3.5 Stars:

What worked for me:


Medical thriller - I liked the idea of a neurosurgeon finding the cure for Alzheimer's disease. And the idea of using stem cells was brilliant. It was a new, fresh idea. I also enjoyed the fact that the reader gets to learn some history on stem cells. My knowledge on that subject is limited, so it was very interesting finding out more about the subject.
Multiple POVs - Like I said in the past, multiple characters and their POV make me see the big picture and to see the plots in a lot more detail than usually. So I loved that every major character in this boom got to "share" his side of the story.
Pacing - This book is really fast-paced. I didn't get bored reading it, there wasn't a moment where the plot stopped developing or where the action wasn't moving forward. It's not too fast that you lose some important detail, it's just the right kind of fast, if that makes sense.


What didn't work for me:

Because there were multiple POVs, you know from the very start who, why, when and how is trying to intimidate Jon Ritter. That made the suspense sort of fade for me. It made me anticipate more than I felt comfortable. I would've wanted more mystery surrounding the person who tried to make Jon Ritter not continue with his research.


I liked this book and I'm sure I would've liked it even more had it not been for the fact that we find out from the very start who is doing what. Even so, the story was great and it kept me reading and it kept me wanting to know how the book ended. So if you're a thriller fan, you should check this book out :) ( )

llen Wyler manages to explain complex scientific situations in plain English. His descriptive characterizations of greed, poverty, struggles and the plain old fashioned will to survive make the pages turn themselves. The story in an of itself is nothing new: Greedy CEO who needs a sure fire bet. Nerdy scientist who trusts everyone. Foreign consulate that can do nothing for an American. A vicious, methodic murdering madman chasing everyone! BUT this novel manages to take all of these factors and string them together with ease and poetry. The words flow as the story unfolds to a quite unexpected ending.

I am definitely going to seek out Allen Wyler's other works after reading this one! ( )

From my blog

Great fast paced thriller. This was a run for your life before getting "Locked Up Abroad" thriller. Allen Wyler is a Neurosurgeon turned author and it comes across with a genuine feel of medical details while still keeping the reader engaged and on the edge of their seats. The main character Jon is also a Neurosurgeon so we get true technical details.

Jon has been doing research for ten years, waiting to test in order to find a cure for Alzheimer's. A personal decision as his grandmother died with Alzheimer's. After receiving the grant, then it being pulled from under him he couldn't accept 10 years being for naught and found a way to continue. This decision almost cost him his life.

The beginning of the book was a good setup of characters and manipulation. Almost exactly half way the run for his life began and wow, what a race until the end of the book. Who can you trust? I did think Jon should have figured out who was behind it all but when it is a matter of life and death how can you think straight. I enjoyed the fact that everyone thought they were in control not realising continuous obstacles.

This thriller was more about the race from Korea back to US without being caught and killed by the man trailing him. The research and surgeries were the background story.

I definitely recommend this one. I look forward to reading more from Allen Wyler. ( )

Dead End Deal is a thought provoking new medical mystery written by neurosurgeon Allen Wyler. I received an advanced review copy of the book from the author's publicist for review. I am happy to state that it is a thrilling addition to the medical mystery sub-genre and I can't wait to read more from Wyler.

The story opens with neurosurgeon Jon Ritter being confronted by 2 thugs as he is leaving his office. They demand that he stop his “baby killing” work even though Ritter uses non-human stem cells in his search to cure dementia. After Jon’s mentor is killed during the confrontation, the FBI becomes involved to track a terrorist group, the Avengers. The Avengers post the names of doctors who use stem cells on their internet list and Jon made the list two months prior. Since he is close to making a breakthrough and needs to do human trials, Jon pairs up with a Korean scientist he worked with a few years ago. Together they travel to Korea to continue the research but things take a turn for the worse there.

Dead End Deal is very fast paced with many twists and turns. At times I felt the terror that Jon Ritter must have felt as he faced one problem after another. There is a level of personal danger here that I have never felt with other novels. Perhaps because this issue is constantly in the news it seems more real than the dangers posed in other thrillers. I can see myself getting caught in the crossfire just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The characters are realistic albeit scary. The government actors come from the newspaper headlines and they create more terror than the terrorists as do the characters from the medicine fields. This would make a great series. While there are 2 previous books that Wyler published, I do not know if they are the beginning of a series. Wyler certainly knows how to craft a thriller and I expect a long writing career from him.

Highly recommended. ( )

Book Title: Dead End Deal

Author: Allen Wyler

Publisher: Astor + Blue Editions

ISBN: 9781938231056

Reviewed by Michele Tater for The Couch Tater Review

“There are horrible people who, instead of solving a problem, tangle it up and make it harder to solve for anyone who wants to deal with it. Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.” ~Friedrich Nietzsche

Who would think that a medical breakthrough could cause so many problems. Jon Ritter just wants to test his new theories of using stem cells to possibly cure Alzheimer’s disease on human subjects. Little does he know that a whole scheme is in the works to stop this from ever happening. Funding is already in jeopardy, even before the murder of his colleague. Desperation causes Dr. Ritter to turn to his nemesis to continue with the human trials which end up becoming a complete disaster. Jon is now considered a murder and is on the run, but not in the United States but in Seoul, Korea and without his passport! Will he make it out of the country before he is permanently a “guest” in a Korea jail? How is going to clear his name with no one to turn to for help? Who is following him? What the heck is going on? You need to pick-up this book and find out if the questions will be answered before it is too late.

Greed. It can be a very ugly word, especially when it is why a seeming wonderful medical cure that can stop the suffering of so many, can not become available. This book looks into the seemingly real world of scientific monopolies. Where lab companies are in it for the money and not for the public. Jon Ritter is a believable character in an almost unbelievable situation. With action packed in every page and a plot line that is easy to follow even with the medical terminology and procedures. I really didn’t think I was going to enjoy the book as much as I did. It is very entertaining and sometimes even humorous. I, however, hope that the events in the book are not something that happens in real life. What a scarey thought if it is....

Book link: http://astorandblue.com/dead-end-deal/ ( )