Of Flesh and Blood

January 25, 2010
Emergency-room physician Kalla’s latest novel (after Cold Plague
) is a medical, historical, and family drama set at the fictional Alfredson Medical Center, a world-class clinic outside Seattle. Founded in the 19th century by Marshall Alfredson and Evan McGrath, the hospital has relied on the founders’ families ever since, and it’s now approaching a crucial crossroads. William McGrath, the hospital’s CEO, must battle a nasty infection rampaging through the wards. His cardiologist daughter, Erin, struggles to keep a traumatic experience from affecting her job. Her oncologist brother, Tyler, faces a malpractice suit after a risky procedure goes awry, and Tyler’s medical researcher wife, Jill, discovers irregularities in her potentially groundbreaking study data that might spell the end of her academic career. All of this is brewing as the Alfredson family gathers for an unprecedented vote to determine the hospital’s future. Kalla’s medical experience doubtless informs the rigorous operating room scenes and the abrasive hospital politics, but while this should appeal to fans of medical TV dramas, the overdose of familiar coincidences, revelations, and personal demons makes this feel more like a rerun than a new episode.