Maggie McCabe is a brilliant surgeon, renowned for operating in combat zones and humanitarian camps. But now she’s adrift: having lost her medical licence, her husband Marc, and her business; she’s in financial trouble and fighting a malpractice suit.

Then an old professor reaches out with a lifeline – offering big money to operate on a Russian oligarch who is willing to pay for the best surgery (and discretion).  Figuring she has nothing to lose, Maggie takes on the job – and finds herself plunged into an international conspiracy. When the oligarch disappears after his surgery, Maggie finds herself on the run. How is the oligarch connected to her former charity, which performed operations in dangerous hotspots? Were Marc and their business partner Trace Packer involved in money laundering and organ harvesting? From Russia to Dubai and Bordeaux, Maggie must try to connect the dots of the conspiracy – and stay alive.

I’m unsure of the workload split in this collaboration between Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben. It’s a fast-paced thriller with an intriguing premise and a gutsy heroine, but the writing is laboured, with too much unnecessary exposition, and the plot is fairly predictable.

Reviewed by Melinda Woledge.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Reese Witherspoon is an award-winning actress, producer, New York Times bestselling author and founder. In 2016, she established the media brand, Hello Sunshine, which puts women at the center of every story across all platforms – from scripted and unscripted television, feature films, animated series, podcasts, audio storytelling, and digital series. Hello Sunshine is also home to “Reese’s Book Club,” a community propelled by meaningful connections with stories, authors, and fellow members.

Harlan Coben is a no. 1 New York Times bestselling author and one of the world’s leading storytellers. His suspense novels are published in forty-six languages and have been number one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries, with eighty million books in print worldwide. His ‘Myron Bolitar’ series has earned the Edgar, Shamus, and Anthony Awards, and several of his books have been developed into Netflix original series, including the no.1 global hit Fool Me Once, The Stranger, The Innocent, Gone for Good, The Woods, Stay Close, and Hold Tight, as well as the Amazon Prime Video series adaptation of Shelter. He lives in New Jersey.