Death Benefit by Robin Cook

As usual, Robin Cook has delivered a great medical thriller. There are three different story lines going on that are intertwined. First is a med student named Pia. She had a very difficult childhood and was part of the foster care system. That experience has affected her ability to trust and to love - which is why she does not return the affections of fellow student George. Pia has been working for a well-renowned geneticist, Rothman, who is on the brink of a discovery that will help prolong the lifespan of people in need of organs. Second is a group of 'suits' who use their brains and experience to prolong the lifespan of their bank accounts. They buy insurance policies for the terminally ill. The faster those people die, the richer they become. When they hear about the possibility of new organs being grown, they are most unhappy! The third group is from the Albanian mob. (I am so out of it that I didn't even know that they had a mob!). They were my least favorite part of the story. There is romance, suspense, science, murder - a bit of everything.