect themselves by exposing nefarious practices. Threads are unraveled, conspiracies revealed, and one learns s great deal about early drug practices. The beginning of the Bayer Company in Germany, the use of aspirin and the development of heroin.

Found this book both interesting and fascinating especially since heroin today has become a cheaper and more available source for opiates. Some very interesting characters from all walks of life, an entertaining mystery and top notch historical.

ARC from Edelweiss. ( )