Big Pharma is an industry that touches most everyone in some way. We have connection to it on a personal level as individuals and, even more importantly to many, our families. It touches us whether we want it to or not.  The first draft of The Deadly Deal was written when I worked in an industry tangential to the FDA and came to understand the process. While it is purely a work of fiction, the more I explored the idea, the more realistic I found it to be…

Here is a list of 10 books that explore Big Pharma.

The Deadly Deal by J. Lee 

David Centrelli is a junior business development executive at a pharmaceutical company in Richmond with no military training or criminal record whatsoever…but an innocent knock on the door one typical Monday morning changes his life forever.

Thrust into a world of unbelievable accusations, outrageous claims and danger he’s only seen in the movies, he’s told that his best friend’s death two weeks earlier was no accident, and that his buddy has a message for him from the grave. As skeptical as he is, clues far too specific to be coincidental keep coming, and soon his own home is engulfed in flames. When the perpetrator contacts him, he learns that not only are the accusations legitimate, but that people trained to eliminate problems have labeled him one.

Blackmailed by decisions he made years ago, informed that his brother has been kidnapped, and threatened with a future not even his worst nightmare could imagine, the temptation to give up what he knows and disappear into affluent anonymity grows stronger by the second…until he learns that millions of lives depend on him trying to do the right thing. But can this ordinary businessman really escape death from experts trained to administer it and prevent a colossal calamity already set in motion by the highest levels of government?

Fatal Conspiracies by R.F. Mineo

Just as pharmaceutical scientists form tablets under pressure, the laboratory staff and executives at Purity Pharmaceuticals toil under an enormous force. The heavyweights of big Pharma – of meeting physical quality standards, perfectly targeting regulatory requirements, and maintaining the leanest staff in the name of making the most profit – bear down on everyone in Mineo’s fascinating story.

No one can escape the toil. The challenge pushes some to engage in deceptive and wicked corporate games involving dangerous alliances and unethical staff reductions. Others on the front lines in the labs feel powerless and make the difficult decision to cut quality in an industry where precision is paramount. And finally, others involved choose to conspire.

Who makes up this conspiratorial nexus? Is it a lone agent or a group who finds they share something, whether it be anger, greed, envy, or revenge? Who will be targeted by these evil forces? And how? What’s the thinking, and what price will be paid?

A Dose of Murder by Lotus James

Jack’s career demands are intense in his position as Chief Research Scientist at Chadwell Pharmaceuticals. Since he won’t join the old boys’ club, his research team is targeted, along with him.

Events take a turn for the worse as the hammer of Big Pharma comes down, turning the lives of many into heart wrenching nightmares. Will Jack and Haley find the unfettered life they both deserve? Will the Foster family prevail, overcoming a maze of spying, surveillance, and conspiracy?

A Dose of Discovery by Lotus James

Even though the clock is ticking, the game is not over. The Foster family and their friends experience the power of hope and perseverance, only to have their beliefs tested at every turn.

In Book 2 of the Big Pharma series, there are wins and losses for each.

• When deleted, encrypted, and incriminating emails are recovered, they become aware of an enemy hidden in plain sight.
• Haley chalks up a win by discovering Jack’s hidden information. But she’s on the run from a thief determined to steal it.
• Big Pharma has a loss, discovering some jungle cats have nine lives.
• Lucky gets too close for comfort with a co-conspirator, endangering her position.
• A conscientious scientist goes rogue against his former employer to help save the world, discovering what a difficult sacrifice it will be.

This is Book 2. Reading this series in order will provide the best experience.

A Dose of Control by Lotus James

In a desperate attempt to save her own life and that of her unborn child, Haley must face off against the powerful and corrupt force that has left a trail of blood and tears in its wake. With her own life and happiness on the line, Haley must rise to the occasion and eliminate the enemy that holds her down, or risk being overtaken and destroyed.

Meanwhile, deep beneath the earth, Dr. Jack Foster is trapped and protected by two governments until his mission is considered complete. Above ground, a deadly virus is spreading, causing panic and chaos around the world. With no other options, Jack must secure his revolutionary drug and get it distributed on an emergency basis to contain the virus.

But when he discovers that Haley and his unborn child are in danger, Jack knows he must escape the mountain and do whatever it takes to protect them.

As the battle between Haley and big pharma intensifies and the fate of the world hangs in the balance, will Jack and Haley be able to prevail against their powerful enemies? Or will they succumb to the corrupt clutches of a deadly industry and lose everything they hold dear? Find out in Book 3 of the Big Pharma Series.

The Cure: A Black Ghost Thriller by Freddie Villacci

Gracie Green, a visionary on the brink of a cancer cure, faces a perilous journey as she battles not only the FDA’s skepticism but also the shadowy interests of Big Pharma. When an expert assassin, Jaco Ivanov, is unleashed to annihilate her work, Gracie finds herself hunted, framed, and on the run. As she navigates a dangerous landscape of government secrets and deadly networks, an unexpected ally, the enigmatic Black Ghost, emerges.

In this riveting blend of medical thriller and financial intrigue, Gracie races against time to uncover the truth and bring her life-saving discovery to the world. Can she survive the relentless pursuit of powerful enemies? Is the legendary Black Ghost truly on her side? Prepare for heart-stopping twists and a showdown that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Step into a world where every choice has a consequence, and the line between science and power is razor-thin. ‘The Cure’ is a roller-coaster ride that will leave you breathless, questioning loyalties, and hungering for answers. Get ready for an unforgettable journey through ambition, treachery, and the unrelenting quest for redemption

Collateral Carnage by Chris Saper

Money. Politics. Big Pharma. What could go wrong?As PTSD therapist Claire Wilheit is about to learn, a whole helluva lot. A chance after-hours encounter with a fellow therapist reveals falsified patient files and thrusts Claire into a conspiracy poised to revolutionize treatment for US veterans now and for future generations, with deadly collateral damage.Trapped in an avalanche of events over which she has no control, Claire is locked into a race against time in preventing the sweeping, irreversible and fatally flawed policies that Congress is about to set into play. Collateral Carnage is Chris Saper’s debut novel, a gripping thriller set in a future near enough to be all too terrifying.

Research Triangle by John Batson 

Evangeline Wright reported on the rising gas prices, the school testing debacle and chip implants as monitoring devices. Lately, she was stepping on toes – she was taking prescription drugs and the link to the school violence. Then she disappeared completely.

Jack Richmond discovers a building on the edge of the Research Triangle where school children are being remotely monitored at a distance for medication reactions. The monitoring room was joyous at the killing of 16 students until the discovery that they were being recorded. Jack Richmond wakes with no memory at all.

The Arakniv Deception by Dick Dormann

Geoffrey Winters, Head of Security for Valhalla Pharmaceuticals, discovers an insidious link between their breakthrough arthritis drug, Arakniv, and a global plot designed to create a stranglehold on patients. The unexpected death of Valhalla’s CEO forces Winters and his colleagues down a path of deadly intrigue as they unravel the knot that is the Arakniv Deception. If you have been captivated by Dopesick or Dangerous Doses this is the novel for you. Drawn from forty years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry this thriller will grab you and drive you to the questions….what are these drugs really designed to do?

Viral Fear by Robert McLay and Barbara McLay 

In 1997, a deranged man committed a series of crimes at University Hospital. He claimed he had been infected by animals housed at the facility. He was only trying to cure himself.

Which is more dangerous, disease or fear? When a thief breaks into a research facility, he comes away with a multi-million-dollar secret. He is also bitten by an animal. A young reporter is convinced that the thief is infected with an experimental disease. Blood and sex form a chain of infection, but has the reporter unleashed a virus of paranoia via her stories? Viral Fear plays out the drama of risk and benefit, public and personal good, life and death. Science may give the right answer, but does it come in time?

Acceptable Risk by Risk Robin Cook 

Robin Cook has always been on the cutting edge of the latest medical controversies. In Acceptable Risk, he confronts one of the most provocative issues of our time: personality-altering drugs and the complex moral questions they raise. Neuroscientist Edward Armstrong has managed to isolate a psychotropic drug with a strange and dark history–one that may account for the public hysteria during the Salem witch trials. In a brilliant designer-drug transformation, it is developed into an antidepressant with truly startling therapeutic capabilities. But who can be sure the drug is safe for consumers? Who defines the boundaries of “normal” human behavior? And if the drug’s side effects are proven to be dangerous–even terrifying–how far will the medical community go to alter their standards of…Acceptable Risk.

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