Heather’s Bookshelf: Spontaneous Remission
Author: Joel Shulkin, MD
Released: 05/13/25
Genre: Medical Thriller
“A thin smile spread across his face. Finally, he had the upper hand. He just needed to get out of there before the authorities arrived.”
“Spontaneous Remission” introduces Betsy Daniels, a woman surviving after a diagnosis of Scleroderma. Her disease has ravaged her so much that she’s considering ending her life.
Betsy seeks the advice of her friend who recommends prayer. Taking her advice, Betsy seems to have her prayers answered as she begins to feel better. Over the next couple of weeks, her kidneys are doing better and her skin is clearing up, but her doctor, Regina Thomas can’t find a reason why.
Betsy’s convinced her prayers were answered. But those around her believe something else is going on. Her personalities changing and then there’s the bone structure in her face… she’s changing both inside and out…but what exactly is going on?
Someone close to Betsy is killed and someone else seems to be following them. Then they hear of a biotech researcher who’s found dead. Will they be able to figure out what’s going on? Even if they do, will they survive it?
Trigger Warning: violence, torture, murder, adult language
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I had a couple of personal factors that influenced my review. First, my day job is in the medical field. I enjoyed this aspect of the book and that the author clearly had experience that he drew from. I also liked that the author didn’t dumb down much of the medical references. I also happen to live in Jacksonville, FL, where much of the book takes place. It is clear the author has either never stepped foot in Jacksonville or decided to not include any semblance of the city. The medical center mentioned, the university- none of it exists. A bit disappointing, but a majority of readers would probably not be bothered one way or the other on either matter.
So…more to the book. The story is mostly told through the POV of Betsy. She starts out as a very vulnerable and sympathetic protagonist. It’s hard to imagine the challenges she’s encountered due to Scleroderma. However, this soon changes and any empathy felt for the character turns to annoyance as she becomes a reflection of … well, her reflection. Another POV that’s highly featured is that of Dr. Thomas, Betsy’s MD that first diagnosed her with Scleroderma. Dr. Thomas is facing her own challenges including running a practice, balancing a work/home life, and a new diagnosis of her own. She’s a great character to follow. Her internal dialogue felt very genuine and her character arc was relatable. I found the antagonist to be a bit lacking. I didn’t quite know what to make of him. A religious fanatic? A hired mercenary? I just didn’t quite get his story and that led for a bit of disconnection with me. I found the pacing of the novel to be very good, with me flipping the pages to see what would happen next. I also felt the ending wrapped everything up nicely without leaving any loose ends.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A medical thriller with interesting and relatable character arcs and good pacing.
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here
Interested in submitting your book for review? Visit my review page for guidelines and submission requirements.
