In discussing the case with other doctors, Earl learns this is the third such case to occur among nurses employed at University Hospital. There seems to be no common link between the three women other than their symptoms – all developed while they were on vacation, and that they weren't particularly sympathetic to patients under their care.

The illness itself is rather baffling. It seems to act somewhat like Legionella, but it does not respond to the classic treatment for the disease. In addition, the source of the infection, while almost certainly coming from within the hospital, cannot be pinpointed. Some panic ensues, among both patients and employees.

Dr. Garnet and his wife, Dr. Janet Graceton, an obstetrician at University Hospital, decide to investigate. Together with an investigator from the Center for Disease Control and a detective on the local police force, the husband and wife team go after an unknown killer using biological systems as his weapon.

Death Rounds is a classic medical thriller. The reader is immediately caught up in the tension of the hospital as a killer stalks its corridors. The medical information is precise and correct, coming from the author's personal knowledge as an emergency room physician. The amount of technical jargon is not overwhelming. A reader with little medical knowledge will enjoy the story as much as one versed in the field.

Some of the chase scenes with, presumably, the perpetrator of the crimes in the sub-basement of the hospital border on the melodramatic. Since there is ample action, excitement, and tension as more people fall ill with the strange disease, these scenes seemed unnecessary, but for readers who like physical confrontation, these may be their favorite parts.

As is true of most thrillers, Death Rounds is plot driven rather than character driven. The race to find the cause of the illness and a means for treating it are the primary ingredients of this novel. It is entertaining how these tasks are accomplished. However, little is learned about the characters themselves, with the outstanding exception of the criminal responsible for wreaking all the havoc. A detailed understanding of his background, which is imaginatively provided, is essential to understanding the motivation for the crimes.

Death Rounds provides a good, fast-paced account of a – thankfully – fictional situation. The lingering thought with which the reader is left is that this fictional situation is not very far removed from what could be reality.

--Andy Plonka