Reviewed by Gabriel Santos for Readers' Favorite
In Anthony Lee's Toxic Minds, Dr. Mark Lin is an internal medicine doctor at Ivory Memorial Hospital. On an ordinary afternoon, he gets a call from Shannon Dixon, a previous patient waiting for an appointment at Ivory Memorial Clinic. During their conversation, an armed woman raids the clinic and detonates a bomb attached to her, killing Shannon and eleven other people. Suspicion for the attack falls on a pro-life organization, the Lord's Cradle, but Mark has been nurturing doubts since he heard the bomber's cryptic last words: "Purity is mine!" His doubts grow into certainty as he learns about the Path to Purity, a dangerous cult veiled in secrecy. Tormented by Shannon's death and unable to stand by, Mark joins the cult to find a way to destroy it.
While I enjoyed the thrilling, action-packed ride through a cult's seedy underbelly (especially towards the climax), the novel is, at its core, a cautionary tale about disinformation. Exploring the origins, spread, and consequences of falsehoods regarding health, Anthony Lee tackles the subject from various angles and also takes some time to correct myths and misconceptions. The scenes depicting the tragic fates of the cult's victims are particularly poignant. Mark Lin is an engaging protagonist whose snarky, profanity-laden narration kept me entertained, but his words and actions display kindness, empathy, and self-sacrifice. This compelling characterization makes Mark feel human and admirable, as he never fails to uphold his principles despite his cynicism. If you're interested in medical thrillers or cult-related stories, I urge you to give Toxic Minds a try.