Stacy Childs and David Niall Wilson take you on a wild ride of spills and thrills in their novel, Block 10. Luke Cooper is a competitive alpine skier. He thrives on the adrenaline rush of downhill skiing. Flying over the snow, pushing the envelope, in a race of a life time, Luke crashes. This race changes his life forever. Lying in his hospital room, depressed and dismally contemplating the future, Luke is confronted by Dr. Henri de Salvo. De Salvo is not your ordinary surgeon; his procedures are experimental, dangerous and untested. He offers Luke a chance to not only walk, but to ski again. Luke accepts. From that moment on, Luke is forever linked to the controversial Dr. Henri de Salvo. After surgery, Luke returns to the US, completes medical school, and becomes a renowned diagnostician and surgeon. And yes, he can ski! Dr. de Salvo invites Luke to partner with him at his state-of-the–art private medical clinic in France. An offer Luke cannot pass up. Luke has no idea what he is getting himself into. From the moment he steps off the plane onto French soil, his life is in danger. Darkness shadows his bright future, he will be lucky if he gets out alive.

What a rush - Block 10 is captivating from the opening scene. It literally starts off with a punch. Stacy Childs uses his expertise as a doctor and clinical professor of surgery to pen an exhilarating medical science narrative. The characterization is extremely diverse, it keeps the reader spinning. There are so many sides to the main character - is he a doctor, a fighter, and thrill seeking junkie? Using flashback techniques, the characters reflect on the past, giving relevance to their present condition. These moments of introspection allow for a deeper view into the minds and personalities of the characters. The authors paint a beautiful and intriguing background. The exceptional word usage and the inclusion of French phrases draw the reader into the aura of the setting. The plot is masterfully written, with twists and turns galore. The action is fast paced; barely giving you time to breathe. Childs and Wilson knit their story together with breath-taking scenery, mysterious undertones and malevolence, making Block 10 a sensational thriller.

In Block 10, Luke was travelling to France, under the pretense that he would be visiting a health clinic during his stay. After a long and tiring trip from America, Luke was called aside to "fill out more forms," the stranger claiming that it was all part of the procedure. However, Luke's passport was confiscated in the interview room, and he was knocked unconscious. Waking up, he realised that he had been abducted by the GIGN, a secret governmental organization that demanded he tell what he knows about Dr. Henri de Salvo. Luke, wanting no complications, begins telling his story.

I do like the bit of action, mystery, and suspense in the beginning of the novel. It grabs the reader's attention and hooks them into the story. This is a really good writing technique and the two authors, Stacy Childs and David Niall Wilson, used it perfectly. However, one thing that did bother me is that everything happened a bit too quickly. I think it is better to build the suspense slowly, instead of having Luke being abducted in the beginning.

The plot itself is very entertaining. While flashbacks are often tedious, Childs and Wilson managed to keep me interested, as proven in the second chapter of the novel. The plot also contains the right amount of action and suspense, vital in order to maintain the interest of the targeted audience.

I also like how the characters are portrayed throughout the story. The authors have used interesting and somewhat realistic dialogue in order to portray certain characters. However, many characters (especially the French) play up to stereotypes, and while it isn't necessarily a bad thing, characters that aren't part of the mold will leave a better impression on readers.