Unethical: A Psychological Thriller

Anderson (NanoMorphosis) raises important questions about medical ethics in this timely thriller. When California attorney Josephine Rinaldi’s father, a law professor, starts losing his mental faculties, she turns in desperation to neurologist Adrian Kessler, who heads the Kessler Institute, a medical research facility specializing in treating those with dementia. Overcoming her father’s resistance, she enrolls him in a clinical study at the institute, which requires him to be a resident patient. Kessler claims to be able to use advances in genetic engineering “to recreate the chemistry of a healthy brain in a malfunctioning one.” But Josephine has second thoughts about her decision after Thomas’s symptoms worsen. She becomes even more alarmed when she learns that the admission paperwork she signed gave Kessler power of attorney over his patient. Things get much worse for Josephine when she’s fired by her law firm, a termination she believes stemmed from her changed attitude toward Kessler. The plot unfolds both logically and surprisingly. Anderson’s concise but evocative prose bodes well for future efforts. (Self-published)