The Magic Bullet

The often duplicitous politics of cancer research provide the background for this tense, detailed medical thriller about a potential cure for breast cancer. Working with two associates, Daniel Logan, a junior associate at Washington, D.C.'s American Cancer Federation, develops a new treatment for the disease using a drug called Compound J (a drug which was pioneered in the 1930s by a Japanese research assistant of Dr. Paul Ehrlich, one of Logan's personal heroes). As Logan tests his potential cure, the erratic and self-serving behavior of the ACF's power players begins to hiss like a fuse headed for an explosion. The ultimate fate of Logan's work is tied to the treatment of a VIP patient, but the book's conclusion proves somewhat disappointing: instead of a climactic battle, all we get is the general's order to attack. That, plus an illogical coincidence during Logan's visit to Dr. Ehrlich's laboratory are only minor shortcomings, however, in an otherwise solidly crafted and engrossing narrative. Stein adroitly uses his characters' flaws and desires to propel his intelligent story while raising provocative moral questions. Literary Guild Super Release; film option to Ruddy Morgan Organization. (Jan.)